Representing and performing Laz identity ''this is not a rebel song!''

Abstract

This study examines the process by which second generation Laz migrants have reappropriated Laz identity through music and dance performances held in the major metropolitan cities of twenty first century Turkey. The relevant cultural performances are interpreted as a response to repercussions of Turkey’s ‘modernization project’ and its related cultural policies. Conceptualizing the performances, particularly through language, music and dance, this thesis tries to understand how the Laz experience respond to this ‘modernization’. Another significant concern of this study is to analyze how Lazness is defined and constructed within mainstream discourses. As a part of this, the crucial role of the Laz middle class position is discussed. In addition, the recent wave of ‘multiculturalist discourse’ provides a convenient conceptual framework for positioning the Laz as the “good citizens” of contemporary Turkey. Finally, the so-called ‘oppositional stance’ of both the performances and the constructed Laz identity are criticized with consideration given to their marketability and political moderation.