CULTURAL IDENTITY FORMATION PROCESS OF MINORITY INDIVIDUALS: AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This article analyzes the experiences associated with ethnic/cultural identity formation process through the question of ‘How do members of minority groups form their ethnic identity?’. For this aim, qualitative methodology was applied and data analyses were done based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis guidance and steps. Nine participants from Arab Alevi community were interviewed twice via semi-structured interview, almost with one week interval and each interview lasted almosted 50 minutes. The participants age range changes between 18 and 70. The analyses ended up with one superordinate theme; ‘The process of ethnic identity formation’ and three subthemes namely, ‘The assumption that everybody is the same’, ‘Realization of one’s own differences’, and ‘(Ways of) Gathering Information’.Most of the participants reported that at the beginning of the ethnic identity formation process, they thought that everbody was the same and there were not any differences between people in terms of ethnicity and religious. Later on, they realized the differences through some experiences and to make it understandable they gathered information from different sources like, family, religious leader or books. The emerged themes are discussed in the light of the ethnic identity literature.