Identities in-between: the impact of satellite broadcasting on Greek Orthodox minority (Rum Polites) women's perception of their identities in Turkey

Abstract

This study aims to shed a light on women belonging to the Greek Orthodox Christian (Rum Polites) community in Istanbul, Turkey and their perception of their identity with the help of satellite broadcasting (ERT World). This research is the first attempt to analyse Rum women's viewing attitudes and their correlations with a number of variables such as education, age, family structure, religion, occupation, and their perceptions of themselves as part of a distinctive religious and cultural entity. Since the female members of the community are heavy television viewers, television is a powerful tool to construct a social reality and a sense of self. By conducting in-depth interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study aims to reveal how this unique community makes sense of their identities and social worlds through television.

Keywords:

• Turkey
• Greek identity
• identity
• minorities
• media
• migration

Notes

1. These are the findings of a research on the television viewing patterns in Turkey conducted by RTÜK on 10 March 2009; 2,570 participants in twenty-one cities took part in the research. See http://www.rtuk.gov.tr

2. See http://www.megarevma.net/tarihce.htm

3. From the proceedings of Istanbulite Rums Congress, ‘Istanbul'da Buluşma: Bugün ve Yarin’ held at Hilton Hotel, 29 June–3 July 2006.

4. The authors are indebted to the administration of ERT World for providing us with detailed information about Hellenic Satellite Broadcasting Services.

5. See http://www.ejc.net/media_landscape/article/greece