The Mediatory Role of Music and Dance in Romani Communities of Roman, Dom, Lom/Poşa in Türkiye: A Post-Humanism and Agential Realism Perspective

Abstract

This study explores the mediatory roles of music and dance within the Roman, Dom, and Lom/Poşa communities in Türkiye through a post-humanist and agential realism framework, drawing on Karen
Barad’s theories. These cultural practices are examined as dynamic material-discursive phenomena that entangle human and non-human agencies (such as instruments, performance spaces, and socio-political contexts) to co-constitute identity, resilience, and cultural heritage. Based on extensive fieldwork in the Thracian region, Istanbul, and ongoing projects across western, southeastern, and northeastern Türkiye, the research highlights how these communities’ music and dance serve as vibrant intra-actions that negotiate marginalization, foster intercultural exchange, and reconfigure socio-economic networks. By emphasizing the agency of sound, movement, and material elements, this paper reimagines Romani cultural expressions as living processes that challenge stereotypes,
affirm communal bonds, and contribute to the evolution of music in Türkiye within local and global contexts.