Experiences of the February 6th earthquakes and the impact of the 'earthquake victim' label on these experiences: The Şanlıurfa example

This study adopts a sociological perspective to examine the disaster experiences of individuals following the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes and the impact of the socially ascribed label "earthquake victim" (depremzede) on these experiences. The primary objective is to thoroughly explore the multi-dimensional experiences (psychosocial, economic, and spatial) of earthquake survivors residing in Şanlıurfa during and after the earthquake, and to analyze how these experiences intersect with the "earthquake victim" label. The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on Erving Goffman's concept of stigma. In this context, the transformative role of the "earthquake victim" label on individuals' identities is investigated, along with how the label shapes processes of social acceptance and discrimination. This analysis allows for an evaluation of both the positive and negative effects of the label on the post-disaster struggle for life. In this research, a qualitative method was adopted, and the data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with earthquake survivors aged 18–65 living in Şanlıurfa. Following the receipt of the ethics committee approval on November 10, 2023, the fieldwork commenced, and the interviews were carried out between November 10, 2023, and February 10, 2024. This methodological approach enabled participants to interpret and express their experiences in depth and within their contextual frameworks. The findings indicate that the earthquake experiences fundamentally altered individuals' daily practices, perceptions of safety, and future expectations. The shift in perceptions toward places and the city (such as the perception of high-rise buildings as "tombs") emerged as a central theme, reflecting this traumatic experience in the participants' narratives. The "earthquake victim" label had a contradictory function in the findings: For one group, the label functioned as a negative stigma that reinforced their trauma and led to discrimination; for another group, it was not perceived negatively and was even viewed positively due to the resulting privileges in employment and special attention. A third group evaluated the concept as neutral, as they did not internalize it personally. This study aims to contribute to the fields of disaster sociology and identity studies by clarifying the complex interplay between individual experiences and social labeling on identity construction and survival processes following a large-scale disaster.