Policy Press
4 ‘Others’ in diversified neighbourhoods: What does social cohesion mean in diversified neighbourhoods? A case study in Istanbul
Abstract
This chapter examines how residents in Beyoğlu — the most diverse district in the Turkish city of Istanbul — designate others, and the effects of this designated ‘otherness’ on social cohesion in this area. It shows how residents in Beyoğlu use a variety of attributes to define others, most notably socioeconomic and occupational attributes, or whether they are established or new residents or come from the same hometown. Ethnic and cultural differences are not so important, although the aforementioned attributes are strongly linked to certain ethnic and cultural categories since most new residents are migrants with a low socioeconomic status and usually of Kurdish ethnicity. A majority of the respondents regard living with others as something positive because of the possibility of getting to know different people and learning about their cultures. Still, the rapidly changing demographic composition and character of the district is seen as a threat to local social cohesion.
Abstract
This chapter examines how residents in Beyoğlu — the most diverse district in the Turkish city of Istanbul — designate others, and the effects of this designated ‘otherness’ on social cohesion in this area. It shows how residents in Beyoğlu use a variety of attributes to define others, most notably socioeconomic and occupational attributes, or whether they are established or new residents or come from the same hometown. Ethnic and cultural differences are not so important, although the aforementioned attributes are strongly linked to certain ethnic and cultural categories since most new residents are migrants with a low socioeconomic status and usually of Kurdish ethnicity. A majority of the respondents regard living with others as something positive because of the possibility of getting to know different people and learning about their cultures. Still, the rapidly changing demographic composition and character of the district is seen as a threat to local social cohesion.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables and figures vii
- Notes on contributors viii
- Acknowledgements xiv
- Introduction: Understanding super-diversity in deprived and mixed neighbourhoods 1
- Who are the strangers? Neighbour relations in socially and ethnically heterogeneous residential buildings in Geneva 25
- Experiencing diversity in London: Social relations in a rapidly changing neighbourhood 47
- ‘Others’ in diversified neighbourhoods: What does social cohesion mean in diversified neighbourhoods? A case study in Istanbul 69
- Nurturing solidarity in diversity: Can local currencies enable transformative practices? 89
- Interculturalism as conservative multiculturalism? New generations from an immigrant background in Milan, Italy, and the challenge to categories and boundaries 113
- Bringing inequality closer: A comparative outlook at socially diverse neighbourhoods in Chicago and Santiago de Chile 139
- Ambiguities of vertical multi-ethnic coexistence in the city of Athens: Living together but unequally between conflicts and encounters 165
- Beyond the middle classes: Neighbourhood choice and satisfaction in the hyper-diverse contexts 187
- Living with diversity or living with difference? International perspectives on everyday perceptions of the social composition of diverse neighbourhoods 211
- Conclusion: Super-diversity, conviviality, inequality 235
- Index 245
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables and figures vii
- Notes on contributors viii
- Acknowledgements xiv
- Introduction: Understanding super-diversity in deprived and mixed neighbourhoods 1
- Who are the strangers? Neighbour relations in socially and ethnically heterogeneous residential buildings in Geneva 25
- Experiencing diversity in London: Social relations in a rapidly changing neighbourhood 47
- ‘Others’ in diversified neighbourhoods: What does social cohesion mean in diversified neighbourhoods? A case study in Istanbul 69
- Nurturing solidarity in diversity: Can local currencies enable transformative practices? 89
- Interculturalism as conservative multiculturalism? New generations from an immigrant background in Milan, Italy, and the challenge to categories and boundaries 113
- Bringing inequality closer: A comparative outlook at socially diverse neighbourhoods in Chicago and Santiago de Chile 139
- Ambiguities of vertical multi-ethnic coexistence in the city of Athens: Living together but unequally between conflicts and encounters 165
- Beyond the middle classes: Neighbourhood choice and satisfaction in the hyper-diverse contexts 187
- Living with diversity or living with difference? International perspectives on everyday perceptions of the social composition of diverse neighbourhoods 211
- Conclusion: Super-diversity, conviviality, inequality 235
- Index 245
