In this paper the author will try to discuss the experiences and narratives of three different categories of families living in Merdivenkoy, Fikirtepe, the oldest settlement and suburban area of the Anatolian side of ...In this paper the author will try to discuss the experiences and narratives of three different categories of families living in Merdivenkoy, Fikirtepe, the oldest settlement and suburban area of the Anatolian side of Istanbul, on the backdrop of urban transformation that will change the area soon. In life story narratives, these three examples give us information about the history, economic linkage, and life styles of neighboring families. The first category basically consists of the families that live in the area for a very long time, over some decades or more. Even one of them mentioned that, their family is living there for hundreds of years. The second category, which represents the biggest group living in the area, consists of families migrated from Sivas, a central Anatolian city, in the 1950s. Third category consist of Kurds migrated from eastern Anatolian villages and cities such as Mardin. Each category has different kinds of nostalgia about the past. Interviewees from the first category talk about family narratives related to the small village Merdivenk6y, Fikirtepe and the area. Mostly, they have a story of a ＂well off＂ family, structured and detailed narratives about the family history, including relations with the Ottoman Palace such as doing some sort of production for it. They seem very sensitive about the local cultural characteristics and what＇s going on in the area; realistic about and reconciled with what will happen as a result of slum clearance. Interviewees from the second category mostly emphasize the hardship of settling in a muddy suburban area, where once ＂muddy lands＂ now turned out to become valuable urban properties on which new and modem neighborhoods, shopping malls and office buildings will be built. They are expecting to get maximum gain out of the exchange of their small property, since they are desperately in need, because of the financial crisis situation. Although their houses with small gardens near the small industrial area are small, old, and neglected for years, they expect the most. Relatively newcomers, Kurdish people in the area talk about the good old days on the one hand and the painful stories about migration and settling on the other hand. They do not think about going back to their native lands, since here it is easier for them to find jobs in the informal economy as they live very close to central parts of the city. As a part of a larger research study focused on the experience of urban transformation, we made more than 50 interviews, trying to make a general outlook of the area, working on the dynamics of change before and after the urban transformation that had been started in June 2010. By using oral history research techniques and social science methodology, we conducted in-depth interviews with the people living in the neighborhood, made observations in the neighborhood and took photographs. The author＇s work is about the reflections of nostalgia in their family histories and experiences of different categories of families living in the area referring life story narratives. As far as the author can see in each group he works on, there are different contradictions related to their position in the city and conception of the area. The urban transformation presented and is perceived as a fortune for all of them, but it will have contradictory outcomes in reality for each as indicated in other examples in the world.展开更多
文摘In this paper the author will try to discuss the experiences and narratives of three different categories of families living in Merdivenkoy, Fikirtepe, the oldest settlement and suburban area of the Anatolian side of Istanbul, on the backdrop of urban transformation that will change the area soon. In life story narratives, these three examples give us information about the history, economic linkage, and life styles of neighboring families. The first category basically consists of the families that live in the area for a very long time, over some decades or more. Even one of them mentioned that, their family is living there for hundreds of years. The second category, which represents the biggest group living in the area, consists of families migrated from Sivas, a central Anatolian city, in the 1950s. Third category consist of Kurds migrated from eastern Anatolian villages and cities such as Mardin. Each category has different kinds of nostalgia about the past. Interviewees from the first category talk about family narratives related to the small village Merdivenk6y, Fikirtepe and the area. Mostly, they have a story of a ＂well off＂ family, structured and detailed narratives about the family history, including relations with the Ottoman Palace such as doing some sort of production for it. They seem very sensitive about the local cultural characteristics and what＇s going on in the area; realistic about and reconciled with what will happen as a result of slum clearance. Interviewees from the second category mostly emphasize the hardship of settling in a muddy suburban area, where once ＂muddy lands＂ now turned out to become valuable urban properties on which new and modem neighborhoods, shopping malls and office buildings will be built. They are expecting to get maximum gain out of the exchange of their small property, since they are desperately in need, because of the financial crisis situation. Although their houses with small gardens near the small industrial area are small, old, and neglected for years, they expect the most. Relatively newcomers, Kurdish people in the area talk about the good old days on the one hand and the painful stories about migration and settling on the other hand. They do not think about going back to their native lands, since here it is easier for them to find jobs in the informal economy as they live very close to central parts of the city. As a part of a larger research study focused on the experience of urban transformation, we made more than 50 interviews, trying to make a general outlook of the area, working on the dynamics of change before and after the urban transformation that had been started in June 2010. By using oral history research techniques and social science methodology, we conducted in-depth interviews with the people living in the neighborhood, made observations in the neighborhood and took photographs. The author＇s work is about the reflections of nostalgia in their family histories and experiences of different categories of families living in the area referring life story narratives. As far as the author can see in each group he works on, there are different contradictions related to their position in the city and conception of the area. The urban transformation presented and is perceived as a fortune for all of them, but it will have contradictory outcomes in reality for each as indicated in other examples in the world.
