Considering Kemalist secularization process through the eyes of the ordinary

Abstract

ABSTRACT While the dominant narrative of Turkey's secularism process is discussed in terms of the Kemalist leadership’s regulation of social life in a top-down manner, this article focuses on the practices of religious organizations in the early Republican era by examining secularism through the everyday practices of the ‘ordinary’ people and relying upon oral history. In recent years, studies considering the social dynamics of this era have included more critical approaches that challenge the dominant understanding by focusing on practices excluded from centralized power control. This has allowed for a more critical approach to the arguments claiming that Kemalist cadres successfully achieved social transformation. With this impetus, this study aims to demonstrate the flexible appearances of power struggles and develops an approach examining both social relations and local dynamics by considering micro and macro perspectives.