Papers by Giray Gerim
Romanian Journal of Political Science, 2022
The patriarchy embedded in the social language is among the toughest obstacles to gender equality... more The patriarchy embedded in the social language is among the toughest obstacles to gender equality since it reproduces the traditional secondary position of women. It is a noteworthy reason why feminist movements have focused on language as a field of struggle in the last decades. One of the positive developments in terms of raising awareness about sexism in language was the widespread use of social media. To show this positive influence of social media, this study takes the "Let the Man Know His Place!" trend (#erkekyerinibilsin) on Twitter (X) in Türkiye as a case study and examines it by applying critical discourse analysis. By placing it within larger socio-historical and political frameworks, the study examines how women in Türkiye challenge the patriarchal patterns entrenched in the social language. It also shows how they use new media channels to give visibility to gender inequalities endorsed by social, religious, and political circles.
State Failure and Fragility: Causes, Cases, Discussions, 2024
In recent decades, a large literature on state failure has emerged. However, it is difficult to s... more In recent decades, a large literature on state failure has emerged. However, it is difficult to say that there has been a significant development in the theoretical framework of the subject, other than listing the various causes and indicators of the situation and making measurements based on them. In general, it is emphasized that the state failure experienced in each country has its own reasons and circumstances and that each should be examined as separate cases. Although this general opinion is not rejected in this study, it is aimed to contribute to the literature that aims to clarify the theoretical framework to a certain extent. The main argument of the study is that state failure is mainly caused by the problems and failures experienced in nation-building process. This argument is explained with the help of nationalism and nation-building literature. Afterwards, this argument is discussed by focusing on the ten countries that are stated to be in the worst situation according to the criteria determined in the Fragile States Index.
(International Conference) Failed State: Boundaries, Current Cases, Practical Issues - Book of Abstracts, 2023
Although we can find many definitions of the modern state in the literature of the related discip... more Although we can find many definitions of the modern state in the literature of the related disciplines, the constant emphasis in each definition is that this political structure has internal sovereignty and external sovereignty. However, states can lose their internal and external sovereignty for many reasons, from losing their “monopoly of using violence” over their lands in Weber’s classical definition to being unable to provide public services, from the bankruptcy of political decision-making processes to losing the ability to interact with other actors in the international system. Today, many states are considered within the scope of “failed state” for different reasons or are seen as having the risk of falling into this scope. On the other hand, the concept has been criticized from various aspects, especially for the ambiguity of its boundaries and, in some cases, its justification for external interventions. The main purpose of organizing an international academic event focusing on “failed state” was to gain a deeper insight to understand and explain the content, boundaries, and problems of this concept by discussing it both on a theoretical basis and an empirical level over current cases. To this end, this conference under the title of “Failed State: Boundaries, Current Cases, Practical Issues” attempted to bring together perspectives from different academic disciplines on this concept, primarily political science, international relations, and sociology.
This booklet contains abstracts of the valuable papers presented by the participants, which approach the theme of the event from different dimensions and aspects and address the “failed state” phenomenon from various aspects. The order of the abstracts is based on the order of the sessions in the conference program. The first four studies approach the concept of failed state theoretically and conceptually and offer new and critical expansions. The following three studies address failed states and state fragility from historical, social, and political perspectives. The last four studies critically review failed states through discussions on intra- and interstate conflicts. With this order, the booklet aims to cover the subject in its focus in an orderly and meticulous manner.
Finally, we would like to thank Professor Kıvanç Ulusoy, who honored us by accepting our invitation to be a keynote speaker, Professor Engin Selçuk, who kindly accepted our invitation to chair a session, and all our colleagues who contributed to the event with their valuable academic studies. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to our faculty and its alumni organization, Siyasal Vakfı, for their support in making this event possible.
Aylin Ece Çiçek, PhD
Giray Gerim, PhD
Istanbul University Faculty of Political Sciences
Routledge Handbook of Non-Violent Extremism, 2023
The far right in Turkey has been identified with the Nationalist Action Party (Milliyetçi Hareket... more The far right in Turkey has been identified with the Nationalist Action Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi – MHP) for a long time. Although it is a party that continues its activities on a legal basis, the youth organisation of the party has used violence from time to time. In October 2017, some noteworthy figures who broke away from the MHP as a result of an internal split led to the founding of a new nationalist political party, the Good Party (İYİ Parti). Based on this situation, this chapter seeks to answer the questions regarding the cause of the split in the Turkish far right and how it would affect the potential for violence on this flank. Using the cleavage theory as a theoretical framework, it examines the ideological structures, political discourses, and electoral bases of the two parties. It concludes that the MHP could not maintain its integrity mainly due to the intense polarisation experienced in the last decade in the country’s political sphere since it had conducted its politics on a prominent political cleavage for a long time and this party’s radicalisation potential increased as moderate/non-violent elements shifted to the Good Party in this process.
