The Gagauz in Bessarabia as an Imagined Ethnocultural Community: Memory, Symbols, and Transnational Identity
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Academic Publishing UNWE (AP-UNWE)
Abstract
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The article examines the Gagauz community in Bessarabia as an “imagined” ethnocultural community, in the sense proposed by Benedict Anderson, formed through collective memory, symbols, and transnational ties. The aim is to analyze the mechanisms for the preservation of ethnic identity under conditions of migration and globalization. The study employs qualitative analysis of interviews and ethnocultural practices within the Gagauz community in Bessarabia. The findings indicate that traditions, language, and family memory function as key markers of identity, despite the geographical distance from the national center – Bulgaria. The role of transnational networks in sustaining cultural continuity is also emphasized.
Keywords
Traditions, Collective memory, Cultural heritage, Gaguzs, Besarabia, Transnationality, Migration, Symbols, Ethnic borders, Еthnocultural identity, Z13 - Economic Sociology • Economic Anthropology • Language • Social and Economic Stratification, F22 - International Migration, J15 - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants • Non-labor Discrimination