A tale of two fears: negotiating trust and neighborly relations in urbanizing Turkey

Date
2020
Editor(s)
Advisor
Supervisor
Co-Advisor
Co-Supervisor
Instructor
Source Title
Journal of Contemporary European Studies
Print ISSN
1478-2804
Electronic ISSN
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Volume
28
Issue
3
Pages
322 - 334
Language
English
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Series
Abstract

Using a Turkish empirical case, we show how trust is negotiated among rural-to-urban migrant women as a result of their move from informal housing where they lived clustered with other migrant women, sharing their personal lives (arguably expressing and facilitating high trust), to apartment buildings where it requires life to be shared with a diverse group of residents (rural/urban, religious sectarian, ethnic) and where they are expected to live individualistic lives. Given this socio-spatial transformation, we suggest trusting is understood and experienced by migrant women, as an on-going relational process of negotiating two competing fears to (1) not be alone; and (2) not be harmed by the people they risk/desire to be close to (physically and emotionally). This is significant for migrant women whose conservative values and way of life relies heavily on other women in close proximity to them (i.e. neighbors) for emotional and material support in the rhythm of daily life. This is further complicated by also needing to negotiate competing group identities – part and parcel to neighborly relations in polarized societies like Turkey. The process of trusting, we suggest, entails an on-going relational risk assessment/negotiation through knowing, visiting and sharing over time (in material and emotional ways).

Course
Other identifiers
Book Title
Citation
Published Version (Please cite this version)