Novel identity from a dramaturgical perspective: The case of Kobra Murat

Abstract

This study examines Kobra Murat's interviews and biographical documentary shared on the YouTube platform, focusing on the concepts of ‘front stage’ and ‘back stage’ within the framework of Erving Goffman's “dramaturgy” theory, as presented in his work ‘The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life’. The concepts of ‘identity,’ ‘ethnic identity,’ and the “dramaturgy” theory's ‘front stage’ and ‘back stage’ form the theoretical basis of the research. Kobra Murat's interviews and documentary were examined using content analysis. The research examines how Romani identity is represented in various media outlets by focusing on the visual elements, symbolic discourse, objects, and themes encountered in the interviews with Kobra Murat and in the documentary. The study also employed a literature review method. A review of the relevant literature reveals that studies focusing on Romani/Gypsy communities predominantly concentrate on themes such as language, employment, migration, and identity. In addition to these themes, this study examines the identity markers of the Romani/Gypsy musician Kobra Murat through media tools from a dramaturgical perspective, specifically examining how the invisible or suppressed elements of identity are represented through the concept of ‘behind the scenes’. In this context, the research aims to discuss the construction of Roma/Gypsy identity and representations of ethnic identity through the example of Kobra Murat, based on Erving Goffman's theory of dramaturgy and focusing on front-of-house and backstage performances.