Turkish Village
Copyright 1965, 1994 Paul Stirling. All rights reserved.
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Page 225
büyükler, a term also used less precisely in other contexts.
A man's age, his position within his own household, and that within his agnatic group all operate together to determine his overall standing in the village. Over these factors he has no control. His position on the age and kinship scale is ascribed and not achieved.
A man's family brings him prestige in one other way, namely by the number of his progeny. Though this element is in fact also outside his own control, it is seen by the village as a matter of personal prowess. The mere begetting raises a man's prestige, and the existence of many sons increases the power and wealth of his household.
The Scale of Wealth
Wealth is the single most important factor in village ranking though it is only one among others. Wealth enables a man, with traditional generosity, to succour the poor and the sick; to contribute in money and kind to expensive celebrations, mainly weddings; to lend free of interest to others in need. When he spends within the village society he is a customer or employer. He will employ labourers on his land especially at harvest time, and he will have a say, perhaps a controlling say, in the choosing of some of the village herdsmen. He can afford to entertain visitors, and establish contacts with important people outside and above the village hierarchy. A man who is able to hand out charity, to provide jobs, to offer loans, to control appointments and to influence the outside world is not likely to be offended. Haci Osman (H) paid for the wedding feast for `the great ones' for a neighbour of his, thus putting the man under an obligation and displaying his generosity to the whole village. In Elbashï, I saw a wealthy man enter a poorer neighbour's house and request the services of his daughter for a day's harvesting at a low wage. The neighbour was in no position to argue.
Wealth can exist in many forms. In the more traditional type of behaviour just described, it is expendable wealth that counts, an income convertible to influence by judicious giving. But wealth may exist in land which is not exploited, or in the ownership of animals, or even, nowadays, in modern enterprises such as a share in a lorry or a mill. It may even
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