The sociocultural trauma of forced migration and displacement

Trauma occurs when individuals or groups encounter a horrific experience that leads to enduring imprints on their consciousness and memory, and results in a crucial alteration in how they perceive their identity, social surrounding, and even their future. &e concept of trauma is %rmly connected to war, con’ict, and forced migration. Refugees face catastrophic life events when everything breaks apart. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in exploring trauma from di(erent approaches, including sociological ones. &erefore, this article aims to review, explore, and analyze the concepts of cultural trauma, collective identity, and social trauma regarding the issue of refugees’ forced migration. &e %rst part of the study focuses on reviewing related literature on cultural trauma and collective identity. &en, I investigate the concept of social trauma by considering forced migration, the host communities, the identity of forced migrants, and the role of the carrier groups. In this way, I attempt to present a comprehensive analysis of forced displacement from a sociocultural perspective. © 2022, Russian Sociological Review. All Rights Reserved.