Television Drama and National Identity Among Syrians in Qatar

This research examines representations of nationalism in Syrian television drama and how they shape the national identities of Syrians living in Qatar during the current Syrian crisis. The Syrian national crisis has affected both the industry of TV drama production as well as the Syrian people across the world. This research provides an opportunity to explore nationalism in cultural production and its reception in a transnational setting, during a time of rampant violence and uncertainty about the future of the nation. After analyzing the content of two famous Syrian dramas produced after the uprising (Bāb al-hāra 7 and Al-hqā'ib), particularly focusing on the political representations and commentary they articulate, this research explores how Syrian viewers in Qatar decode the representations they see on TV on the basis of interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. These observations as well as the viewers’ responses are then used to understand more about the reconfiguration of Syrian identities in a diasporic context like Qatar’s. National identity in this research is discussed in relation to loyalty, migration, unity, sectarianism, and cultural heritage that shape the social and political lives of the viewers.