European Voluntary Service and Intercultural Competence in Understanding Islamic Culture

Öz

Culture cannot be reduced to religion only despite the fact that religion is an important aspect of it. However, exceptionally, religion most usually is the first thing to come to the mind when middle-eastern societies are at stake.  In a sense, the culture of all middle-eastern societies, including Turkey, is equated with Islam – a world religion currently echoing with “oppression” and “terrorism”. This paper will explore what kinds of perceptions European young people have regarding religious life in Turkey. Additionally and more importantly, the paper will question if European youth's perceptions of religious life in Turkish society get significantly changed after living in this society for about a year.

The data for this paper comes from a qualitative/ethnographic research conducted to examine major effects of European Voluntary Service Program. Prior to the voluntary service, more or less a similar line of thinking on Islam is expected to be found among European young volunteers while a diversity of perceptions is anticipated to be arising from an experience of living in Turkey, a finding that would partially confirm the literature. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Intercultural competence, Islamophobia, European Voluntary Service, young people, Islam, Turkey

Avrupa Gönüllü Hizmeti ve İslami Kültürün Anlaşılması Bağlamında Kültürlerarası Yetkinlik

Öz

Önemli bir parçası olsa da, kültür salt dine indirgenemez. Bu gerçeğe rağmen, Orta-doğu toplumları söz konusu olduğunda genellikle din akla gelen ilk şeydir. Bir anlamda, Türkiye dâhil, tüm Orta-doğulu toplumların kültürü İslam ile eşitlenir ki, bu özellikle son dönemlerde sıklıkla “baskı” ve “terörizm” ile birlikte anılan bir dünya dininin adıdır. Bu makale Avrupalı gençlerin Türkiye’deki dinsel yaşama ilişkin ne tür algılamalara sahip olduklarını sorgulayacaktır. İlaveten ve daha önemli olarak, makale, Avrupalı gençlerin Türk toplumundaki dinsel yaşama ilişkin algılamalarının bu toplumda yaklaşık bir yıl yaşadıktan sonra anlamlı derecede değişime uğrayıp uğramadığını sorgulayacaktır.Araştırma verileri, Avrupa Gönüllü Hizmet (AGH) Programının temel etkilerini incelemek üzere geliştirilen daha geniş bir nitel/etnografik araştırmadan alınmıştır. AGH deneyimi öncesinde, İslamofobik bir düşünme biçiminin AGH gönüllüleri arasında da yaygın olması öngörülmüştür. Türkiye’deki AGH deneyimleri sonrasında ise farklı türlerde algılamaların ortaya çıkacağı ve bunun ilgili literatürü kısmen doğrulayacağı beklenmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kültürlerarası yetkinlik, İslamofobi, Avrupa Gönüllü Hizmeti, gençler, İslam, Türkiye

Kaynakça

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