ÂŞIK EDEBİYATININ GÜNCEL DURUMUNUN AKADEMİK LİTERATÜR ÜZERİNDEN DEĞERLENDİRMESİ
THE EVALUATION OF CURRENT STATE OF MINSTRELSY THROUGH ACADEMIC LITERATURE

Summary/Abstract: This study seeks to assess the contemporary status of the minstrelsy tradition by examining its representation in academic publications, graduate theses, and institutional library collections. The research analyzes the academic output on minstrelsy literature between 2000 and 2025 using data from Google Scholar, the Council of Higher Education Thesis Center (YÖK), and the Şahinbey National Library catalog. A Google Scholar keyword search for “minstrelsy literature” revealed a total of 550 related articles, with 370 published in the last five years. According to YÖK Thesis Center records, 155 master's and doctoral theses were produced on minstrel (âşık) literature from 2000 to 2025, with the highest number (24 theses) in 2019. However, the number of theses has notably declined since 2020. Among 1631 theses related to folk literature in the same period, 788 focused on epics and 896 on folklore, while only 156 addressed minstrelsy literature—indicating its decreasing prominence within folk literature studies. According to the Şahinbey National Library data, it was determined that only 16 books were published on âşık literature among 178 books on folk literature between 2000 and 2023. These books were mostly biographical-monographic on individual âşıks, and comprehensive studies that addressed the tradition as a whole were rare. It was observed that more books were written on the subject of epics (40 works) and on the subject of folk literature studies (50 works). It was observed that the number of books on âşık literature was low compared to other fields. Qualitative findings reveal that the âşıklık tradition faces existential challenges. The oral tradition that nourishes it has weakened; master-apprentice relationships have eroded; performance venues such as coffeehouses, village rooms, and weddings have lost their function. Although digital media offers partial visibility, it often transforms the tradition into a consumer product rather than a living cultural form. Moreover, digital spaces fail to replicate the educational role of traditional venues. In conclusion, this study highlights the diminishing academic, institutional, and cultural presence of âşık (minstrel) literature. It emphasizes the urgent need for new educational models, public policies, and cultural incentives to sustain the tradition. The âşıklık tradition can only preserve its cultural continuity if it maintains its presence not only in individual memory but also in scientific research and public spaces.

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