Information seeking behavior of ethnic groups in daily life: The case of Nogai Turks

Individuals need information on various subjects in daily life to continue their lives. Information seeking behavior carried out to meet the need for information in daily life; It varies according to time, conditions, lifestyle differences and demographic characteristics. In his small world theory, which he explains within the framework of four basic concepts: "social norms, behavioral context/social type, world view and information behavior", Chatman (1991) argues that the members of the small world show similar information seeking behavior and do not go beyond their members in the process of acquiring information. Ethnic groups are among the first representatives of the small world approach that come to mind. In this research, information seeking behaviors of ethnic groups in daily life were evaluated based on Chatman's (1991) small world theory, with the example of Nogay Turks. The fact that Nogay Turks are an organized ethnic group and the supporting role of this situation in the process of collecting research data was the main motivation for carrying out the study focusing on Nogay Turks. Within the scope of the research conducted based on the qualitative method, the villages around Tuz Lake, where the Nogay Turks are the most populated, were taken into consideration. In this context, a face-to-face interview was held with 30 Nogay Turks living in Doğankaya and Akin villages of Şereflikoçhisar, Ankara, within the framework of semi-structured questions. The data obtained in line with participant opinions were analyzed through MaxQda software. The findings showed that Nogay Turks need more information in daily life on topics related to hobbies and social life, e-government services, religion, health, and travel and that they consult people they trust more to meet their information needs. Among those whose information was consulted, older people, whom they express as "akil/daniş, ata, aka, ayiye, kartaba" in their original language, were prioritized; social events such as weddings, funerals, and holidays have an important place in information sharing; Informal social networks such as associations have been found to play a significant role in information seeking. As a result of the study, it was seen that the individual, cultural and social lives of Nogay Turks affected their information seeking behavior in daily life. This situation is compatible with Chatman's (1991) theory, which points out that the element that connects small world members is social circles. This study is expected to contribute to the relevant literature by drawing attention to the information seeking behavior of ethnic groups in the example of Nogay Turks.