Religion In Turkey Research Articles

Role of Newspaper Discourse in Legitimizing Discrimination against Veiled Female Students in Turkey

The paper analyses the Kemalist dailies’ presentation of veiled female students who protested the discrimination they faced when the hijab was banned at Turkish universities. Although such discrimination has since been quashed, the ideology that produced and legitimised it is still alive. The media, an important means of reproducing the Kemalist hegemony, relativised or legitimised discrimination against these students by discursively constructing them as a destructive force that threatened the secular order. This construct is based on the Kemalist conception of modernisation, equated with secularisation, where “the limit of the expression of religion in Turkey is the skin of a citizen”. The analysed examples reinforce the construct by integrating multimodal elements, including the text itself, typographical elements, page layouts, and accompanying images and caricatures. The paper confirms the importance of analysing linguistic and other semiotic elements of discourse in the research of complex social phenomena like discrimination, hegemony, and ideology.

The failure of Islamization policies in Turkey: a “Victory” of Secularization Theory?

ABSTRACT Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s aim to raise a pious generation has failed to achieve its objectives. On the contrary, relevant academic studies reveal that Turkish society is secularizing. Therefore, the present study seeks to explain the reasons why Erdoğan’s policy of Islamizing Turkish society failed despite him having the whole state apparatus at his disposal. Recent studies argue that this transformation is a reaction to the repressive policies of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi – AKP) and that the dissatisfaction with Erdoğan and AKP has turned into a parallel dissatisfaction with religion. However, this article argues that the secularization debates centering on hot politics are only a small part of the picture and that the modernization process, as the secularization theory claims, is behind the young generations’ disaffection with religion in Turkey. The article argues that Turkey has been experiencing a demographic transition and religious change similar to what occurred in regions where scientific developments, industrialization and urbanization, i.e., modernization, had occurred.

In Pursuit of Queer Inquiry with Turkish EFL Preservice Teachers

AbstractBased on queer critical literacies framework, this study describes an intervention that aimed to help preservice teachers identify and deconstruct heteronormative discourse in Turkish social and educational contexts. Through a local documentary that narrates the experiences of a Turkish transgender individual, preservice teachers critique the normal/abnormal binary as conditioned by social practices, power relations, and religion in Turkey. The study further explores the attitudes of preservice teachers towards incorporation of sexuality issues in the English classroom and in English language teaching programs with data from in‐class discussions and individual interviews conducted at three Turkish state universities. Certain methodological challenges I encountered during data collection are also presented to hopefully give insights to future researchers interested in exploring sexual diversity issues in similar settings. As for the findings, the study revealed that participants’ lived experiences of queer conversations with teacher educators enabled them to successfully identify and deconstruct heteronormative discourses in their programs. Their experiences as trainee teachers additionally showed that queer discussions, considered a taboo in the Turkish society, are inevitable in the English classroom. However, preservice teachers revealed certain reservations about how or whether they would adopt a queer friendly discourse in their future classrooms considering the strict government policies and high levels of religiosity in society. It is thus critical that (preservice) teachers in conservative communities be pedagogically prepared for future encounters of queer discussions to offer a respectful classroom environment for all learners. Queer critical literacies might be a useful framework for teacher educators to increase awareness of teachers about how dominant discourses may reinforce heteronormativity and how teachers could be agents of change by identifying and deconstructing such discourses to create a safe classroom environment for learners of diverse sexual identities.

