Önder Küçükural attended
MESA
annual meeting on November 18-21, 2010 in
San Diego,
California to present his paper "Elite Perceptions and Contesting Gender Roles and Secularism in Turkey: A Qualitative Inquiry in Six Cities."
Abstract:
Elite Perceptions and Contesting Gender Roles and Secularism in Turkey: A Qualitative Inquiry in Six Cities.
The shape that democracy will take in the near future will,
most probably, be determined by conflicts concerning the status of religion in
the public sphere, and religion's relationship to the state. Different
perceptions regarding the role of women in public sphere serves us a litmus
test in assessing attitudes towards secularism and democracy. Considering the
Turkish case it is observed that the Sunni participants, the members of the
conservative middle class, who are increasing their use of Islamic references
in their daily public encounters, tend to hold positive attitudes regarding the
democratic regime, but interestingly when the issue is the place of women in
public sphere they voice discontent. What are the mechanisms and different
rationalities that operate behind the liberal attitudes regarding politics but
conservative outlook in family affairs?
This paper discusses the preliminary findings of a research
project entitled "Social Structure and Religion in
Turkey" sponsored by TUBİTAK.
In-depth interviews conducted in six cities (
Erzurum,
Denizli,
Kayseri,
Diyarbakır,
İzmir,
Adana)
revealed that the discontent on both libertarian gender roles and secularism is
voiced through a religious discourse. Four approaches were identified: The utilitarian pragmatic approach
involved strategic calculations of rewards and punishments. External incentives
or threats were perceived in relation to the core principles of religion. The
communitarian approach centered on norm compliance; close community provide
simplifying shortcuts, cues, and buffers that can lead to the enactment of
particular role conceptions among individuals. Masculine discourse voiced
through religious sentiments best characterize this approach. The communicative
approach materialized when agents presented arguments to persuade each other
through reasoned communication. The participants employ particular form of
reasoning derived from universal assumptions of their own comprehensive
doctrines, in this case, religion. Reasoned argumentation is used within the
religious discourse and they are valid and sincere as long as they remain in
the boundaries of the divine commandment. This paves the way towards
conservative outlook regarding family affairs and authoritarian stance on
secularism. Last approach, radical rationality provide more open attitudes
towards gender roles and secularism among some Islamists, it appears when the
recognition of the impossibility of reaching a universal common ground was
accepted within an Islamic discourse.
