Localities and the construction of ethnic identities: Examples of Varto, "Dersim" and Bingöl

In this dissertation, in light of the examples from Dersim, Varto and Bingöl, it is aimed to develop a historical and social framework to understand the ethnic groups using Zaza as their language and their relations with each other. This will be done by focusing on the historical, relational and contextual characteristics of ethnic and religious identities. Theoretically, Hughes, Barth and Eriksen's approaches to dealing with ethnic groups in terms of their relations and borders are adopted. In this work, the holistic approach of Hughes, which evaluates ethnic groups as an exclusive relationship created by social interactions rather than isolated structures, is used for creating a theoretical background. Additionally, influenced by Hughes' ideas, Barth and Eriksen's conceptual set that emphasises the borders' importance while understanding ethnic groups is included in this aim. With the perspective of these approaches, through the sampling of the localities in question, by revealing that there may be ethnic diversity among social groups with similar cultural characteristics; it is comparatively exhibited that ethnic relations are not natural or given, but are the products of relationships that are emphasised, demonstrated and constructed in social relationships. In this study, in which the oral history technique is used, the obtained data is categorised and the relations between variables are conceptualised via the qualitative data analysis program, MAXQDA; by using frequency, cross table, and images. As a result of this research, using examples from Dersim, Varto and Bingöl, it is seen that the Zaza communities sharing some cultural characteristics have historically different ethnic belongings and these affiliations are variable and can change over generations. It is exhibited that because of religious differences, these groups who use the same language were not historically able to form a group consciousness; moreover it is revealed that in the relationships between social groups, religious symbols have more importance than ethnic or cultural symbols. Another result of this research is that ethnic identities are both a tool for the elite of the ethnic groups to reach the resources in order to increase their power, as highlighted by Anthony Smith, via referring to history and the past, they have the quality of reducing psycho-social tension experienced during the historical processes by the individuals or groups living in the present time. In this respect, unlike what modernist theorists like Gellner, Brass, and Hobsbawm suggest, ethnic identities are neither ever-changing, dull, bodiless makings nor natural and exogenous to historical processes like primordialists such as Van Den Berghe or Geertz advocate. Ethnic groups both have the quality of being a tool and the spiritual power that triggers emotions. Finally, another conclusion reached within the scope of this study is that either in short or medium terms, it does not seem possible for the communities speaking the Zaza language to have a shared, common Zaza identity. When considering the current findings, within the present possibilities for the groups ethically referred to as Zaza, a Bingöl centred Sunni Zaza identity and a Dersim-centred Kırmanc movement or Dersim nationalism can form two different identities by walking two different paths.