"pesne" practice of pomaks: Symbolic culture and ethnicity

This work is based on the field work between 2002-2007 of four Pomak villages located in the town of İzmir. The role which ?pesne? vocal practice plays in keeping ethnic identity is explored in the cultural model research of the groups under consideration. In accordance with the changes of meanings and contexts of the pesne practice, the transformation it into symbolic culture and the role it played in constructing an identity as a construction that collective memory attached are searched. Keefe?s ethnicity model (1992) that takes the term of symbolic ethnicity in ?ethnic identity? dimension is followed in this work. The idea is supported that symbolic culture shows retention of a group instead of disappearing of ethnicity. It is thought that the loss of ethnic culture in assimilation process does not prevent identification with ethnic identity, besides that assimilation and ethnicity are separetely working process. Findings shows that symbolic cultures are not empty symbolic constructions but living and enable to have new meanings and new contexts. It is suggested that the forms of symbolic ethnicity resist against to assimilation and so they can continue their existence during following generations. It is suggested for further investigates if the pesne practice will be lasted to continue ethnic identity by the following generations in the way it is gained new contexts or if the following generations will apply or not to another cultural practices their group has.