Farklı Coğrafyalarda Zaza Olmak: Etno-Dinsel Sınırlar, Karşılaşmalar, Farklılaşmalar

Abstract

This study examines the formation and maintenance processes of Zaza cultural identity in the context of intercultural interaction, together with cultural, religious, and political variables. The main research question is: “How is Zaza cultural identity constructed in different geographical and cultural environments, reproduced within which social relationships, and transformed through which intercultural contacts?” Within this framework, the research aims to reveal how Zaza identity varies according to cultural, religious, and political orientations and how group identity is performed in line with these variables. The focus of the thesis is a comparative analysis of the identity construction practices of Zaza communities in the districts of Solhan in Bingöl, Lice in Diyarbakır, and Nazımiye in Tunceli. These regions exhibit distinct differences in terms of belief systems, political orientations, and forms of cultural memory. The study, conducted within the interpretive paradigm and using qualitative methods, is based on semi ethnographic field research. In this context, in-depth interviews were conducted with 36 individuals, and data diversity was ensured through informal conversations, participatory observations, and ritual tracking. The data were analyzed along thematic axes such as identity, belief, political orientation, linguistic affiliation, intercultural encounters, and media experiences. The findings show that Zaza identity is not a homogeneous structure, but rather consists of multiple fields of affiliation that are constantly redefined through cultural, political, and religious contacts. Furthermore, the study conceptualizes intercultural communication as a dynamic process in which identity boundaries are redrawn and affiliations are negotiated. In this regard, the thesis contributes to ethnic studies and multiculturalism debates from a local perspective.