Mehmet S. Aydın's Philosophy of Religion

Philosophy of religion is a field that studies religious issues from a philosophical point of view. Mehmet S. Aydın, who wrote the most widely read work in the field of philosophy of religion in Turkey, entitled Philosophy of Religion, has remarkable studies in this field as a thinker trying to reconcile religion and philosophy. According to Aydın, thoughts that can be described as philosophical ones should first of all have the characteristics of "rationality, comprehensiveness, objectivity and consistency". The main aim of a philosopher of religion is to try to show the integrity of knowledge by reconciling the knowledge revealed by religion and science with a philosophical perspective that includes these basic features. According to Aydın, who was influenced by the philosophy of the process, the relationship between God and the Realm is not static. This relationship, which takes its roots from the Qur'an, is in a creative development that evolves towards innovation. Aydın does not intend to establish religion. Aydın is trying to "establish a pure and universal moral religion with liberal and democratic character by purging religion from its historical interpretations", that is, to understand religion from the Qur'an. Unlike Kant's morality of duty, which he was inspired by, Aydın; He says that religion affects every aspect of life. He draws attention to the need to solve the problems of religious life with modern life. In this context, the subject of the research is about Aydın's understanding of philosophy of religion in general and his contributions to the philosophy of religion. Studies that reveal Aydın's ideas in the field of philosophy of religion are rare. This study is important in terms of contributing to the gap in the literature. In the research; Based on Mehmet S. Aydın's various works and other studies on him, it is aimed to reveal Aydın's philosophy of religion understanding by determining Aydın's ideas about philosophy of religion and the basic principles behind these ideas. The theoretical research design, which is included in the qualitative research method, was preferred. While creating the data, Mehmet S. Aydın's Philosophy of Religion, God-World Relationship, Islamic Philosophy Writings were preferred as the main source and various studies in the literature were also used. Based on these works, the document analysis method was preferred in order to extract the ideas and terminology of the thinker about the philosophy of religion and to classify them in a problem-oriented manner. In conclusion; What the philosopher of religion basically wants to do is to establish a bridge between the field of theology and the field of social sciences, to allow information exchange, as well as to try to show the integrity of knowledge by reconciling the information revealed by religion and science. Aydın, who thinks that religion is related to every aspect of life; He states that "it is not necessary to deny one's own religious and moral values, and their own historical values ​​in order to become this or that intellectual". This will be achieved by learning and adopting religious and cultural values, and most importantly, by putting them into practice. Aydın's main goal was the idea of ​​bringing the "man of the Qur'an", that is, the true pious, back on the stage of life in his individual and social self.

Parenting and education: Navigating class, religiosity and secularity in Istanbul

This article studies the educational choices that secular and religious professional and managerial middle-class parents in Istanbul make for their children. It explores the ways in which class intersects with religion in Turkey where, politics, culture, social, and even economic life are marked by a deep divide among the religious and the secular. Focusing on a particular segment of the middle classes, that with higher economic and social capital, the article brings to fore the ways in which religiosity and secularity structure the processes of transforming privileges into acquired rights in the form of educational qualifications and extracurricular skills. It explores the current sociological conjuncture that bereaves both groups, albeit in different ways, of their ability to fully mobilize their accumulated economic, social, and cultural capitals in reproducing their class position in their children. The article argues that exploring the parenting of education along the secular and the religious divide can unravel the foundational elements of the ongoing competition and conflict in Turkey and enables a deeper understanding of the current divide and the potential for a future reconciliation. The study relies on a qualitative study that entails interviews with thirty families and two focus groups.

The Possibility of Civil Society in the Context of Religion in Turkey: The Case of Non-Governmental Organizations in Şanlıurfa

