Embodying and Performing Diversity Through Senses

This chapter illustrates the ways in which collective embodiment of the island through a diversity of sensorial pleasures bond together the islanders and form the sociable sociality of conviviality. I show the ways in which the islanders embody each other’s diversities, and hence call themselves “multicultural,” I explore this embodiment by investigating daily activities as well as syncretic religious practices performed collectively as well as individually, where islanders make their own way of integrating practices from different faiths. Nonetheless, I also show the complexity of separating cultural practices into “Jewish, Rum or Muslim practices” as many daily activities are performed collectively and form the daily Burgaz culture. Hence, the embodiment of Burgaz and the embodiment of diversity of cultures overlap with each other. I also note that the islanders expect a change in their social lives due to the ways in which the media and the new electric transport lessens bodily movements, while bringing a faster pace in their life.