The Thematic Positioning of Migration in 2025 Graduate Folklore Theses: An Evaluation on Identity, Ritual, and Cultural Memory

Abstract

This study re-evaluates bibliographic and bibliometric research conducted in the field of migration in Turkey from a folklore perspective and examines how the phenomenon of migration is positioned in graduate theses in the field of folklore in 2025 through thematic content analysis. The study focuses on the increasing issue of migration resulting from developments that have occurred in Turkey and globally since 2000. In particular, since 2015, migration has become a prominent topic both in Turkey and worldwide and has been examined within multidisciplinary frameworks. In addition to issues such as adaptation challenges, state policies, transformations in sociological structures, and shifts in international relations, the cultural values transformed by migration have also gained significance. Within this framework, the 21 theses examined are classified under three main headings: studies centered on migration and identity–cultural memory, studies addressing migration within a ritual context, and studies in which migration is positioned in the background. The findings indicate that themes such as forced migration and population exchange stand out, particularly in relation to the reconstruction of identity. In ritual-centered studies, the focus is on the impact of migration on the transformation of folklore elements. Furthermore, a limited number of studies address the effects of migration on oral culture, the folk calendar, folk medicine, and belief practices. Overall, this study highlights the need to move beyond the quantitative abundance of migration-related research and to focus more deeply on the relationship between migration and folklore, as well as its impact on processes of cultural change.