Transmission of cultural patterns among young Kurdish migrants in Istanbul (original) (raw)
Related papers
Construction of ethnic identity among young Kurdish voluntary migrants in Istanbul
The aim of the article is to present partial results of ongoing research project devoted to examining social construction of ethnic identity of young Kurdish voluntary migrants in Istanbul. In the first part of the paper theoretical context of the study is shortly explained, with emphasis on: importance of Istanbul for Kurdish culture, conceptualization of identity and migration. The second part depicts preliminary results of interviews with migrants. It presents respondents' attitudes towards Istanbul, perceived qualities and flaws of conditions that it provides, and potential relation of metropolis to Kurdish culture.
A Quest for Hybrid Identity at Kadirga-Kumkapı / Istanbul
Akpinar,Y.I, Aydınlı, S. “A Quest for Hybrid Identity at Kadirga-Kumkapı / Istanbul”, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, and Center for Environmental Design Research, International Association of Traditional Environments, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements, University of California, Berkeley – working paper series, 2004, pp. 75-84; www.arch.berkeley.edu/research/iaste Metropolitan cities witnessed major economic, social and urban changes in Western Europe as well as in developing countries, such as Turkey. The urban reconstruction and the immigration of its non-Muslim population towards Europe deprived Istanbul of its cosmopolitan aura starting from the mid-1950s. Migration in and out of the city, urban reconstruction combined with the nostalgic renovation projects in tourism, converted the Kadirga-Kumkapi district from a multi-cultural, spontaneously developed urban pattern into a more unified, homogenous, national metropolis with immigrants from Anatolia. With a set of two-step interviews, our paper analyses the spatial transitions and reversibly their effects on city reconstituted through the cultural identity in a traditional ethnic-religious (Greek, Armenian) neighborhood located on the Marmara sea-front at the historical peninsula-Istanbul. In the mid-20th century, following the departure of a large number of non-Muslim families from the district because of a number of events as part of the so-called Turkification project, the deserted old timber and stone houses were put up for rent for people who recently immigrated from the rural areas to Istanbul. Therefore, Kadirga-Kumkapi mainly became a district for the new comers due to lower rents. The old district absorbed a large number of immigrants, having an important result on architecture: immigrants divided and subdivided the existing traditional houses into small rooms suitable for one or two people to live in. The migration and the partial urban demolitions collectively contributed to the transformation of the urban pattern and the change of the demographic structure in the Kadirga-Kumkapi district. A multi-cultural, multi-faith neighbourhood has become dominated by Turks, mostly immigrated from the eastern provinces (Malatya, Elazig, Kastamonu, Mardin, Batman and Tokat) reflecting a typical example of chain migration in Turkey, as put by sociologists. The most important difference between the locals and new comers was their feelings towards the settlement. Contrary to the affection of the native Armenians for the Kadirga-Kumkapi district, the immigrants do not feel attached to the neighbourhood since they were not attracted to the physical environment they presently live in. This neo-traditional environment having an experience of both new and old entities exhibits a hybrid identity in which symbiotic images of Istanbul define a unique time and space relations. The transformation of the urban identity into a hybrid form at Kadirga-Kumkapi is introduced by a comparative analysis based on photographs and historical maps, revealing its social structure in the past and today. Moreover, a two-step interview of the inhabitants of sixteen historical houses located in 26 plots (practically 47 households) is given. Summarising inhabitants’ daily life and present day conditions, social conditions and future plans, interviews describe the rapid rural immigration towards Istanbul and the emigration of Armenians towards European cities and their removal to upper income residential areas in Istanbul. Focusing on certain contextual circumstances such as the power of geography, a rich variety of social actors, value systems and life-styles, our paper investigates different configurations of the spatial character at Kadirga-Kumkapi. Examining the existing spatial organization and social structure in Kumkapi gives a broader understanding how the spatial formation has been occurred in traditional built environment. Addressing the various re-workings of identity and ethnicity, the paper explores the built history of peoples and places, and its relevance in the post traditional moment.
Trans-locality among Kurds - The case of Turkey
Studia Humanistyczne AGH, 2020
The article aims at presenting trans-local aspects of Kurdish society and especially trans-local ties maintained by Kurds in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul. Inspired by transnational theories in migration and diaspora studies, the author proposes a categorization of Kurdish migration waves and waves of internal migration in Turkey. Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted with Kurds in Istanbul, the paper depicts ways of maintaining ties with the country’s Kurdish regions and types of social organizing around their culture and perceived needs. The paper also offers insights into contemporary Kurdish migration in Turkey, leading to the conclusion that although trans-locality has often been forced on Kurds, the socio-political situation in 2002-2015 led to the emergence of a new, trans-local, socially active Kurdish elite in Turkey.
