Türk Mutfağı Deneyiminin Uluslararası Öğrencilerin Türkiye Algısına Etkisi: Gastrodiplomasi Bağlamında Fenomenolojik bir Çalışma

Öz

Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, Türkiye’de eğitim gören uluslararası öğrencilerin Türk mutfağı deneyimlerini fenomenolojik bir yaklaşımla analiz ederek bu deneyimlerin öğrencilerin Türkiye algısının şekillenmesindeki rolünü incelemektir. Çalışmada, öğrencilerin mutfakla kurdukları duyusal ve kültürel ilişkinin niteliği, kültürel mesafenin deneyim üzerindeki etkisi ve bu sürecin öğrencilerin gönüllü diplomasi davranışlarını nasıl şekillendirdiği sorularına yanıt aranmıştır. Elde edilen bulguların, gastrodiplomasi literatürüne mikro düzeyde bir bakış açısı kazandırması ve politika yapıcılar için hedef kitleye özgü stratejiler geliştirilmesine katkı sağlaması hedeflenmektedir. Araştırma nitel desende tasarlanmış olup, yorumlayıcı fenomenolojik araştırma deseni benimsenmiştir. Veriler, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler aracılığıyla toplanmış ve farklı coğrafi ve kültürel arka planlardan gelen 16 uluslararası öğrenciden elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen veriler tematik analiz yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. Bulgular, uluslararası öğrencilerin Türk mutfağı deneyimlerinin dört ana tema etrafında şekillendiğini göstermektedir. Bu temalar; kültürel arka plan ve zihinsel hazırlık, duyusal deneyim ve gastronomik adaptasyon, mekân ve otantiklik algısı ile gönüllü diplomasi ve kültürel etkileşim olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Gastrodiplomasi
• Türk mutfağı
• uluslararası öğrenciler
• ülke imajı
• fenomenoloji
• yemek deneyimi
• yumuşak güç

Destekleyen Kurum

Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi

Etik Beyan

GÜNDEM : 26. Başvuru Sahibi: Doç.Dr.Mehmet Sedat İPAR (Prof.Dr.Orhan BATMAN ve Alper TEKDEMİR ile birlikte) Konu: “Türk Mutfağı Deneyiminin Türkiye Algısının Şekillenmesindeki Rolü: Gastro- Phenomenological Investigation from a Gastro-Diplomacy Perspective)” isimli araştırmasının görüşülmesi. Karar: Araştırmanın etik kurul yönergesine uygun olarak hazırlandığı görülmüş ve başvurunun oybirliği ile KABULÜNE karar verilmiştir.

Teşekkür

Bu çalışmanın hazırlık sürecindeki değerli katkıları ve rehberlikleri için Prof. Dr. Orhan BATMAN ve Doç. Dr. Mehmet Sedat İPAR’a ve ayrıca araştırmaya katılarak görüşlerini paylaşan tüm katılımcılara teşekkür ederim.

The Impact of Turkish Cuisine Experience on International Students’ Perceptions of Turkey: A Phenomenological Study in the Context of Gastrodiplomacy

Öz

The main aim of this study is to analyze the experiences of international students studying in Türkiye with Turkish cuisine through a phenomenological approach and to explore the role of these experiences in shaping their perceptions of Türkiye. The study seeks to answer how the sensory and cultural relationships students establish with cuisine are shaped, how cultural distance affects this experience, and how this process influences students’ voluntary diplomacy behaviors. The findings are expected to provide a microlevel perspective to the gastrodiplomacy literature and contribute to the development of target group-specific strategies for policymakers. The research was designed using a qualitative approach, and an interpretive phenomenological research design was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and obtained from 16 international students from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that international students’ experiences with Turkish cuisine are structured around four main themes. These themes are cultural background and mental preparation, sensory experience and gastronomic adaptation, space and authenticity perception, and voluntary diplomacy and cultural interaction.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Gastrodiplomacy
• Turkish cuisine
• international students
• country image
• phenomenology
• food experience
• soft power

Destekleyen Kurum

Eskisehir Osmangazi University

Etik Beyan

AGENDA: 26. Applicant: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sedat İPAR (together with Prof. Dr. Orhan BATMAN and Alper TEKDEMİR) Subject: Discussion of the research titled “The Role of Turkish Cuisine Experience in Shaping the Perception of Turkey: A Gastro-Phenomenological Investigation from a Gastro-Diplomacy Perspective.” Decision: It has been observed that the research was prepared in accordance with the ethical committee guidelines, and it has been UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO APPROVE the application.

Teşekkür

I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Orhan BATMAN and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sedat İPAR for their valuable contributions and guidance during the preparation of this study. I would also like to thank all the participants who shared their views by participating in the research.

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