A research in the context of cultural geography: The Yoruks of Burdur

Burdur, which has a deep-rooted settlement history, is also one of the areas where the Yoruks live and engage in nomadic activities. In this study, it is aimed to reveal the lifestyles of the Yoruks living in Burdur, the interaction they established with the space and the cultural structure that developed as a result of this interaction. Ethnographic design, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in this study. In order to gather the study data, fieldwork were carried out in 2018 and 2019 to cover different dates and seasons. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were also conducted during these trips. Thus, the largest and most important part of the data used in the study was provided. The data were primarily coded as meaningful wholes using content analysis, and themes and sub-themes were created by categorizing them. Afterwards, the themes and sub-themes were presented under headings, and the codes were grouped under these headings as quotes or items. In addition to qualitative data, quantitative data such as demographic information, data on agriculture and livestock activities and meteorological observations are also presented in the study. As a result of the study, it was seen that the Yoruks are in close interaction with the space or spaces they live in, and they make the areas such as mountains, hills, valleys, and plateaus that are less preferred by other people socially, culturally, and economically livable. It has been found that many discourses or practices, from oral culture outputs to folk beliefs, from traditional knowledge and practices to ceremonies developed and were practiced depending on the nomadic lifestyle in these areas. However, it has been determined that the interest in nomadic life and animal husbandry activities has decreased, therefore, the Yoruk lifestyle and cultural characteristics are on the verge of being forgotten. It is suggested that policies and studies should be carried out for the continuation of the nomadic lifestyle and livestock activities in the field.