Who are these Laz?-Laz Identity and Laz Language in Virtual Space

“Especially after Kâzım Koyuncu, Laz language ceased to be an ethnic music and began to appeal to a much wider audience. (…) As Laz cultural activism expanded, Laz music ceased to be local and began to take on an identity-forming role, becoming popular with activism. (…) The perception of music and dance as performances of the Laz ethnicity, which has become widespread and increasingly accepted by wider segments, has developed and interactiveised the bond between the real space with the inclusion of social media into the equation.”

Laz is sometimes used as a name that covers all Eastern Black Sea people and even all Black Sea people – at least as it is known from Laz jokes! However, those who define themselves as Laz and those who are considered "ethnic Laz" are smaller communities. Taking this "confusion" into account, Özlem Şendeniz examines the experiences of living and perceiving the Laz identity. How did the requirements of being considered a "desirable citizen" affect Laz identity and memory? How was memory about migration and especially about place shaped? How was the relationship between Laz identity and Turkish identity established? What kind of impact did the Laz identity movement have? The development of the virtual environment and social media has created space for "Lady performances".
Its opening effect is discussed with special importance in the book. The virtual environment is the venue for negotiations over Laz speech and understanding, over Laz names, and essentially for daily negotiations around perceptions of who is called Laz. Observations regarding the reproduction of identity within these negotiations are supported by extensive investigative data on the perception of Laz identity.

(From the Promotional Bulletin)

Dough Type: 2nd Dough

Number of Pages: 312

Size: 13 x 19.5

First Print Year: 2020

Number of Printings: 1st Edition

Language Turkish