Changing experiences of marriage and masculinity in Turkey: Turkish men's transnational marriages to Indonesian women in the Black Sea Region

This study investigates the changing experience of marriage and masculinity throughout Turkish men's transnational marriages to the Indonesian women in Giresun and their masculinity performances with respect to these marriages. The study aims to understand how Turkish men perform masculinity or masculinities during their marriages to Indonesian women and their perception of Turkish women. This study is based on ethnographic research conducted in several districts of Giresun in the Black Sea Region. This research claims that it is not only the individual choices that make the trust over the transnational marriages but also more likely the established networks of marriage across the continent and the several socio-cultural factors such as the perception of religiosity and a trustworthy nationality. Besides, the study reveals the dynamics on which the ideals of marriage and masculinity are constructed by Turkish men. It also reveals that the already existing perceptions of gender and masculinity are both challenged and reaffirmed through the transnational marriages of Indonesian women. Rather than focusing on women and the performance of femininity, the present study carries significance as it primarily focuses on male practices and masculinity performances in the context of a transnational marriage. Key Words: Ethnography, Masculinity, Mate Selection, Transnational Marriage, Trust Ethnography.