RITES of PASSAGE in AHMETLİ VILLAGE Lale Tekin GENÇ JULY, 2018
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RITES OF PASSAGE IN AHMETLİ VILLAGE Lale Tekin GENÇ JULY, 2018 RITES OF PASSAGE IN AHMETLİ VILLAGE Lale Tekin GENÇ P.H.D. DISSERTATION ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT YEDİTEPE UNIVERSITY JULY, 2018 APPROVAL PAGE i PLAGIARISM ii ABSTRACT This anthropological research investigates the rites of passage of the Yoruks of Ahmetli Village, the social organisation around the rites, social solidarity and the influence of rites on cultural continuity. In order to make these clear, the division of labour in the rites and the stages of the passage, what is changed as the result of these stages (individually/socially) and the relationship between how each position is structured are examined in this research. In order to understand the relation between the people in the village and the rites, their daily lives, beliefs, attitudes, actions and their relationships with other people and with the environment are observed. At the same time, the research focused on the behaviours and the tactics that village people exhibit in order to protect their own existence in the face of the changing circumstances. The fieldwork that includes participant observation and interview techniques was conducted predominantly in 2016. I stayed in the houses of the local people, while I was conducting a fieldwork that took almost one year and covered all four seasons. I participated in a large part of the rites that took place during this period, integrating myself in the daily lives of villagers. I analysed the rites by observing their position in the daily life.. While focusing on the stages of the rites of passage namely weddings, births and deaths during the analysis, I aimed to understand the metaphorical structure and the role and influence of the rites in providing solidarity and continuity formed around the fact of "passing to a new position" As a result, I have witnessed that the rites are carried out within the framework of solidarity and division of labour in the village during the occasions of the birth, wedding and death. I have observed that conflicts are resolved in a harmony as they turn into iii reconciliation. I have determined that the rites that are carried out together with the community strengthen social solidarity and are considered to be more legitimate. It has been stated that “a lack” is felt when the rites are not carried out together with the community. Sharing the duties and responsibilities in the rites, where everyone is involved, also acknowledging and practicing these duties and responsibilities makes the solidary stronger. In my opinion, the unregulated rule-based structure of this distribution of duties is based on the behavioural rules determined by the age and social status within the community and the practice of repeated rituals from childhood. I believe that this is the structure that makes cultural continuity possible. Keywords: Rites of Passage, Birth, Marriage, Death, Festivals, Narrative, Tradition, Solidarıty, Yoruk, Nomadic Pastoralism, Zeybek. iv ÖZET Bu antropolojik araştırma, Ahmetli Köyü Yörüklerinin geçiş ritüellerini, ritüeller etrafında oluşan sosyal organizasyonu, toplumsal dayanışmayı ve ritüellerin kültürel devamlılık üzerindeki etkisini inceler. Bunu ortaya koymak amacıyla, ritüellerdeki iş bölümü, ritüelde takip edilen aşamalar, geçişin evreleri, geçiş sonucunda (bireysel/toplumsal olarak) nelerin değiştiği ve her bir konum arasındaki ilişkinin hangi sıralamaya göre ve nasıl yapılandığı incelenmiştir. Köydekilerin ritüellerle kurdukları ilişkiyi anlayabilmek için, günlük yaşayışları, inanç ve tutumları, eylemleri, diğer insanlarla ve çevreyle kurdukları ilişkileri gözlemlenmiştir. Aynı zamanda köy halkının değişen şartlar karşısında varlıklarını korumak için sergiledikleri davranış ve taktikleri de odak noktasında tutulmuştur. Katılımlı gözlem ve mülakat tekniğinin kullanıldığı alan araştırması, ağırlıklı olarak 2016 yılında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Dört mevsimi görecek şekilde düzenlediğim ve bir yıla yakın bir sürede gerçekleşen alan araştırmam boyunca, beni evlerinde misafir eden köylülerle kaldım. Araştırma sürecinde gündelik yaşamlarına dâhil olarak, bu süre zarfında gerçekleşen ritüellerin büyük bir bölümüne katıldım. Ritüellerin gündelik hayattaki yerini gözlemleyerek analiz ettim. Analizlerde geçiş ritüellerinin aşamaları olan düğün, doğum, ölüm konularına odaklanırken, “yeni konuma geçmek” olgusu etrafında şekillenen ritüellerin, dayanışma ve devamlılık sağlamadaki rolünü, etkisini ve metaforik yapısını anlamayı hedefledim. Sonuç olarak, köyde doğum, düğün ve ölüm dönemlerinde yapılan ritüellerin dayanışma ve işbölümü çerçevesinde gerçekleştirildiğine tanıklık etmiş oldum. v Çatışmaların uzlaşmaya dönüşerek ahenkle tamamlandığını