A Study of Housing and Identity in Northern Cyprus

Abstract

This research mainly focuses on the relationship between environment and people’s identity by centralization of communicative aspects of residential environments. There is this potential to find out the dwellers’ identity, and this is where we come to the confluence of housing and identity. Therefore, it is significant to find out the residents’ attitudes considering their residences. The concept that enables individuals to retain their routines, costumes, habits and memories makes the focus of “housing and identity” a crucial and feasible research subject. The case studies are selected among high-quality and low-quality neighborhoods in Kaliland zone in Gazima?usa, one of the five districts of Northern Cyprus. In this survey questionnaires are used in order to explore residents’ interests, personality and relationships. This research is done based on the principles of home identity, communicating identity and self-perception. Consequently, the significant aspects in creating home identity will be discussed, and finally, the research will conclude the key role of memory, personal features and backgrounds in defining identity.

Keywords: Housing, Dwelling, Identity, Residential Environment