Description
Book SynopsisThe discussions on Kurds of Turkey mostly refer to them as if they are one homogeneous group, with different forms of being Kurdish mostly overlooked. Yet, Kurds have been scattered all across Turkey; they differ in terms of the language they speak; they have also been subject to different policies of the Turkish state in different periods. How can we take these factors into account when discussing Kurdishness in Turkey? That is, in which ways does a Kurd living in a small city in Southeast Turkey differ from a Kurd living in Istanbul? How does being a native Kurdish speaker play a role in forming Kurdishness? What about different state rhetoric in different periods? By focusing on these three main questions, this book offers a detailed account on the diversity of experiences of Kurdishness. Based on her fieldwork in five different field sites in Turkey, Dr. Sengül illustrates, through narratives of her respondents, how Kurdishness is exhibited in different, personalised, and customise
Trade ReviewDr. Șengül proposes an insightful reading of individual forms of transmitting, constructing and experiencing Kurdishness in a highly tense context in the Kurdish and Turkish regions of Turkey. -- Hamit Bozarslan, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
Ceren Şengül provides an excellent account of how everyday Kurdishness in contemporary Turkey is experienced, expressed and (re)negotiated and the various factors that influence these. This important and much-needed intervention draws our attention to the personalized and customized diverse experiences of Kurdishness across different settings and localities in Turkey. By emphasizing micro (and not macro or essentialist) everyday constructions of Kurdishness, Şengül convincingly dissects how Kurdish individuals define their identities as they navigate and challenge state rhetoric, everyday acts of prejudice and discrimination, family environment and neighborhood/social status. -- Welat Zeydanlıoğlu, coordinator of the Kurdish Studies Network (KSN) and managing editor of the journal Kurdish Studies
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Two ‘Moments of Transition’: How State Rhetoric Plays a Role in Manifestations of Kurdishness Chapter 2: Contextualising Kurdishness Through Localities: Everyday Experiences Of Prejudice/Discrimination Chapter 3: Contextualising Kurdishness Through Language: Family Environment and Neighbourhood Conclusion: (Re-)Shaping Kurdishness From Macro to Micro Appendix: List of the Respondents
