Awareness and concerns of ethnic subcultures regarding their mother tongue, identity and culture: the case of Circassians in Turkey

Overall, the ethnic and cultural differences resulting from migration lead to numerous issues related to the cultural, social, and economic life, education, language, and identity of the migrants. The purpose and objective of this research is to contribute to efforts and studies addressing the issues arising from language, identity, and cultural differences by examining awareness and concerns regarding the mother tongue, identity, and culture of ethnic subcultures. In this context, the awareness and concerns regarding the language, identity, and cultural dynamics of Circassians living as an ethnic subculture in Turkey are explored. In this research, which utilised the interview technique, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 Circassian individuals during fieldwork carried out in two Circassian villages in Antalya, Turkey. The following questions were sought to be answered in the research: What are the awareness and concerns of Circassians, who live as an ethnic subculture in Turkey, regarding their mother tongue, identity, and cultural elements? What role can actions that consider this awareness and concerns play in their interactions with the dominant culture? The main findings of this study indicate that the Circassians have a high awareness of their identity, culture, and language, while simultaneously adapting to the dominant culture and language (Turkish culture and language). However, they also have concerns about the transmission of these values to the future and fear of losing them.