Paper short abstract:

This study explores how women successfully challenged the way in which dominant male social constraints defined and molded them by demanding space in meyhane, a type of restaurant found in Turkey which dates back to the Byzantine Empire. My research will show how women have pushed the doors of meyhane open, claiming their seats at the table, reinventing the “authentic” meyhane. By doing so, women have forced not only the meyhane to redefine itself, but also the dominant social and cultural discourses to reinterpret what the public is and what being a woman means in Turkey. Of course various studies have been done to see how women resisted and provoked change, but this is a particular novel field. Meyhane was such an exclusively male space for a while that women’s entrance indeed speaks volumes to the manner in which they caused a cultural transformation. The objective of the research is to identify the determining factors and characteristics that help formulate “authenticity” in modern day meyhane now that women have unlocked a place at the cilingir sofrasi.

Paper long abstract:

Food is an important part of culture and can be a symbol of pride for a community. Since food itself can be considered a cultural symbol, attention should be paid to the relation among food and culture. What is of particular interest is the manner in which food, through identities are constructed, re-interpreted, challenged, and modified, reflects or perhaps tells us a story about culture itself. The examination of authenticity has gained importance in our increasingly multi-cultural society. While scholars agree that defining authenticity is challenging because of the influences of globalization, the demand for “authentic” food experiences continues.

This study explores how women successfully challenged the way in which dominant male social constraints defined and molded them by demanding space in meyhane, a type of restaurant found in Turkey which dates back to the Byzantine Empire. My research will show how women have pushed the doors of meyhane open, claiming their seats at the table, reinventing the “authentic” meyhane. By doing so, women have forced not only the meyhane to redefine itself, but also the dominant social and cultural discourses to reinterpret what the public is and what being a woman means in Turkey. The objective of the research is to identify the determining factors and characteristics that help formulate “authenticity” in modern day meyhane now that women have unlocked a place at the cilingir sofrasi.

Based on a pilot study done during a semester at Boğaziçi University, I developed a research framework to investigate how people create authenticity within the meyhanes of Istanbul, Turkey using qualitative analysis. The methodological framework is based on open-ended interviews with restaurant owners throughout the many burrows of Istanbul. The study contains data from both the European and Asian sides of the city. The face-to-face interviews were conducted at the restaurants of the respondents. Snowball sampling was used to recruit respondents. Archival data was also gathered on how women first made their way into the meyhane, and what the social reaction to their presence was.

Previous research acknowledges the complexities of how societies define “authentic” food and the constant evolution of the concept. Of course various studies have been done to see how women resisted and caused change, but this is a particular novel field. Meyhane was such an exclusively male space for a while that women’s entrance indeed speaks volumes to the manner in which they caused a cultural transformation. As all “authentic” identities are constructed and culturally fragmented by society, initially so was the data that was collected from the restaurant owners, but patterns started to emerge through analysis. Woman dominated the recurring themes surrounding cultural social change. The role of the environment, food and culture resonated, but meyhane, an “authentic” experience has withstood historical changes, and kept its core identity intact for centuries. The meyhane creates the “third place” where everyone is welcome, including women, and people are accepted and allowed to be “authentic”.