The Place of Names within the Context of Political Ideologies: The Case of Cultural Centers in Ankara
Place names are expressions of societies and cultures, and so also have an effect on cultural and geographical image. Cultural choices are made during the naming process in which the named place becomes identified with the corresponding culture. In other words, naming a place is actually a form of c...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Koc University, Vehbi Koc Ankara Studies Research Center (VEKAM)
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Ankara Araştırmaları Dergisi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jag.journalagent.com/jas/pdfs/JAS_9_1_35_54.pdf |
| Summary: | Place names are expressions of societies and cultures, and so also have an effect on cultural and geographical image. Cultural choices are made during the naming process in which the named place becomes identified with the corresponding culture. In other words, naming a place is actually a form of categorization. Once the name is given, the name itself, along with the physical nature of the place, its architecture, and the activities that take place there, gains a distinct cultural identity. It can therefore be said that it is possible, through the naming of a place, to either construct or repress identity. As the names of places are in common use, this form of cultural designation,
when compared with other elements of cultural geography, can be seen to have an important role in the reconstruction of culture. It
is thus not surprising that the removal or the replacement of unwanted parts of urban memory usually occurs through the naming or renaming of a place, and such a process can either cause an existing historical reality be forgotten, or a new one created. In the literature, the process of the naming of public spaces, such as streets, boulevards, neighborhoods, parks, schools, cultural centers
and squares, is referred to as “urban toponymy,” Unlike the majority of the studies in the literature, this study focuses on the naming
preferences of local government cultural centers, and utilizes Louis Althusser’s ideological state apparatuses concept to investigate how influential naming is in the construction of cultural identity. The study analyzes the names of cultural centers in the central districts of Ankara, and the relationship between name preferences and political ideologies. In the latter part of the study, the relationship between the names of cultural centers and the reproduction of the ideologies of local governments is considered. |
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| ISSN: | 2147-8724 2147-8724 |