For
my Concept Application Blog I decided to discuss how the concept of national
histories plays a large part in how Turkish culture is developed and how the
Turkish peoples see themselves. National histories is defined as a body of
knowledge based on past events that influenced a country’s development. As
Martin and Nakayama tell us, “the history of any nation is important to the
people of that nation.” A nation’s history can unite but it also can divide.
Whether it is a revolution of some sort, maybe a military coup here and there;
or maybe it is something else, like a religious struggle or divides in
technological advancement. History can be the major underlying factor in
determining a nation’s unity. “National histories give us a shared notion of who
we are and solidifies our sense of nationhood.” (Martin & Nakayama, 2013, p. 202)
When
you ask a Turkish person how they view their particular culture; they will most
likely start by discussing Ataturk and the Greco-Turkish War that immediately
followed the First World War This major historical event and the effects it had
in the definition of Turkish culture have resonated from generation to
generation all throughout Turkey. The people will tell you how Ataturk was a
visionary, a leader, and a truly great humanitarian. The truth is, from a
“western” perspective, his greatest strength was his ability to realize the
benefits of separating church and state, and to enforce it.
 |
| This map illustrates the events of the Greco-Turkish War |
Without
the exile of the Greeks from the Turkish city of Smyrna, a strategic point on
the Aegean Sea, Ataturk may never have rose to power, the Turkish language may
not have existed, and the nation we know as Turkey may never have existed. So
when a Turkish person proudly tells you about Ataturk and speaks at length
about who he was and why he is very important to their culture as well as their
nation, they are hardly exaggerating.
It
is interesting to note though how the people of Turkish backgrounds and the
people of Greek backgrounds differ in their views of the Greco-Turkish War. The
Turks see this moment as a point of pride; they will talk your ear off with
stories of heroism and ingenuity. On the other hand, Greeks will give a
slightly different version. They will tell you how they had laid rightful
claims to land located on the eastern mainland of Turkey, given to them through
World War I treaties; only to be risen up against by the Turkish peoples whose
only desire was to see their nation eradicated of Greeks through any means
necessary.
For my data collection
I meet with a wide range of Turkish people at the University of Nebraska; I
will meet with professors, undergraduates, and graduate students. I will try to
meet with as many Turkish people as I can to get the best overall view of who
Turks are and what Turkish culture is all about. Also, in meeting with these
Turkish people I will try to get as many of them together in the same place at
the same time. To do these things I have already been in contact with my friend
Erdem (pronounced air-dam) and his friend Ceren (pronounced Jeren). I plan to
collect observational data over the course of my interviews and time spent with
them. I will perform these interviews as frequently as I can schedule them. The
questions I will ask them will focus on their adaptation to America and the
differences they noted upon arriving here. Once we discuss their personal
adaptation I feel that I will be able to more fully understand what it was like
for them at home and how they see Turkish culture in relation to the rest of
the world. With this knowledge I will proceed to ask questions about day-to-day
Turkish life with the purpose of learning who Turks are and what is important
to them. It is my goal at the end of this process to understand what it means
to be Turkish regardless of age, gender, or current location.
Works Cited
Martin, J. N. (2013). Intercultural Communication in Contexts
(Sixth ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.
No comments:
Post a Comment