“Turkish Stereotypes”
This week, as I was exploring Turkish culture, I came upon a Youtube video regarding Turkish,lf` stereotypes. I thought the video was interesting because I know very little regarding Turkish culture and how Turkish people behave or are categorized.
First, I learned that Turkey is a very conservative country. Turkey is stereotyped as a very conservative country because most of the country’s population is Muslim. However, like most countries, Turkey has a lot of liberal people as well. There will be certain areas such as Istanbul which are very conservative but there are also areas such as Galata which are more liberal and have more affiliation with the arts. Additionally, I learned that the cities located in the inland regions are more conservative compared to that of coastal regions.
I learned that Turkish people are extremely hospitable people. Some people would be willing to invite you to their homes only after 30 minutes of interacting. Although every personalities can differ among the Turkish people, many are hospitable and would be open to having you over for coffee or Turkish delights.
One stereotype that I found very odd was that Turkish people ride camels. One article that I read stated that “we’re not sure where this stereotype came from but nearly as ridiculous as saying that Australians ride kangaroos”. I learned that riding camels in Turkey is a very popular attraction for tourists. I learned that Turkey does not have many desert regions so camels are not native to the country. One event that I learned of is that there is a camel wrestling league in Turkey. It is an event that occurs from November to March where the camel wrestling group will travel throughout the country.
With many Muslim Turks in the country, I found this fact to be interesting. I learned that until recently, a women could not wear a headscarf in public buildings. This meant that if a women wore a headscarf, she could not attend school. Due to new regulations, the individual now has a freedom of choice. The percentage of Turkish women who are wearing headscarves are decreasing, from 73% in 1999 to 64% in 2006.
I thought Turkish stereotypes are very interesting because I know very little about the culture. However, I have learned in a communications class I am taking that although it is impossible to avoid stereotyping, we should actively try to minimize the process. Not all stereotypes are reflective of a culture, and it is never suggested to group people together, even though they are of the same heritage. Stereotyping streamlines the process of grouping people together, however, it can have dangerous effects in a society and can bring upon separation and discrimination.
Replies
Hi Brenda,
Thank for sharing this! I have a really good friend who is Turkish and I definitely saw the hospitality aspect you mention. Her parents were so inviting and giving when I met them. Further, I never knew that until recently a women couldn't wear a headscarf in public buildings. I'm really glad you pointed that out because I think it's also easy to forget how privileged we to be able to wear what we would like to school. A very thoughtful post and I completely agree with you on intentionally trying to minimize stereotyping as best as we can!
I was not aware of the degree of Turkish hospitality and that one may be invited to a Turk's home after 30 minutes. If this is true, then I wonder if it is the extension of an aspect of Ottoman culture.
In the traditional Ottoman house of Istanbul there would be two general regions. The house was split into the private space, and the semi-public space. The private space was called the harem or haremlik, deriving from the Arabic word meaning "forbidden" and few non-family members ever entered this area, unless they were women. The selamlik, deriving from the word for hello, was where guests from outside the family came.
It may be the case that being invited to a Turk's house may follow this trend with certain zones being off limits or even certain family members being out of view, but this probably varies depending on how traditional the household is.