A late-modern story of Argentinean tango: The case of 21st century Istanbul

This study presents the contemporary story of tango in Istanbul. Nevertheless, it is the story of late-modern way of being in a Westernized culture. It asks the question of how is it possible that a 19th century lower class urban product of a culture and society that is different than 21st century Istanbul exists, circulates and is being practiced in the 21st century urban Istanbul. To answer this question, the study presents a contemporary story with three protagonists in the context of Istanbul tango: The rational capitalism; the emotional social; and the modern powerful progress seeker. It shows that contemporary tango in Istanbul is a symbol which presents the story of the modern individuals who I believe to have these three protagonists as one in themselves to different extents and in different equilibriums. I propose that tango as a practice and a dance form has become the symbol of the complex world order and late-modern conditions of life which shapes and is shaped by the educated late-modern individual in Istanbul in the late 20th and early 21st century. The modern social actors of tango use the practice and the community to reflect themselves when constructing their self identities. They deal with their identities on global and local scales, constantly adapting new information produced in social life to present, understand, define and redefine themselves, with his / her two basic modes of existence, from his / her point of view: Having and Being. Their reflection concentrates on possessions of power, progress, possibilities of self-creativity on the one hand and needs of sharing, love, socialization into a community and getting involved in productive activities on the other hand. The modern social actors use tango as a symbol of their increased interest in the search for intellectual capital/ new information, their desire / need to consume it and compete around it in their leisure times. They create and get involved in a culture industry in urban Istanbul, which has a strong tendency for commodification of various aspects of social life and art. These modern individuals use tango as one way to shape and reflect a Westernized urban middle and upper-middle class culture in their leisure times with their attempts to combine local and global scenes of life as well as reproducing a contemporary secular understanding of Turkish self in relation to newness, claims to Europe and global connectivity.To realize this study, I was involved in a fieldwork with participant observation, in depth interviews and qualitative content analysis. I chose to study with the first generation tango instructors, organizers and experienced practicioners of tango in the community. I chose to study with three particular tango schools in Istanbul and I participated various classes, milongas and festivals to have an understanding of the community and its social actors.