Border Settlement, Border Economy, and Family Problems: The Case Study of Border Cities of Baneh and Marivan

In historical periods, frontier communities were mainly communities that were, on the one hand, free in a certain territory and were ready to take risks and confront foreigners in defense of the mainland and were no different from centralists; but on the other hand, they have been constantly exposed to suspicion and marginalization. In other words, in many cases, border residents have been evaluated in the context of action, along with negative aspects, and usually, aspects and cultural values ​​or economic resources and possessions or even their common historical heritage with residents within borders and inland areas have been ignored. The aim of the present study is to look at the borderline and the conditions of families and their problems by following family injuries. The existence of a border economy and, consequently, its harms on the family and the context and conditions of frontier settlement can advance the roadmap of this research through the perspective of family experts. However, it should be asked what injuries are seen in families in border areas, and what is the context of these injuries, the causal conditions, and interventions that occur, and what are the consequences? What is the relationship between the border and the family? and what changes in the face of border conditions has made the issue of family pathology important?

  Interviews were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Methodology in which it seeks the context of the formation of problems, causal and interventional conditions, consequences and strategies. Interview duration ranged from 60 minutes to 120 minutes, and interviews were conducted with three family experts and civil society activists. These included family counselors, sociologists and university professors, psychologists and civic activists, as well as assistants and experts from the Relief, Welfare, Sports and Youth Departments of Marivan and Baneh, who were interviewed at their workplaces and they were conducted individually and in the form of in-depth interviews. In terms of analytical technique, thematic analysis technique was used.

The interviews with 30 people reached theoretical saturation and in the form of 19 primary categories there were also five secondary categories: the transformation of socio-cultural values, the dominance of the border economy, Culbery and family injuries, disregard for educational and counseling issues, and ignoring new issues and family injuries. The results indicate changes in the socio-cultural system of families with the introduction of conflicting values, polarization of the age of marriage, weak intergenerational ties and the dominance of the cultural atmosphere of Iraqi Kurdistan and tourists. In this situation, the society is in a turmoil of issues and problems that need to be examined more seriously. Here, what has formed the core category is the family category in crisis. A family whose values are transformed. The conditions under which the frontier economy has prevailed and Culbery itself is the damage of this economy and the reproduction of more serious and tangible damage. Also, a situation that has led to a lack of interest in education and counseling, and the result of all this is new injuries and issues that are increasing every day and has caused a crisis in the structure and heart of families.

Economic gaps and inequalities, lack of investment and youth unemployment, and people’s dependence on unsustainable border livelihoods, rising cost of living, and the spread of border corruption are among the most important consequences of the border economy in these areas. Culbery was  cited as the situation with as harming the economy and at the same time causing other harms, such as increasing sexual and physical harm, increasing domestic violence, consuming energy for Culbery and lowering Culbery. This situation has also exacerbated the harms of lowering the age of the victims, early divorces and the prevalence of family sexual issues, the harms of cyberspace and the emotional divorce of couples, which are ignored due to the lack of education. Therefore, in order to provide any solution for these injuries, the cooperation and coordination of stakeholder government institutions, family counseling clinics, non-governmental organizations and families should be prioritized.