Celebrating ‘The Week of Domestic Goods’: Children and the campaign for economic nationalism in interwar Turkey

Abstract

AbstractThe study foregrounds the multifarious involvement of children in the economically nationalist campaign in interwar Turkey, with a focus on the Week of Domestic Goods. Children occupied a central place in economic nationalism both as present‐day promoters of domestic consumption and the loyal citizens and nationalist consumers of the future. The Kemalist elite sought to boost the consumption of locally made goods and reach out to the masses by mobilizing children in daytime parades, extracurricular activities and patriotic displays. In their assigned role of patriotic consumers, children functioned as a bridge between the families and the state. The article argues that children were not simply pawns of governmental authorities but became active economic agents as performers, intermediaries and participants in public events within the schema of economic nationalism.