Invisible Identities: Structural Inequality and Ethical Approaches in Forensic Anthropology

Yıl 2025, Sayı: 26, 360 - 382, 10.09.2025

Öznur Gülhan

https://doi.org/10.46250/kulturder.1746493

Öz

This study examines the role of forensic anthropology in the context of deceased individuals whose identities remain unidentified, emphasizing a broader socio-structural framework beyond mere biological identification techniques. The identification process extends beyond the technical matching of post-mortem and ante-mortem data; it is intrinsically linked to the individual’s social recognition, representation within official systems, and continuity of recorded existence throughout their lifetime. Structural factors such as lack of housing security, forced displacement, irregular migration, human trafficking, ethnic exclusion, psychosocial vulnerabilities, and inequitable access to social services contribute to underreporting of missing persons or insufficient ante-mortem data, significantly disrupting the post-mortem identification process. Findings from forensic practices reveal that socioeconomic inequalities critically determine the demographic and geographic distribution of unidentified individuals. Deaths occurring along migration routes, in urban poverty, and temporary settlements often result in persistent unidentified status due to fragmented record-keeping, lack of centralized coordination, and unstandardized identification protocols. These conditions deepen invisibility for groups already subjected to social inequities, including women, infants, the elderly, LGBTQ+ individuals, those lacking mental health support, and ethnically marginalized communities. This study argues that forensic anthropology should not be limited to osteological or genetic analyses but must be reconsidered within a multi-layered epistemological framework addressing social context, representation issues, and demands for recognition.

Anahtar Kelimeler

forensic anthropology , identification , structural inequality , social justice , anthropological ethics

Görünmeyen Kimlikler: Adli Antropolojide Yapısal Eşitsizlik ve Etik Yaklaşımlar

Öz

Bu çalışma, hayatını kaybetmiş ve kimliği tespit edilemeyen bireyler bağlamında adli antropolojinin rolünü, yalnızca biyolojik kimliklendirme tekniklerine indirgenemeyecek, daha geniş bir sosyo-yapısal çerçevede ele almaktadır. Kimliklendirme süreci, post-mortem ve ante-mortem verilerin teknik eşleştirilmesinin ötesinde; bireyin toplumsal tanınırlığı, resmi sistemlerdeki temsiliyeti ve yaşamı boyunca kayıt altına alınmış olmasının sürekliliği ile doğrudan ilişkilidir. Barınma güvencesinin olmaması, zorla yerinden edilme, düzensiz göç, insan ticareti, etnik dışlanma, psikososyal kırılganlıklar ve sosyal hizmetlere erişimdeki eşitsizlikler gibi yapısal faktörler, bireylerin kayıp olarak bildirilmemesine ya da yeterli ante-mortem verinin sağlanamamasına neden olmakta; bu durum da ölüm sonrası kimliklendirme sürecini ciddi biçimde sekteye uğratmaktadır. Adli uygulamalardan elde edilen bulgular, kimliği belirlenemeyen bireylerin demografik ve coğrafi dağılımında sosyoekonomik eşitsizliklerin belirleyici olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Özellikle göç yolları, kentlerin yoksul yerleşim alanları ve geçici yerleşim alanlarında meydana gelen ölümler, kayıt sistemlerindeki dağınıklık, merkezi koordinasyon eksikliği ve kimliklendirme süreçlerinin standardize edilmemiş olması kalıcı bir kimliksizlik durumuna dönüşebilmektedir. Bu koşullar, kadınlar, bebekler, yaşlılar, LGBTQ+ bireyler, ruh sağlığı desteğine erişemeyenler ve etnik olarak marjinalleştirilmiş topluluklar gibi hâlihazırda toplumsal eşitsizliklere maruz bırakılan gruplar açısından daha da derin bir görünmezliğe yol açmaktadır. Çalışma, adli antropolojinin yalnızca osteolojik ya da genetik analizlerle sınırlı kalmaması gerektiğini; bu alanın, kayıpların sosyal bağlamı, temsil sorunu ve tanınma talepleriyle ilişkili çok katmanlı bir epistemolojik çerçevede yeniden düşünülmesi gerektiğini ileri sürmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

adli antropoloji , kimliklendirme , yapısal eşitsizlik , sosyal adalet , antropolojik etik

Kaynakça

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