Contribution short abstract:

My contribution examines experimental self-cultivations of 'neo-villagers' in Turkey who reject an urban middle-class ‘work-life-balance’ ideal. I explore how their alternative ways of (making a) living in a vibrant rural community are mutually shaped by processes of commoning and its limitations.

Contribution long abstract:

Moving ‘back to the land’, understood as the proactive pursuit of alternative modes of being outside the city, is trending in Turkey in response to multiple crises. My contribution investigates the experimental self-cultivation of so-called ‘neo-villagers’ (yeni köylüler) in a rural northwestern district. I argue that their alternative ways of living, and the ways of making a living required to sustain them are mutually shaped by processes of commoning and their limitations. In rejecting the specific consumption patterns, daily rhythms, and prestige associated with urban white-collar existence, neo-villagers develop adaptive economic strategies that challenge the urban middle-class ideal of a work-life-balance and conventional understandings of work. They redefine various (re)productive activities as meaningful value production by supplementing wage- or gig-labor with non-monetary incomes through horticulture, foraging and bartering, alongside the integration of minimalist practices into daily life. Driven by the experience of self-efficacy, these liminal efforts hinge on individual and unequal constellations of financial capital, skill, and motivations. Simultaneously, they rely on mutual solidarity and practices of commoning like sharing knowledge, skills, tools, or co-producing goods. A nuanced analysis of the extent to which neo-villagers are able to detach themselves from urban capital flows is exemplified by an emerging informal craft sector: Self-taught neo-carpenters provide services to neo-villagers, but also to other newcomers with a higher purchasing power. This sparks ideological debates about where and how to employ capitalist practices of branding and marketing. My contribution further explores what anthropology can offer in examining such alternative economies and their limitations.