Sivil toplum kavramı, ilk çağdan günümüze kadar tartışma konusu olmuştur. Aydınlanma dönemine kadar devlet ve siyasi erk ile özdeşleştirilen kavram; bu dönemden itibaren devlet, hükümet gibi siyasî organlardan görece bağımsız olan alanları ifade etmek için kullanılmıştır. Kavramın ilişkilendirildiği alanların başında ise din olgusu gelmiştir. Batı’da yapılan tartışmalar; dinin sivil topluma kaynaklık etmesi veya Hıristiyanlık dışındaki dinlerin sivil toplumla ne kadar uyumlu olabileceği konusuna yoğunlaşmıştır. Ortadoğu, Asya ve daha özelde Türkiye’de ise araştırmacılar sivil toplumun var olup olmadığı ya da tarihsel görünümleri ile (vakıf, cemiyet gibi) meşgul olmuştur. Sivil toplum ve din münasebetine dair bu teorik tartışmaları sınamak amacıyla Şanlıurfa’daki STK’ler ile bir dizi görüşme yapılmıştır. Çalışmamızda, konuya dair kuruluşların bakış açısını daha iyi yansıtabilmek için nitel araştırma yöntemi ve yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniği tercih edilmiştir. Dolayısıyla çalışmamızın verileri Şanlıurfa’daki 24 STK ile yapılan görüşmelere dayanmaktadır. Söz konusu görüşmeler sonrasında STK’lerin sivil toplum- din münasebetine dair düşünceleri üç tema altında (İslami Eğilimli STK’ler, Dinin Araçsallaştırılmasına Karşı Çıkan STK’ler, Dinî Bir Kimlikle Anılmak İstemeyen STK’ler) değerlendirilmiştir. Şanlıurfa özelinde STK’lerin konu hakkındaki teorik tartışmalardan uzak bir şekilde dinî fikir ve misyonlara açık olduğu, kendinden farklı inanç ve görüşlere yönelik şiddet eğiliminde bulunmadıkları, ayrıca doğrudan dinî gayeleri olmayan STK’lerin fikirlerinin katı bir din karşıtlığına dönüşmediği tespit edilmiştir.

Râşid Halifelerin İctihadlarına Sosyolojik Bir Bakış

Türkiye'de yapılan din sosyolojisi çalışmaları beraberinde nesnel olanı tarafsız bir tarzda inceleme kaygısını her zaman sürdürmüştür. Ülkemizdeki çalışmaların İslam dini ve İslam temelli farklı dini gruplar üzerine yoğunlaşması metodolojik olarak din sosyolojisinin tarafsızlığı problemini gündemde tutmuştur. Bununla beraber Türk toplumunu ve İslamiyet’in hâkim din olduğu diğer toplumları anlamak, dini olduğu kadar sosyolojik olarak da ilk kaynaklara inmekle, vahyin ilk muhataplarının davranışlarını yorumlamakla mümkün olacağı dikkate alınmalıdır. Özellikle İslam tarihinin özel bir dönemi olan “Râşid Halifeler Dönemi” ictihadları, hem İslam fıkhının teşekkülünde hem de Müslüman milletlerin toplumsal yapılanmalarında şer’i ve rasyonel bir kaynak olarak refere edilmiştir. Bu bağlamda Müslüman toplumların idari ve içtimai teşekkülü meselesinde ilk dört halifenin ictihadlarının etkisi ve bu ictihadların sosyolojik veçheleri nelerdir sorusu irdelenecektir. Bir “İctihad Sosyolojisi” denemesi olacak bu çalışma, Sosyoloji ve Fıkıh ilmi için ortak bir çalışma alanı olanaklarını sorgulamayı da amaçlamaktadır.

The Expansion of Turkey’s Medical Tourism Industry

The Expansion of Turkey’s Medical Tourism Industry

Prof. Hasan Onat, Change Process in the Conception of Religion in Turkey

Günümüzden baktığımızda yazarın beklentilerinin gerçekleştiğini söyleyebiliriz: Dini bilgi üretimi olumlu yönde ilerlemektedir. Din-devlet, din-aydın ilişkisi çatışma alanı olmaktan uzaklaşmaktadır. Fikir hürriyeti ortamı gelişmeye devam etmektedir. Eser Türkiye’yi oluşturan süreç dahil olmak üzere, din alanındaki yaklaşım tarzlarını, tahlil etmektedir. Din kurumunun tarihte kalan bir olgu olmayıp insan var oldukça var olacağını ve insanın huzurunun din ile sağlanabileceğini delillerle göstermektedir. Dünyanın barış ve huzur arayışında Müslümanların üreteceği yeni uygarlığın hem dünya hem de Müslümanların var olma mücadelesi için son derece önemli olduğunu vurgular. Yeni Uygarlık oluşturmanın sömürge hayatı yaşamamış, dolayısıyla tepkisel olmayan bir yaklaşım sergileyebilecek Türkiye Müslümanlarının başarabileceği önemli bir görev olduğunu ifade eder. Eser, Ülkemizde din konusunun geçmişten gelen yönünü dikkate alarak geleceğini tahminden öte, öz güven aşılayarak, “yeni bir uygarlık yaratma” hedefini ısrarla vurgulamasıyla son derece ufuk açıcı ve öncü bir eserdir ve bu uygarlık ortaya çıkıncaya kadar okunması hararetle tavsiye edilecek kıymettedir.

