Identity, performance, music: The case of Yavuz Selim neighbourhood, Canik District Samsun province

This study aims to examine the relationship between the Roman community living in Yavuz Selim Mahallesi, Canik district, Samsun province, and music from an ethnomusicological perspective, within the framework of the concepts of identity and performance. The research aims to reveal how Roman musicians construct/represent and maintain their identities through music, their social roles, and their performance practices. The thesis adopts the concepts of identity and performance as its theoretical foundation and aims to analyse the meanings that Roman people attach to music in a social and cultural context in a multidimensional manner. The first section of the research examines the historical journey of Roma people and their demographic profile in Turkey. Particularly in light of the TÜBİTAK-supported ROMAR research, the socio-economic conditions, education, health, and gender-based issues of the Roma in Turkey are addressed. In the case of Yavuz Selim Mahallesi, detailed information about neighbourhood life is provided using Geertz's 'thick description' method. It was determined that the Roma group living in this neighbourhood settled in the region after the 1923 exchange and is currently involved in various social transformation projects. The concept of identity, which is the cornerstone of the study, was defined in terms of its multi-layered, dynamic and historical structure in the social sciences literature, and the Roma's perception of ethnic identity was supported by field data. The experiences of marginalisation and stigmatisation faced by the Roma in Turkey were examined in the context of the concept of 'the other' and historical traumas and collective memory. The concept of performance, another cornerstone of the study, was discussed in depth from the perspectives of theorists such as Turner, Schechner and Goffman. Turner's concepts of 'social drama' and 'thresholdness' explain social conflicts and identity belonging, while Schechner's approach to performance evaluates everyday life and music practices, ranging from everyday life to rituals, as a multidimensional form of interaction. Goffman's dramaturgy theory provides a functional framework for explaining the roles and impression management of Romani musicians in social life. In this context, Romani music emerges not only as an artistic activity but also as an important performance space in terms of identity representation, social belonging, and social status. In the section of the study where the phenomenon of music is discussed in light of the concepts of identity and performance, the cultural and social context of music as a form of economic labour for the Roma is explored in depth. However, this labour is carried out under precarious conditions, and musicians face social and professional uncertainty. It has been concluded that social stereotypes and the myth of 'natural talent' for Gypsies/Roma living in Turkey have led to the invisibility of Roma musicians' labour and the overshadowing of their professionalism. Another important finding of the research is that Roma musicianship has been shaped as a male-dominated field. The invisibility of female musicians due to gender norms has brought to the fore the inequality in the field of musical performance and the systematic exclusion or marginalisation of women in the field of music in the context of gender inequality. This situation shows that music is an area where gender roles are reproduced and women's cultural expression is restricted. In conclusion, this study has approached Romani musicianship as a multidimensional social phenomenon, revealing the areas where music intersects with identity construction, social representation, gender relations, and labour processes. Future studies are recommended to focus on making the experiences of female Romani musicians visible, conducting an in-depth examination of the class dimensions of musical labour, and performing comparative analyses of Romani communities in different geographical regions. It is hoped that this will enrich the body of knowledge on Romani musicianship and enable the development of more inclusive and critical approaches.