Cultural Proximity or Cultural Distance? Selecting Media Content among Turkish Diasporic Audiences in Germany

Abstract

This study focuses on the consumption of Turkish cultural products (TV serials) among second- and third-generation members of the Turkish diaspora. It provides a comparative analysis of diasporans aged between eighteen and thirty years who have higher education with those who have undergone a vocational education. It attempts to determine whether basic education is heightening an audience’s preference for Turkish television content and if receiving a higher education leads to a greater interest in German media. Focus group discussions conducted in Hamburg, Germany, reveal that level of education is not a significant factor in determining an audience’s choices. Instead, Turkish cultural products have been filling a void for young diasporans that German cultural products are failing to satisfy. This research establishes that the more Turkish diasporic audience feels ignored by German media and society, the greater their proximity toward Turkish cultural products, as these are able to satisfy their longing for a true home and sense of belonging.