Abstract
In qualitative research, the participants’ voice is key. This chapter is therefore dedicated to the German-Turkish perspective on social identity, financial investment decision making and buying process. At first, I introduce the participants’ chosen names and sketch each one’s social identity in order to provide a general overview. Social identities are visualized by means of pictures showing a person and (at least) two chairs, symbolizing German and Turkish social identity respectively. The size and position of the chairs demonstrate the strength of attachment to each ethnic group, showing that social identity is highly individual.
Subsequently, I present the data in more detail, showing the complex and individually differing factors which constitute the fine nuances and shades of social identity. The key themes used in the interview guideline stem from existing research and comprise for example ethnic stereotypes, ethnic social environment, language and culture as well as media usage. Finally, I show results on the decision making and buying process of financial investments. Long quotes show particularly meaningful examples and give an impression on the way the interviews were conducted. The chapter is summarized by a conclusion.
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Notes
- 1.
City not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 2.
Zivildienst: Alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors of compulsory military service.
- 3.
Special school, predominantly dedicated to handicapped children.
- 4.
The wording comes across quite unusual in the German original, too.
- 5.
Without home; literally translated “home-less”.
- 6.
City not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 7.
Members of the German national football team with Turkish and Tunisian roots respectively.
- 8.
Literal translation for ‘person from Hamburg’.
- 9.
City not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 10.
Real names of places not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 11.
Hans refers to the conflict between Turkey and France over the French Senate’s bill making it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire was genocide (BBC 2012). There was also massive press coverage in German media.
- 12.
Quote also used earlier in this chapter.
- 13.
City not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 14.
The German term used in the interviews was “Ausländerfeindlichkeit”, which literally translated means “hostility towards foreigners”.
- 15.
Ambiguous in German.
- 16.
One of the larger towns in Bavaria, old university town.
- 17.
Another one of the larger towns in Bavaria, also with university.
- 18.
Where he lives now.
- 19.
‘Wessi’ is a colloquial term for person from former Western Germany, as opposed to the ‘Ossi’ from former German Democratic Republic.
- 20.
Alludes to the wall that separated the German Democratic Republic as well as Berlin from Western Germany.
- 21.
Although Hans’ real name is clearly non-German, all letters and sounds exist in German language.
- 22.
City where he spent most of his live and where his mother still lives.
- 23.
Refers to questions on stereotypes.
- 24.
BAföG: state student subsidies/loans.
- 25.
‘International’ pronounced in English.
- 26.
PISA stands for Programme for International Student Assessment by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducted amongst 15-year olds. Germany’s pupils scored worse than expected when it was first conducted in 2000.
- 27.
German equivalent to BBC.
- 28.
Vorfälligkeitsentschädigung: indemnity payable to the bank if a mortgage is paid back before maturity, as mortgages are usually fixed over many years in Germany.
- 29.
The English word is used in the original interview.
- 30.
‘Neudeutsch’ (here translated as New-German) implies criticism on the unreflected use of English vocabulary whilst speaking German.
- 31.
The Turkish word ‘imaj’ is pronounced like the French word ‘image’.
- 32.
Hürriyet: Turkish newspaper published both in Turkey and Germany.
- 33.
Güzin Abla: a counseling column in Hürriyet.
- 34.
German weekly news magazine.
- 35.
A local cinema specializing on original, mostly English-language films.
- 36.
A contract for a difference is a highly risky financial derivative.
- 37.
German news channel.
- 38.
Blue eye, protection against the “evil eye”.
- 39.
In German language, the word ‘friend’ exists in a female and a male form, thus implying that information.
- 40.
Places where Kaan lived without his family not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 41.
Şeker Bayramı: Sugar Feast.
- 42.
Kurban Bayramı: Festival of Sacrifice.
- 43.
Most of the German public holidays are religious holidays.
- 44.
Alevi festival.
- 45.
The quote is from interview 2, which is predominantly on financial investments, but also includes clarifications from interview 1.
- 46.
Name not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 47.
Bavarian speciality.
- 48.
Filled pastry.
- 49.
Turkish vegetable dish prepared with a lot of oil.
- 50.
Outer garment for females in some Islamic traditions, for example in Afghanistan, but not in Turkey.
- 51.
Ramadan (in Turkish language: Ramazan): Muslim month of fasting, during which eating and drinking is prohibited from dawn to sunset.
- 52.
Hoca: teacher.
- 53.
Terror attacks on 11th September 2001.
- 54.
Kaan refers to the flotilla incident, which caused a deep rift between the former allies Turkey and Israel. The Turkish ship Mavi Marmara tried to break the Gaza blockade and was raided by Israel, leaving nine Turkish activists dead and dozens wounded (BBC 2013).
- 55.
For example Turkish versus Kurdish.
- 56.
Sunni versus Alevi.
- 57.
City near Cem’s home village; not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 58.
‘Hinterfotzig’ is a Bavarian term, which means that people talk negatively behind someone’s back.
- 59.
Avni’s Turkish stereotypes are: family-oriented, cordial, ‘hinterfotzig’ (talking negatively behind someone’s back).
- 60.
Hans refers to so-called “honour killings”, which elicited wide press coverage and discussion in Germany.
- 61.
Original in English.
- 62.
Dr Klaus Zumwinkel was CEO of Deutsche Post AG (previously State-owned and now exchange-listed mail company) and had to step back because of accusation of tax fraud, for which he later was convicted.
- 63.
In Germany, mortgages are agreed with fixed interest rates for a period of up to 30 years. If interest rates have gone down, it may be favourable for the customer (but not for the bank) to cancel the mortgage and replace it by a new, cheaper one.
- 64.
‘Hausbank’, literally translated ‘house-bank’, implies a close, trusted and long-term relationship and loyalty.
- 65.
Place not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 66.
Town in central Anatolia, not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 67.
Town in Eastern Anatolia, not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 68.
Town in Southern Anatolia, not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 69.
At the time of the interview, the gold price was at a record high.
- 70.
At the time of the interview, the gold price had started to get volatile at a very high level.
- 71.
In German, the term life insurance (Risikolebensversicherung or only Lebensversicherung) contains the word ‘risk’, which Cem emphasizes here in order to make clear that he talks about an insurance product as opposed to an endowment policy (Kapitallebensversicherung). The latter contains the word ‘capital’ and has a strong focus on the investment idea.
- 72.
Not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
- 73.
IShares is a product provider for exchange traded funds (ETFs).
References
Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (2006) http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/agg/BJNR189710006.html. Retrieved 28 Jan 2013
Avni (2012) Interview 1 with author. Tape recording
Avni (2012) Interview 2 with author. Tape recording
Avni (2013) Email to author
BBC (2012) BBC News Europe: France-Turkey Armenia ‘genocide’ row reflected in media, 24 Jan 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16702453. Retrieved 12 Nov 2013
BBC (2013) BBC News Middle East: Q&A: Israeli deadly raid on aid flotilla, 22 Mar 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10203726. Retrieved 12 Nov 2013
Duden (2013) Duden online. http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Heimat. Retrieved 24 May 2013
Hans (2012) Interview 1 with author. Tape recording
Hans (2013) Email to author.
Hans (2013) Interview 2 with author. Tape recording
Kaan (2011) Interview 1 with author. Tape recording
Kaan (2011) Interview 2 with author. Tape recording
Kaan (2013) Email to author
Rose (2011) Interview 1 with author. Tape recording
Rose (2011) Interview 2 with author. Tape recording
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Stumpfegger, E. (2015). Presentation of the Study’s Findings: German-Turkish Voices on Social Identity and Financial Investments. In: Social Identity and Financial Investment Decisions. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17978-0_4
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