SİYASAL: Journal of Political Sciences, 2022
In recent decades, a serious number of studies have been dedicated to defining and conceptualizin... more In recent decades, a serious number of studies have been dedicated to defining and conceptualizing populism in order to enable proper and comparative analyses of the phenomenon. They usually studied populism by reducing it to an ideology, discourse, or strategy and provided analytical approaches accordingly although some other approaches (style of communication, political project, etc.) are possible to come across in the relevant literature. Critically engaging with the most influential ones, this article ascertains two principal deficiencies in these bodies of work. Firstly, the minimal and generic definitions presented in these studies empty the concept to a broad extent. Secondly, most scholars assume the concentrated dimension of populism as the whole of the phenomenon and undertake its conceptualization with this assumption to a large extent. As a result of a comprehensive discussion on these main and also some secondary deficiencies, this article offers two ways to treat them. Scholars who examine populism and make comparisons between different cases can either carry out their analyses by taking the multi-layered nature of the phenomenon into account or by clearly stating the dimension of populism which they study and, in this way, limit their work to this dimension without further claims. In addition to all these, showing the inadequacy of the Sartorian approaches that dominate the literature, the article discusses that Wittgensteinian approaches can provide appropriate alternative frameworks for the conceptualization of populism.
Fenerbahçe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2021
Identity is a matter that social sciences have been working on for over a hundred years. The lite... more Identity is a matter that social sciences have been working on for over a hundred years. The literature, which emerged with the interaction between psychology and sociology to a large extent and has aimed to shed light on the mutual interactions between individuals, groups, and social structures, has now reached a remarkable volume. Besides, identity has taken a key place in the research and analysis of different disciplines of social sciences. However, the extent to which this expanding literature contributes to a deeper understanding and explanation of identity is a matter independent of quantity. This paper theoretically discusses how far identity theory has advanced and which aspects of the concept have become better understood today, compared to the beginning of the studies, by reviewing the studies that we can call the cornerstones of the literature. In connection with this, it addresses the references of the individual, social and collective dimensions of the identity term. In addition, it critically evaluates the recent debates on whether identity is a useful concept for social analysis today and attempts to briefly expound why it is still relevant and significant for social sciences.
Acta Politologica, 2020
From October 6–8, 2014, following a call by the pro-Kurdish party to protest against the Turkish ... more From October 6–8, 2014, following a call by the pro-Kurdish party to protest against the Turkish government’s alleged indifference to the situation in Kobani, protests and violent clashes took place in many provinces of Turkey. In order to contribute to the understanding of the long-running ethnic conflict in Turkey, this paper addresses the contesting political discourses on the Kurdish question by focusing on those events. It comparatively analyzes the selected speeches of the leaders during and immediately after the Kobani events. Applying critical discourse analysis as a conceptual and analytical framework, it concludes that the Kurdish political movement builds its discourse on the ethnic difference and reinforces it with resistance against alleged state pressure and discrimination against the Kurds, while the AK Party’s discourse prioritizes a Muslim fellowship and supports it with promises of social and economic progress.
Key words: Turkey; ethnicity; identity; discourse; Kurdish question
A Theoretical Survey on the Relationship between Conservative Nationalism and Populism, 2019
In recent years, many conservative nationalist movements and parties have been criticized for bei... more In recent years, many conservative nationalist movements and parties have been criticized for being populist and applying populist political strategies. Keeping it in mind, this paper addresses the relationship between conservative nationalism and populism, and questions whether there is any factor which causes conservative nationalist movements to adopt populism. Instead of analyzing certain movements and making deductions from them, the research is directly carried out on an ideological level and a philosophical research method is employed in accordance with this preference. As a consequence, it has been found that there are two main factors which create a tendency in conservative nationalist movements to populism. The first one is the inherent inconsistency and tension between the constituents of conservative nationalism, namely conservatism and nationalism. The second one is the transformation of conventional nationalism especially in the European context within a new framework which is discussed as the new nationalism in the paper.
