An autoethnographic research on family memory and space: a journey to the family summer house in demre kumdaği

Space constitutes not only a physical construct but also a socially produced domain shaped by the memories, identities, and social relations of individuals and communities. Families and communities shape their memories within spatial environments, thereby transforming physical settings into repositories of memory. The recollections constructed at both individual and familial levels render specific spaces central to processes of collective memory and identity formation. This study investigates the interrelations among space, memory, identity, and place attachment focused on the researcher's familial summer house in the Kumdağı region of Demre, Antalya. The theoretical framework is grounded in the "that place in memory" paradigm, and the study adopts analytical autoethnography as its methodology. Qualitative data were obtained through personal narratives, family archives (including photo albums and diaries), observations, and survey responses. The concept of spatial memory—positioned at the intersection of space and memory—lies at the center of the research. Memory is approached as a critical mechanism in the construction of individual identity, wherein identity is conceptualized as spatial identity. This process ultimately results in the development of place attachment, understood as a fundamental emotional attachment. The findings demonstrate that familial summer houses function as significant spatial agents in the construction of collective memory and identity, surpassing their conventional designation as sites of seasonal habitation. Therefore, this research contributes to broader discourses on spatial memory by illuminating how ordinary domestic spaces, by providing intergenerational interaction, contribute to the formation of a sense of belonging and spatial identity. Keywords: Autoethnography, Spatial Memory, Spatial Identity, Family Memory, Belonging