Ethnic identity is a crucial element that shapes individuals' self-definition, sense of belonging, and their relationship with space. This study examines the impact of ethnic identity and belonging on social space, exploring how ethnic groups transform the environments they inhabit. While ethnic identity is transmitted through cultural heritage, language, religion, and traditions, the sense of belonging is reinforced by individuals' spatial experiences, rituals, and social bonds. Spaces serve as timeless repositories of memory; individuals' emotions, dreams, perceptions, bodies, and experiences come to life within them. Migration, urban transformation, and globalization play a decisive role in shaping the relationship between ethnic communities and space. Ethnic neighborhoods provide a safe space for the sustainability of identity while also revealing dynamics of internal fragmentation or integration. In the context of ethnic identity, phenomenology is crucial for understanding the process by which individuals and communities shape their spatial perception and how ethnic identities influence spatial dynamics. Social spaces are essential for creating and sustaining the concept of society. This study analyzes how social space becomes a tool for identity construction and how space shapes the sense of belonging. As a result, it is revealed that the dynamic relationship between ethnic identity and space plays a determining role in the processes of preserving, expressing, and reconstructing identities for individuals and communities.Rather than aiming to answer all questions, this study serves as a reflection of the self-meaning process and seeks to evoke new questions in the minds of its readers.

Authors:
Özge Altuntop, Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey

About the Presenter(s)
Özge is currently pursuing her second Master's in Architecture at IZTECH, with a thesis focusing on the evolution of architectural typologies through vernacular architecture, reflecting her deep interest in sustainable and traditional design.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/özge-altuntop-733727234

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