Factors of social development of the Ossetian diaspora in Turkey
Research Article
How to Cite
Gazzaeva V.I. Factors of social development of the Ossetian diaspora in Turkey. Humanities of the South of Russia. 2025. Vol. 14. No. 4. P. 169-178. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18522/2227-8656.2025.4.12 (in Russ.).
Abstract
Objective of the study is to identify and systematize external and internal factors that help or hinder social development of the Ossetian diaspora in Turkey. We emphasize the institutional, cultural and linguistic aspects of the diaspora's functioning.
The methodological basis of the study is based on the principles of structural and functional analysis, concepts of ethnocultural identity and approaches to the study of diasporic practices. The empirical basis consists of the results of an ethnosociological survey conducted by the author in January-February 2025 among representatives of the Ossetian diaspora in Turkey (sample size – 259 respondents). The survey recordes data on language competence, ethnic self-identification, the level of interaction with diasporic organizations, attitudes towards the historical homeland, as well as cultural participation practices. It allows to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current state and prospects of social development of this ethnic group.
The results of the study. The sustainability of social development of the Ossetian diaspora in Turkey is ensured by a combination of internal and external factors. The key ones are the activity of diasporic organizations, the preservation of traditional norms (“ægdau”, “ærvadæltæ”), the desire to maintain language and ties with the historical homeland. The main challenges are an assimilation pressure, a decrease in the level of native language proficiency and a weakening of youth interest in culture. However, the respondents' high ethnic self-identification indicates the potential for further strengthening cultural autonomy and transnational ties.
Prospects of the study. The presented results have scientific significance for further study of both Ossetian diasporic communities and other ethnic groups operating in a foreign cultural environment. Also programs aimed at preserving the ethnic and cultural identity of Ossetians in Turkey can be developed based on the obtained data as well as strengthening transnational ties between the diaspora and the Republic of North Ossetia – Alania and the Republic of South Ossetia.
Keywords:
diaspora, diasporic identity, ethnic identity, Ossetian diaspora, Ossetians of Turkey, muhajirs, social development of diasporas, diaspora organizations, assimilation
References
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Biragova B. M. Ossetian diaspora in Turkey in historical, socio-cultural and geopolitical contexts. Kavkazskiy sbornik. Moskva: Obshchestvo s ogranichennoy otvetstvennost'yu Izdatel'stvo “Aspekt Press” = Caucasian collection. Moscow: Limited Liability Company Publishing House “Aspect Press”. 2017; 10(24): 352-366. (In Russ.)
Bitkeeva A. N. Language adaptation of the diaspora: strategies and development prospects. Acta Linguistica Petropolitana. Trudy instituta lingvisticheskikh issledovaniy = Acta Linguistica Petropolitana. Proceedings of the Institute of Linguistic Research. 2018; 14 (3): 57-81. (In Russ.)
Bokayev B. N. Language as a factor of ethnic identity. Aktual'nyye problemy gumanitarnykh i yestestvennykh nauk = Actual problems of humanitarian and natural sciences. 2011; 5: 95-100.
Zakaeva B. K., Kusov S. K. Preservation of native language and national identity is the main goal of the diaspora (on the example of the Ossetian diaspora in Turkey). Yаzyk i kul'tura kak natsional'noye dostoyaniye v polikul'turnoy srede: sbornik dokladov Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii, Vladikavkaz, 22-23 oktyabrya 2020 goda. Severo-Kavkazskiy gorno-metallurgicheskiy institut (gosudarstvennyy tekhnologicheskiy universitet). Vladikavkaz: Severo-Kavkazskiy gorno-metallurgicheskiy institut (gosudarstvennyy tekhnologicheskiy universitet) = Language and Culture as a National Heritage in a Multicultural Environment: Collection of Papers from the International Scientific and Practical Conference, Vladikavkaz, October 22-23, 2020. North Caucasus Mining and Metallurgical Institute (State Technological University). Vladikavkaz: North Caucasus Mining and Metallurgical Institute (State Technological University). 2021; 8-14. (In Russ.)
Lazarova E. T., Tuaeva N. Yu. The System of Institutions for the Moral Development of a Person in Traditional Ossetian Society: Historical Aspect. Gumanitarnyye i sotsial'no-ekonomicheskiye nauki = Humanities and Socio-Economic Sciences. 2015; 3 (82): 92-98. (In Russ.)
Mukha V. N. Ethnocultural Identity in the Context of Diaspora: Confessional, Civil and Regional Components. Teoriya i praktika obshchestvennogo razvitiya = Theory and Practice of Social Development. 2013; 3: 40-42. (In Russ.)
Popkov V. D. Phenomenon of Ethnic Diasporas. Moskva: INFRA-M = Moscow: INFRA-M. 2024; 276 p. (In Russ.)
Soleimani S. Boundaries of Religious Identity in Sociology. Teoriya i praktika obshchestvennogo razvitiya = Theory and Practice of Social Development. 2022; 6 (172): 76-79. DOI: 10.24158/tipor.2022.6.11. (In Russ.)
Aksoy Z. Çerkes Sürgünü Hikayelerinde Kimliğin İnşası. Türkiye İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2018; 31: 62-76.
Bhabha H. K. Of Mimicry and Man. Postcolonial Studies. 2000: 53-59.
Dashyan M. A., Kudelin A. A. The Ethnic Minority Policy of Turkey. RUDN Journal of World History. 2020; 12 (3): 274-285. DOI: 10.22363/2312-8127-2020-12-3-274-285.
Foltz R. The Survival of Ossetians in Turkey. Iran and the Caucasus. 2022; 26 (4): 362-375.
Glick Schiller N., Basch L., Szanton Blanc C. From Immigrant to Transmigrant: Theorizing Transnational Migration. Anthropological Quarterly. 1995; 68(1): 48-63.
Goker E. A. ‘Nereye aitiz?’ Diasporik kimlik ve Türk vatandaşlığı kuşatıcıında Çerkes kimliği. Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi. 2018; 3 (1): 91-105.
Hall S. Cultural Identity and Diaspora. International Migration Review. 1990; 28 (3): 225-240.
Article
Received: 06.06.2025
Accepted: 28.08.2025
Citation Formats
Other cite formats:
APA
Gazzaeva, V. I. (2025). Factors of social development of the Ossetian diaspora in Turkey. Humanities of the South of Russia, 14(4), 169-178. https://doi.org/10.18522/2227-8656.2025.4.12
Section
RELEVANT PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEAR AND FAR ABROAD
