Methodological designs and field structuring

a meta-analytical study on Syrian migration research in Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes the perceptions of researchers who have developed studies on Syrian migration in Brazil, exploring the methodological dynamics that characterize this academic field. Based on interviews with 20 participants, including researchers of historical and contemporary migrations, we examine research trajectories, methodological choices, and challenges faced. The results point to a fragmentation between historical and contemporary studies, predominance of legal-political approaches over sociological perspectives, and specific challenges such as access to communities and language barriers. We identify that funding policies and institutional structures directly impact research development, configuring thematic hierarchies in the field. We conclude that this subfield, although still consolidating, has potential to develop approaches that articulate different temporalities and methodologies, contributing to the understanding of Syrian migration processes in the Brazilian context.