Towards The Study of New Kurdish Migration in Turkey
The paper proposes a new approach to the study of Kurds in Turkey, it focuses on the new wave of voluntary migration. The article begins with a general overview of theories on migration to provide scientific context, then, the history of forced Kurdish migration in Turkey is explained including its potential impact on new migration. The third part of the paper is devoted to the flow of voluntary migration in the Turkish Republic, their circumstances and significance. The fourth and final part defines the scheme of voluntary migration in Turkey and some characteristics of Kurdish migration in20th century.
This study examines the identity problem for the workers that turned back to Turkey. Starting from 1960s, lots of workers migrated to European countries as a solution to the problem of unemployment in Turkey. The migrants brought their families with them and got accustomed to living abroad. However statistics prove that a group of migrants returned back to Turkey. Migrants had many problems after return. Turks in Turkey excluded them from the society, mainly because their dialect was different. Eventually, an identity problem emerged for the returned migrants and they experienced a confusion and ambiguity concerning their origin. Although, these migrants shared the same ethnic origin with people living in Turkey, they experienced difficulties in adapting to their national culture. It has been seen that the Turkish migrant identity, which refer to the identity of returned Turks who migrated to European Countries, is not exactly Turkish identity or European identity, but it carries features from both. This migrant identity is an ambivalent identity, constituted of some of factors; Turkish migrants feeling like belonging to nowhere, them having a desire to live in Europe, and them to keep having religious values and feelings different than both Turks in Turkey and people in host countries. Some of the migrants adapted themselves to other cultures, and their interest to their traditional cultures decreased. Consequently, the concept of nation carries a different meaning for the returned migrants. This study examines, why and how the returned migrants became the other in their own countries.
Sosyoloji Konferansları - Istanbul Journal of Sociological Studies, 2017
Throughout history, people have migrated from their homes for many reasons. Today, migration and immigration debates concern how, in general, perceptions of identity and belonging are transformed into multicultural societies where, depending on social interaction processes, individuals can reproduce their identity and sense of belonging. However, such rebuilding processes are not the same for every subculture in mainstream society. Problems migrants experienced in other societies, special links shared with the homeland, and memories shared with other group members generally determine identity and sense of belonging. Additionally, with the development of mass media and transportation, subcultures have preserved their ethnic identities and maintained essential links with their homelands. In particular, this study researched how Ahiska Turks, who were subject to forced migration and who returned to their homeland after many years, retain their ethnic identity and sense of belonging to their homeland despite their lives in different societies.
This article has three objectives. The first is to determine how forced migration to big cities has contributed to the problems encountered by migrant Kurdish women in their daily lives in Istanbul both as women and as Kurds. Following this will be an examination of the manner in which forced migration has affected the way old hometown associations from the Kurdish-populated areas and the newly formed Kurdish associations represent and express migrant Kurdish women’s problems and identities at the local level and deal with the “Kurdish problem” at the national level. Finally, this paper will discuss how the arrival of the Kurdish IDPs to Istanbul has affected those female Kurdish members of these associations, who were born in Istanbul or who have been in the city much longer than the forced migrants.
As a result of high and rapid urbanization in Turkey internal migration becomes an important component which affects the economic, social and spatial structures of the country. The aim of this research was to compare urban-related identity, satisfaction with several life domains and the extent of socio-spatial mobility of ethnically different (Turks and Kurds) internal migrants from different regions of country who resettled in Izmir, Ankara, Istanbul, Bursa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir and the host culture members of these cities. The sample consisted of 866 host culture members and 871 internal migrants. The mean age of the whole sample was 38,96 years (range = 18-80; SD = 13,21). According to the findings, host culture members were found to be more attached to their city than the migrants. Moreover significant disparities were found to be in access to several social services within groups. The migrants in Izmir were found to access more easily for the health services in the city core and the level of social mobility were the highest compared to other cities. The results indicated that the unjust social and environmental structures significantly associated with the level of socio-spatial mobility, urban attachment and life satisfaction.
2015-Ethnicity and Migration in a Turkish District.doc
This Paper shows the ethnic factor in the international migration from the Emirdağ region in the first place to have a general dimension. The foremost Turcoman identity and living tribal organization, at least to a great extent, explains the relative massive character, speed and concentration of international migration. Secondly the inter-ethnic dimension of the migration process is interesting. It’s not only about different ethnic groups and categories for whatever reason taking a different position in the migration process, it’s also about ethnic groups, deliberately or not, helping each other to fulfill already present orientations. The most striking example is the ‘cooperation’ between Muslucalı Turcoman villages and Muhacir villages, the latter selling their farmland to landhungry Turcomans, by doing so getting the money to permanently leave the region and strengthen their position in one of the bigger towns in Turkey.