Farklılıkların Gölgesinde: İlahiyat Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin Sosyal Dışlanma ve Entegrasyon Deneyimleri Üzerine Nitel Bir Araştırma

This research was prepared to explore why and how theology students at Eskişehir Osmangazi University experience exclusion during their education. The study aims to examine the social exclusion and stigmatization of theology faculty students in their daily lives, specifically within the context of Eskişehir Osmangazi University’s Theology Faculty, despite their efforts to achieve social integration. The research first analyzes the concept of social exclusion and then reviews theories related to this phenomenon. In the final stage, the exclusionary factors experienced by students are evaluated, and the socio-cultural, religious, and academic factors behind these exclusions are analyzed. The study focuses on issues such as students' socialization problems in both internal and external social groups, as well as their experiences of being “othered,” excluded, criticized, and faced with barriers to participating in social opportunities. Additionally, the study seeks to understand how students develop solutions to the problems related to their social exclusion experiences. This study, conducted using the interview technique, one of the qualitative research methods, was based on data collected from students through semi-structured interview questions. The findings obtained from these semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological design, after which the study’s codes were created, and sub-themes and main themes were identified. The study sample consists of students at Eskişehir Osmangazi University’s Theology Faculty. The snowball sampling method was used to select participants, with a total of 29 students carefully chosen to ensure an equal distribution of demographic characteristics. According to the results of the study, students have been subjected to political stigmatization, psychological violence, and social exclusion due to differences in opinion, their religious identity, their lifestyle, and the faculty where they are educated. As a result, these students experience identity crises, anxiety problems, academic achievement challenges, and difficulties in socializing.