Elementary School Students Approach the Pontian Greek as a Refugee within the Drawing Activity

Abstract

Children tend to express themselves in detail through the design activity since they greatly lack linguistic and verbal competence. In the present study, we gathered and analyzed the drawings of elementary school students, aged 8-12, (total num = 110) to explore their views and thoughts for the Pontian Greeks as refugees. The drawings were collected during their visit to a multi-themed exhibition regarding the culture of the Black Sea and they were analyzed based on their content. The results show that children approach the Pontian Greek refugees with sensitivity and empathy, while gender and origin influence the presence of cultural elements and symbols that refer to the Pontian Greek Genocide and the exile that followed.