Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet Period

The article covers how the reproduction and reconstruction of the Gagauz identity occurs in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia within Moldova in the Post-Soviet period, which institutions and practices were involved in this process and how identity was t...

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Main Authors: Nesibe Ayşe Sağlam, Yusuf Adıgüzel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Istanbul University Press 2021-06-01
Series:Journal of Economy Culture and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1593732
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author Nesibe Ayşe Sağlam
Yusuf Adıgüzel
author_facet Nesibe Ayşe Sağlam
Yusuf Adıgüzel
author_sort Nesibe Ayşe Sağlam
collection DOAJ
description The article covers how the reproduction and reconstruction of the Gagauz identity occurs in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia within Moldova in the Post-Soviet period, which institutions and practices were involved in this process and how identity was transmitted to new generations. The article also explores how individuals live, maintain and pass down their ethnic identity through media practices and socialisation areas like family, school, church where daily lives are spent. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 people in April-May 2018 in the Gagauz Autonomous Region via the ethnographic technique. Our findings revealed that the Gagauzi lived, constructed and transmitted their ethnic identities in a “limited” rather than holistic way in their socialisation practices. Contrary to expectations, there is clear evidence that the Gagauz identity has begun to erode rather than strengthen in the post-autonomy period. We found their perception of Russian as their mother tongue besides their ethnic language has weakened Gagauz and the proliferation of mixed marriages leads to an erosion in their ethnic identity. The Gagauz identity, which has become more vulnerable and open to global influences, has ceased to be stationary and localised, but has begun to be reshaped by global conditions in line with transnational mobility.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2021-06-01
publisher Istanbul University Press
record_format Article
series Journal of Economy Culture and Society
spelling doaj-art-bca3ca29543b44f489559fb3642a21fc2025-02-04T10:14:56ZengIstanbul University PressJournal of Economy Culture and Society2645-87722021-06-016327929610.26650/JECS2020-01124Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet PeriodNesibe Ayşe Sağlam0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8969-8270Yusuf Adıgüzel1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8400-1099Erzurum Teknik Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyoloji Bölümü, Erzurum, TürkiyeSakarya Üniversitesi, İletişim Fakültesi Gazetecilik Bölümü, Sakarya, TürkiyeThe article covers how the reproduction and reconstruction of the Gagauz identity occurs in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia within Moldova in the Post-Soviet period, which institutions and practices were involved in this process and how identity was transmitted to new generations. The article also explores how individuals live, maintain and pass down their ethnic identity through media practices and socialisation areas like family, school, church where daily lives are spent. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 people in April-May 2018 in the Gagauz Autonomous Region via the ethnographic technique. Our findings revealed that the Gagauzi lived, constructed and transmitted their ethnic identities in a “limited” rather than holistic way in their socialisation practices. Contrary to expectations, there is clear evidence that the Gagauz identity has begun to erode rather than strengthen in the post-autonomy period. We found their perception of Russian as their mother tongue besides their ethnic language has weakened Gagauz and the proliferation of mixed marriages leads to an erosion in their ethnic identity. The Gagauz identity, which has become more vulnerable and open to global influences, has ceased to be stationary and localised, but has begun to be reshaped by global conditions in line with transnational mobility.https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1593732gagauzgagauziagagauz identiyreproduction of identity
spellingShingle Nesibe Ayşe Sağlam
Yusuf Adıgüzel
Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet Period
Journal of Economy Culture and Society
gagauz
gagauzia
gagauz identiy
reproduction of identity
title Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet Period
title_full Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet Period
title_fullStr Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet Period
title_full_unstemmed Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet Period
title_short Gagauz Identity in the Post-Soviet Period
title_sort gagauz identity in the post soviet period
topic gagauz
gagauzia
gagauz identiy
reproduction of identity
url https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1593732
work_keys_str_mv AT nesibeaysesaglam gagauzidentityinthepostsovietperiod
AT yusufadıguzel gagauzidentityinthepostsovietperiod