Browsing by Subject "Lifestyle"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Open Access
Cross cultural differences in materialism
(Elsevier, 1996) Ger, G.; Belk, R. W.
Materialism was explored in twelve countries using qualitative data, measures of consumer desires, measures of perceived necessities, and adapted versions of the Belk (1985) materialism scales with student samples. The use of student samples and provisionary evidence for cross-cultural reliability and validity for the scales, make the quantitative results tentative, but they produced some interesting patterns that were also supported by the qualitative data. Romanians were found to be the most materialistic, followed by the U.S.A., New Zealand, Ukraine, Germany, and Turkey. These results suggest that materialism is neither unique to the West nor directly related to affluence, contrary to what has been assumed in prior treatments of the development of consumer culture.
Open Access
Designing mosques for secular congregations: Transformations of the mosque as a social space in Turkey
(Locke Science Publishing, 2011) Özaloglu, S.; Gürel, M. O.
This study examines contemporary meanings and uses of the mosque in Turkey by arguing that productive architectural plans require understanding both the socio-historical development of the mosque and the socio-political transformations that have led to the mosque's current position in society. Mosque space is conceptualized as a physical environment that cultivates the formation and transformation of individual, social, and collective memories. The study questions whether the mosque still exhibits the qualities of a social space and whether new and innovative mosque designs reflect - programmatically, architecturally, and spatially - transformations related to their current uses and social meanings. These questions are explored through interviews, two questionnaires, and a worksheet, all of which involve a case study of Dogramacizade Mosque in Ankara. On one hand, the findings underscore the changing relationship between Muslim women and mosque space as a result of the transformation of congregations into citizens of a contemporary secular nation and suggest that spatial designs of mosques should take present-day behaviors and practices into consideration rather than ignoring this social aspect through which transformations occur. On the other hand, the collective memory of congregation members resists changing the allocation of prayer halls in the mosque. Members are in favor of continuing the traditional layout of separated spaces based on gender differences. The resistance implies that collective memory changes much slower than behaviors or lifestyles in terms of gender issues. Additionally, parallel to the findings, modernization of the mosque brings forth the idea of resurrecting the mosque s historical form as a social complex that fundamentally conflicts with secularity.
Open Access
Formalization by the state, re-informalization by the people: a gecekondu transformation housing estate as site of multiple discrepancies
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2016) Erman, T.
This article demonstrates residents' transformative practices and discusses attendant outcomes to contribute to an understanding of state-built housing estates for people affected by urban transformation projects. It draws upon ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a social housing estate (K-TOKI) in the Northern Ankara Entrance Urban Transformation Project (NAEUTP). It addresses questions on why formalization of informal housing takes place today, under what conditions it is countered by re-informalization practices, and what the outcomes of this process are. As informal housing became formalized by NAEUTP, gecekondu dwellers were forced into formalized spaces and lives within K-TOKI, which was based on a middle-class lifestyle in its design and its legally required central management. Informality re-emerged in K-TOKI when the state's housing institution, in response to the estate's poor marketability, moved out, allowing residents to reappropriate spaces to meet their needs and form their own management system. When cultural norms that are inscribed in the built environment and financial norms that treat residents as clients conflict with everyday practices and financial capabilities, the urban poor increasingly engage in acts of informality. I argue that the outcome of this informality in a formal context is a site of multiple discrepancies. © 2016 Urban Research Publications Limited
Open Access
Gold and gold jewelry : exploration of consumer practices
(2003) Ertimur, Burçak
This thesis explores consumers’ practices and experiences in relation to consumption of gold and gold jewelry. It focuses on the underlying motivations of consumers, the uses of gold and gold jewelry, and examines the practices and meanings that emerge as a result of these uses. Data were collected through qualitative research methods. The participants include twenty-four female consumers and four industry representatives. Age, income, and use of gold jewelry/coin constitute the main criteria in selection of the consumers. The findings indicate three main uses for gold and gold jewelry: Gift-giving, ornamentation, and investment. Both utilitarian and symbolic motives are identified in giving gold jewelry/coins as a gift. Whereas previous research focuses on the symbolic aspects of the gift, the findings suggest that there are utilitarian aspects as well. The practices and experiences related to the use as ornamentation illustrate the relation of gold jewelry to fashion, highlight the item’s significance for sense of self, and reveal patterns of complementarity with the product category of clothing. The exploration of the use of investment uncovers the dual function of gold jewelry, and indicates the interaction between ornamentation and investment. The study concludes with a discussion of the contributions, limitations, and implications for future research on the topic.
Open Access
The shopping mall as an emergent public space in Turkey
(SAGE, 2003) Erkip, F.
The shopping mall as a part of the recent transformations in Turkish urban lifestyle is the focus of this research. Characteristics of the Turkish way of using shopping malls, and their social and spatial consequences, are investigated and analyzed through a case study in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. The field survey was carried out in Bilkent Shopping Center, a newly built shopping mall in a suburban area which was also established recently as a high-income housing settlement. This shopping mall is an appropriate example of spatial transformations under the influence of global forces, which may also give clues about changes in urban lifestyle. A field survey was carried out through user surveys, and various observations are used to enrich the analysis. The results indicate that the shopping mall as a postmodern site matched the changing shopping and consumption requirements of Turkish urban citizens. The development of the shopping mall turns out to be timely for the Turkish urban citizen searching for modernity through new identity components in consumption patterns. Some benefit from this development more than others, for example, working women, indicating the process of feminization of the flaneur. However, these sites simultaneously produce a new arena of negotiation and conflict as well, creating new forms of exclusion-particularly for the urban poor. Although malls appear more public and democratic than the streets for the time being, the potential for segregation is implicit in their private character.