Legitimating and naturalizating binary oppositions in european-centric system: east and telling fortune by coffee grounds

Abstract

[Abstract] System that living in is mostly constructed through binary oppositions which based on European centric knowledge. Within this system the East, which refers to the Islamic world, despite of resisting to be placed as secondary; normalized and naturalized this manipulated ‘reality’ within some of its cultural characteristics. Telling fortunes by coffee grounds can be the one of these characteristics. Coffee fit to the Eastern countries by the diffusion of the Islam. It is originally part of the Arabic countries, then adapted to the others such as Turkish culture by interaction with them and accepting Islam. During the present study ‘telling fortune by coffee grounds’ and the meanings of the signs with the meanings that they bear will be analysed. While doing this, interrelation between legitimating being secondary in the European centric knowledge and the signs that are given meaning to in this type of fortune-telling will be figured out. Giving meanings to those signs are closely related to feeling as secondary and legitimating this within themselves is going to be assumed during the presents study.