A qualitative research on the private museum experiences of museum visitors: The Istanbul case

This study evaluates the emergence conditions of private museums and discusses the relationship between private museums in Istanbul and the city in the axis of consumption. The development of private museums, which play an important role in the change and transformation of the city, and the dynamics of this development were tried to be understood. Qualitative research method was used in the study prepared for this purpose. An in-depth interview technique was conducted with 16 people who visited private museums. In the first part of the research, the literature on the concept of consumption is studied in the context of the city. In the second part, the process of emergence of private museums in Turkey was discussed with economic and cultural background. The branding process of the city and the role of culture in the changes and transformations it has experienced in this process has been dealed and the relationship established by private museums with the city in this context has been examined. In the third part of the study, findings obtained from field research are given. In the conclusion part, the findings obtained with the result of the research were evaluated. It has been determined that people with similar taste judgment and socio-economic status gather in museums and this group forms a museum community. In this sense, the research has provided important outcomes in the sociological context. Key words: museum, private museum, consumption, Istanbul, museum community