Family and Family life of Turkish Georgians: The Case of Hayriye Village population, Inegol Region, Turkey

Abstract

Our work represents historical-ethnographical research on ethnic Georgians` family mode of life in Hayriye village ( Inegol region, province of Bursa) It is well-known that family is very complex and multilateral phenomenon of social life. It has past and present and future depends on the result of these ones. But its structure can be under danger, can pass through changes when family of one ethnical group settles and lives in foreign land with another ethnic group. This new environment could form new family type, replace old traditions with new ones, or synthesize. But family could be stable towards changes and maintain ethnical identity. After Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) one part of Georgian population came under Russian rule, the other part emigrated as “Muhajirs” to Ottoman Turkey.

One nation was separated into two V parts. As a result of living in culturally and traditionally different countries the life ways of the Georgians began to diverge which made influence on their psychics, mentality and family economic-cultural mode of life. Present work aims to analyze Hayriye village`s (Inegol ,Turkey) ethnic Georgians` past and present family mode of life from historical and ethnographical perspective. The following questions are analyzed in the research: history of ethnic Georgians` village Hayriye, structure of dwelling, economic bases, structure of the family, customs, interrelation between guest and host, kinship unit and ritual kinship, engagement-marriage, birth, circumcision, death, folk therapy (medicine), woman`s role, specific signs of ethnic self-identification and etc.

We tried to compare abovementioned materials to common-Georgian family traditions. Present research has practical as well as scientific importance. For the first time, in Georgian ethnography, will be analyzed ethnographical materials of Hayriye village`s ethnic Georgians` family mode of life. This will make possible to see Turkish Georgians` ethnographical reality in above-mentioned village. Present work is historical-ethnographical research, that`s why on the first stage it was important to study literature about Georgian muhajirs, Southern-Western Georgian and Turkish family traditions. On the second stage in 2009-2011we had ethnographical fieldworks in Turkey.

It was necessary to use historical-comparative and combined-intensive method, approbated by Georgian ethnographers. It was compulsory to plan and choose right method of working, to research small and big social units, like-family, tribe, and village. We studied carefully the places where ethnic Georgians settled down, lived with them and observed their family, traditions forming, changing, and passing down from generation to generation. Materials were collected and studied in the following way: observation, conversation with villagers, receiving information from informant. It is also very important to use modern technical equipments: audio, photo, video.

On the result of our study we found out three signs of self-identity: 1. Terminological-(we mean definition-“Gürcü” and “Chveneburi” (it means “one of ours”) 2. Ethnical characters, which distinguish them from others. 3. Ethnical self-identity, expressed with symbols and intellectual

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