Proceedings of IISES 42. International Academic Conference, Rome, 2018
Ethnomethodology (EM) brought a new vision to social studies by putting the construction of socia... more Ethnomethodology (EM) brought a new vision to social studies by putting the construction of social reality through everyday life and practices of the members of society at the center and questioning what is taken granted conventionally in social research. However, it is doubtful if EM possesses a systematic and comprehensive approach to explain the social world extensively as a fully-fledged practice or framework of analysis. Moreover, it shows a very fragmented structure regarding the studies in the field. Based on these aspects, this article problematizes the extent of EM’s contribution to social analysis. The argument of this work is that it is not suitable to be considered a separate framework of social analysis due to the drawbacks mentioned; nevertheless it has a significant potential to contribute to the examination of social reality if it is integrated into the theoretical and/or methodological frameworks of social analyses as a perspective. The argument is defended through critical reading of the primary and secondary sources which deals with EM theoretically and also discussing some studies which can be regarded as its applications in social research.
Italian Sociological Review, 2018
Although populism has many references and various definitions as an elusive and ambiguous concept... more Although populism has many references and various definitions as an elusive and ambiguous concept, this article approaches it as a political strategy which has the potential to destabilize democracy in some ways. This approach enables a broader comprehension of populism rather than confining it to certain ideological tenets or a few undisputed populist movements. This study attempts to reveal the logic of this political strategy through a tripartite analysis which consists of the sense of democracy inherent in populism, its way of thinking and reasoning, and the political circumstances which enable and strengthen populism. It is argued that the analysis performed here can offer an outline of the ground on which the struggle against the features of populism, that threatens democracy, can be carried out. Finally, in the light of the aforementioned analysis and some ideas which are borrowed from the works of Habermas and Mouffe to a large extent, it is aimed to re-read democracy in order to deal with the populist challenge in liberal democracies.
İnsan ve Toplum - The Journal of Humanity and Society, 2017
Niklas Luhmann's theory of social systems relies on a biology-based self-reproduction process cal... more Niklas Luhmann's theory of social systems relies on a biology-based self-reproduction process called autopoiesis. The process occurs within operationally closed systems. Luhmann constructs his theory through adapting this approach to social ground with the assumption that a similar process and operationally closedness also exist in social systems. Alongside his works which examine fields such as economy, law, art, etc., Luhmann puts a special emphasis on the examination of mass media by applying this theory. However, in this article, it is argued that Luhmann's social systems theory today falls short of analyzing media efficiently despite that emphasis. The argument is endorsed in three main sections. In the first one, the social systems theory is explicated and discussed critically, and then its excessively abstract and theoretical structure is exposed. Secondly, the main lines of Luhmann's approach to mass media are given and a critical reading of that is carried out. In the last section, it is propounded that significant social media influence on today's mass media and increasing integration between the two cannot be sufficiently explained by the operationally closed systems approach in the social systems theory. This assertion is defended through an analysis of twitter as a platform of social media.
Journal of Sociological Studies / Sosyoloji Konferansları, 2017
Öz Küreselleşme süreciyle birlikte, yurttaşlık, toplumsal yaşamın yerel, ulusal ve küresel düzeyl... more Öz Küreselleşme süreciyle birlikte, yurttaşlık, toplumsal yaşamın yerel, ulusal ve küresel düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin dönüşümü bağlamında hayati bir konuma erişmiştir. Buna ek olarak, çoğul ve/veya daha görülür hale gelen kültürel kimliklerin ve toplumsal rollerin hak ve özgürlük talepleri için önemli bir zemin olarak öne çıkmış ve yeni boyutlar kazanmıştır. Bu durum, çağdaş anlamda yurttaşlığı artık ulus-devlet çatısı altındaki klasik tanımları ve göndermeleriyle kavramayı imkânsız kılar. Yurttaşlığın son iki yüzyılda kalıplaşmış bir biçimde ulus-devlet yurttaşlığı ile özdeşleştirilmesini ve bu durumun kavramın algılanışında yarattığı daralmayı aşabilmek için, kavramın tarihi süreçlerine odaklanmak önem taşır. Bu tarihi süreçler, kavramın söz konusu özdeşliğin ötesinde de anlam ve göndermelere sahip olduğunu ortaya koyarak onu analiz etmede daha geniş bir bakış açısını mümkün kılar. Makalede, bu bakış açısının yardımıyla, kavrama ilişkin temel yaklaşımlar ve onun son dönemde kazandığı yeni boyutlar tartışılacak; yine bu tartışmadan hareketle, günümüzde demokratik hak ve özgürlüklere zemin işlevi görecek çağdaş, kapsayıcı ve özgürleşmeci bir yurttaşlığın ana hatları ortaya koyulmaya çalışılacaktır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Yurttaşlık, yurttaşlık yaklaşımları, yurttaşlığın boyutları.
