Making Sense of Life in Iran: Afghan Refugee Youths' Social Representations Through an Arts‐Based Approach

ABSTRACT This study explores how Afghan refugee children and adolescents living in Iran make sense of their everyday lives through the lens of social representations theory and an arts‐based methodology. Eighty‐five participants ages 10–19 created drawings and written reflections in response to a prompt asking what they would like Iranian people to know about their lives. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. Participants shared thoughts, emotions, and aspirations regarding Afghan–Iranian relations, resulting in four distinct social representations: (1) problematic relations between Afghan and Iranian people, (2) friendly relations between Afghan and Iranian youth, (3) social and cultural barriers, and (4) hopes for peaceful coexistence in the future. While most participants expressed feelings of exclusion, discrimination, and limited access to education, others shared experiences of kindness and friendship, expressing hopes for mutual understanding and harmony. This research offers insight into Afghan refugee youth's everyday lives and social relations in Iran. Theoretically, it advances understanding of social representations and related social identities among youth, especially those navigating life between two cultures. Methodologically, it demonstrates the value of arts‐based approaches in capturing the complex, layered experiences of displaced young people and their processes of meaning‐making.