Paper short abstract:

Ecological communities are criticized for their lack of connectedness and social interaction. This study explores the concept of indifference as a valuable social practice by analyzing fieldwork data from four communities. It also aims to assess the impact of indifference within these communities.

Paper long abstract:

In recent years, ecological rural communities have become more prominent as a result of the growing interest in sustainable living. These intentional communities typically consist of ecological farms, villages, or rural communes and are established through the collaboration of individuals with urban backgrounds and professional careers. Furthermore, these communities impact both general political dynamics at a national level and local dynamics in various ways. They have faced criticism from the media and intellectual circles for disengaging from everyday life, while some political groups accuse them of avoiding involvement in the main political scene altogether.

There has been a noticeable increase in these communities in Turkey since the 2000s. This study is based on fieldwork data collected from four different ecological communities located in rural areas of Turkey. Here, one argument is that some of these groups can be classified as intentional communities, while another perspective suggests the inclusion of those that do not fit this classification. Some communities are linked to a lack of concern for social interaction; however, an important consideration at this point is indifference as a valuable social practice. How should we assess these communities within the framework of indifference as a virtue? Do the negative stereotypes linked to these introverted or isolated communities prove to be accurate? What are the implications of this within these communities?