Abstract
The Arab Alawites or Nusayrites in the Southern Turkish region of Çukurova have historically lived in
socially enclosed communities composed primarily of their own population. Their experiences as a
minority culture within the Turkish state have been heavily influenced by audiovisual media such as
cinema and television. These experiences have not only contributed to the formation of a distinct
cultural expression but have also actively shaped and redefined it. The central hypothesis of this
doctoral research is that visual culture, and in particular media, are predominantly produced for and
by the dominant national Turkish culture, often excluding minority communities. In the case of the
Arab Alawites, this dynamic of inclusion and exclusion has led to unique cultural outcomes.
Accordingly, the primary aim of the study is to identify recurring and distinctive cultural patterns within
the visual cultural heritage of the Arab Alawite community in the Çukurova region between 1900 and
1980, as manifested in their everyday practices, related mainly to cinema and television. The
fundamental research questions center around how these visual cultural experiences occurred and
were shaped; why they developed in these particular ways (e.g., due to geographical, technological,
socio-cultural, or economic factors); and how they diverged from dominant forms.
The theoretical framework will draw upon the conceptual approaches of New Cinema History, which
enable the study of local contexts; cultural studies approach to subculture and media, which illuminate
dynamic relationships; and finally, memory studies, particularly those perspectives that foreground
minority experiences. The research methods equally stem from these (sub)disciplines: archival
research in Turkey and France is combined with Turkish policy document analysis and oral history,
consisting of (at least) 20 in-depth interviews with senior members of the Nusayrite community.
By understanding these dynamics, the study aims to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse visual
cultural Turkish history. Focusing on the specific case of the Nusayrites, this PhD research challenges
dominant narratives in cinema and television history that often overlook minority experiences. Its
findings will offer insights into the complex dynamics between cinema, television, hegemony, and
social relations—ultimately contributing to the broader fields of cinema studies, television studies,
visual culture, and cultural heritage studies.
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