Book Reviews by Giray Gerim
Güneydoğu Avrupa Araştırmaları Dergisi (Journal of South-eastern European Studies), 2018
Books by Giray Gerim
Nationalist Discourses in Hungary and Turkey Under Right-Wing Domination. The Cases of Fidesz and AK Party, 2022
In recent years, literature on nationalism has grown significantly, oftentimes focusing on nation... more In recent years, literature on nationalism has grown significantly, oftentimes focusing on nationalist discourses. However, one rarely comes across works that comparatively and comprehensively examine nationalist discourses of ruling centrist parties. This study offers a comparative perspective on two center-right political parties, Fidesz and the AK Party, that dominate the political arena by the electoral victories they won in their respective countries, which are quite different from each other in many respects.
How do the ruling parties construct their nationalist discourses, and why do they need these? How are national narratives rebuilt by the ruling parties and functionalized while shaping current politics? What are the distinctive or similar features of the nationalist discourse in the specific conditions of different countries? This book seeks answers to these and similar questions through two cases under study.
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Papers by Giray Gerim
This booklet contains abstracts of the valuable papers presented by the participants, which approach the theme of the event from different dimensions and aspects and address the “failed state” phenomenon from various aspects. The order of the abstracts is based on the order of the sessions in the conference program. The first four studies approach the concept of failed state theoretically and conceptually and offer new and critical expansions. The following three studies address failed states and state fragility from historical, social, and political perspectives. The last four studies critically review failed states through discussions on intra- and interstate conflicts. With this order, the booklet aims to cover the subject in its focus in an orderly and meticulous manner.
Finally, we would like to thank Professor Kıvanç Ulusoy, who honored us by accepting our invitation to be a keynote speaker, Professor Engin Selçuk, who kindly accepted our invitation to chair a session, and all our colleagues who contributed to the event with their valuable academic studies. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to our faculty and its alumni organization, Siyasal Vakfı, for their support in making this event possible.
Aylin Ece Çiçek, PhD
Giray Gerim, PhD
Istanbul University Faculty of Political Sciences
Key words: Turkey; ethnicity; identity; discourse; Kurdish question
Anahtar Kelimeler: Yurttaşlık, yurttaşlık yaklaşımları, yurttaşlığın boyutları.
Book Reviews by Giray Gerim
Books by Giray Gerim
How do the ruling parties construct their nationalist discourses, and why do they need these? How are national narratives rebuilt by the ruling parties and functionalized while shaping current politics? What are the distinctive or similar features of the nationalist discourse in the specific conditions of different countries? This book seeks answers to these and similar questions through two cases under study.
This booklet contains abstracts of the valuable papers presented by the participants, which approach the theme of the event from different dimensions and aspects and address the “failed state” phenomenon from various aspects. The order of the abstracts is based on the order of the sessions in the conference program. The first four studies approach the concept of failed state theoretically and conceptually and offer new and critical expansions. The following three studies address failed states and state fragility from historical, social, and political perspectives. The last four studies critically review failed states through discussions on intra- and interstate conflicts. With this order, the booklet aims to cover the subject in its focus in an orderly and meticulous manner.
Finally, we would like to thank Professor Kıvanç Ulusoy, who honored us by accepting our invitation to be a keynote speaker, Professor Engin Selçuk, who kindly accepted our invitation to chair a session, and all our colleagues who contributed to the event with their valuable academic studies. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to our faculty and its alumni organization, Siyasal Vakfı, for their support in making this event possible.
Aylin Ece Çiçek, PhD
Giray Gerim, PhD
Istanbul University Faculty of Political Sciences
Key words: Turkey; ethnicity; identity; discourse; Kurdish question
Anahtar Kelimeler: Yurttaşlık, yurttaşlık yaklaşımları, yurttaşlığın boyutları.
How do the ruling parties construct their nationalist discourses, and why do they need these? How are national narratives rebuilt by the ruling parties and functionalized while shaping current politics? What are the distinctive or similar features of the nationalist discourse in the specific conditions of different countries? This book seeks answers to these and similar questions through two cases under study.