gözlemledim. Toplulukla birlikte yapılan ritüellerin toplumsal dayanışmayı güçlendirdiğini ve daha fazla kabul gördüğünü tespit ettim. Toplumsal olarak gerçekleştirilmeyen ritüellerde “bir eksiklenme” hissedildiği ifade edilmiştir. Herkesin bir arada yer aldığı bu ritüellerde görev ve sorumlulukların paylaşılması ve kişilerin görev ve sorumluluklarını biliyor ve uyguluyor olması bu dayanışmayı daha güçlü hale getirmektedir. Bu görev dağılımının yazılı olmayan kurallara dayalı yapısının topluluk içindeki yaşa ve toplumsal statülere göre belirlenmiş davranış kurallarına ve çocukluktan itibaren tekrarlanan ritüellerin pratik edilmesine dayandığını düşünüyorum. Kültürel devamlılığı sağlayan yapının da bu olduğuna inanıyorum. Anahtar Kelimeler: Geçiş Ritüelleri, Doğum, Evlilik, Ölüm, Şölen, Anlatı, Gelenek, Dayanışma, Yörük, Konar-göçer, Zeybek. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Every researcher starts to remember, even question, their own story during the study of their selected subject. With this experience and knowledge, they also change. In other words, in this sense, every dissertation study is a passage... The same flow holds true for this dissertation about passage periods and rituals. The process I've been through brought a thought-provoking, developing period during which I've questioned my own passage periods. It was tiring, wearing yet so full of memories that give me joy. Even though dissertations are prepared to be shared in the common field, it is actually a very personal experience and they are written by passing through one's mind filter. Even though it stays true to the academic guidelines, it is personal. In other words, the text that you're reading also reflects the person who wrote it and their passage. I would like to mention the people whom I'm very thankful, who contributed to this from the beginning of my field study to the finalization of my dissertation that is the writing process. Without them, this work would not exist. I especially want to dedicate this dissertation to my lovely daughter Elçin Umay Solak, who tells me "the key to cope with life is to not give up"... I would like to thank my dear husband Sinan Genç, who has always been a source vii of hope, determination and belief that I can finish my work during all of this process by saying that I am eternally grateful to have you in my life. I'm grateful for and thankful to all my ever growing family, my mother, my father, my siblings Ahmet, Emel, my dear niece Beste Simay and nephew Ozan Altay for their patience and belief; I've always felt powerful thanks to them. I would like to convey the most special thanks to the founder of the Yeditepe University and the Chairman of the Board of Overseers Bedrettin Dalan, for the scholarship, for his belief in the necessary existence Anthropology in Turkey, for his support and the mission he gave us. I would like to extend my deepest respect and heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Akile Gürsoy and Prof. Bozkurt Güvenç for being the reason that I started my academic work at Yeditepe University Anthropology Department and providing full support from day one. I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. İzzet Duyar and Prof. Derya Atamtürk Duyar, who lighted the first spark for my Doctorate in Anthropology and supported me during my academic life, even from faraway. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Assistant Professor Ayşe Hilal Tuztaş Horzumlu, who opened my path with her deep knowledge during my fieldwork and dissertation writing process, who accepted to be my thesis advisor and managed this process with patience and who is an important scientist for me, not only in this process but in my life. I also would like to express my gratitude to Assistant Professor Selda Adiloğlu, who shared my excitement and accepted to be a part of my thesis defence jury and Assistant Professor Arif Acaloğlu and Assistant Professor Banu Koçer, who steered viii my research process from the beginning, whom I took as an example for their discipline and benefited from their academic knowledge and who were a part of my thesis monitoring committee. I also would like to thank Assistant Professor Güner Coşkunsu and Assistant Professor Aylin Erarslan whom I've always contacted during my dissertation study and fieldwork and who expressed their positive opinions and gave me their support. I would like to express my respectful gratitude to those who provided full support for me to reach the key people about Yoruk villages in İzmir; Researcher-Writer Ali Aksüt, Tire area Researcher-Writer Munis Armağan, President of Tire Culture Association Seyfullah Ayvalı, Historian-Writer late Necat Çetin. I would like to express my gratitude to the Presidents of İzmir Yoruks Solidarity Association Mehmet Gülcan and Meryem Pişkinkaya for helping me contact Yoruks during my fieldwork, presenting me the villages