THE INFLUENCE of OBJECTS ON THE FEELING OF HOME IN MIGRANT LIVES: THE CASE OF DISPLAY CABINETS IN SYRIAN MIGRANT RESIDENCES 1

This paper explores the role of material culture in shaping a sense of home for migrants in a new place. Specifically, it focuses on display cabinets as material components within the homemaking practices of Syrian migrants. By doing so, it investigates how display cabinets contribute to the production of home among Syrians in displacement. Considering that the Syrian migration is a form of forced displacement, it has not always been possible for migrants to bring the belongings they wished to take with them. Consequently, they have made use of familiar objects available in their new environments or attempted to recreate a similar decorative setting. As decorative elements, display cabinets establish a sense of familiarity, and through the composition they form, they also reproduce the past and contribute to the temporal character of the home. Accordingly, display cabinets play a significant role in shaping emotional attachment to the home and fostering a sense of belonging.