A Critical Overview of Turkish Measures of Religiosity

Abstract Turkish measures of religiosity are mainly developed in sociology and psychology of religion and trace back to the 1960s. The first attempts in measuring religiosity in Turkey are weak in terms of statistical analysis and scientific soundness. By the 1980s Turkish measures increase in quantity and quality but show poor originality. Most are adaptations of Western-Christianity religiosity scales and are based on multi-dimensionality of religiosity and religious orientation. Authentic religiosity measures, within a framework special to Turkish culture and religion, i.e. Islam, are underrepresented. Therefore, religiosity studies in Turkey indicate theoretical, methodological and authenticity problems. However, the latest studies are promising. After a brief introduction of the fields of psychology and sociology of religion in Turkey, this study provides a critical overview of religiosity measures in Turkey along with an introduction of some in detail, and gives insights into the challenges of conducting religiosity studies in the Turkish context.

The Religiosity Scales in Theses of the Psychology of Religion in Turkey: A Bibliographical Research (1997-2019)

Dindarlığın tanımlanması ve kavramsallaştırılması öteden beri din psikolojisinin önemli tartışma konularından birisi olmuştur. Bu durum dindarlığın, karmaşık ve kompleks yapısı yanında psikolojik, sosyal, kültürel, tarihsel vb. pek çok önemli faktörle olan ilişkisinden kaynaklanır. Din psikolojisi alanında ilk dindarlık ölçme araştırmalarının başladığı 1940'lı yıllardan bu yana, dindarlığın operasyonel tanımlarına vurgu yapılmıştır. Bu araştırmalarda geçerli ve güvenilir ölçekler vasıtasıyla dindarlığın derecesi, yönü, eğilimi ve boyutları vb. tespit edilmeye çalışılmaktadır. Alanın uzmanları tarafından gerekli kuramsal çerçevenin oluşturulması ve ilgili dindarlık ölçeğinin tespit edilmesi sorun oluşturmazken alana yeni giren araştırmacılar için bu durum önemli bir sorun oluşturmaktadır. Ülkemizde din psikolojisi başta olmak üzere çeşitli disiplinlerde çok sayıda dindarlık ölçeği geliştirilmiştir. Dolayısıyla dindarlık ölçme çalışmalarına yeni başlayacak olan bir araştırmacı için mevcut ölçeklerin bilinmesi, araştırma konusuna ve örneklem grubuna uygun ölçeğin belirlenmesi önemlidir. Bu nedenle araştırmanın amacı; din psikolojisi alanında yapılmış yüksek lisans ve doktora tezlerinde kullanılmış “dindarlık ölçekleri”ne ilişkin bir literatür ortaya çıkarmak olarak belirlenmiştir. Belirlenen amaca yönelik olarak da bibliyografik yöntem tercih edilerek tezlerin dindarlık ölçeklerine göre tasnifi yapılmıştır. Din psikolojisi alanında yapılmış tezlere ulaşmak için Yükseköğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı Ulusal Tez Merkezi (Yök Tez) veri tabanı kullanılmıştır. İlgili veri tabanında tarih aralığı sınırı koymadan tarama terimi alanına “din psikolojsi”, “dindarlık”, “dini inanç”, “dini tutum” ifadeleri girilmiştir. Tarama sonucunda 1997-2019 yılları arasında yapılmış 96 yüksek lisans ve doktora tezi araştırma kapsamına alınmıştır. Bu çalışmanın din psikolojisinde ölçme araçlarına ve çalışmalarına ilişkin 22 yıllık bir birikimi göstermesi ve alana yeni giren araştırmacılar için önemli bir literatür koyması açısından faydalı olacağı umulmaktadır.

A Review on The Graduate Theses (2012-2018) in The Field Of Psychology Of Religion in Turkey

Araştırma 2012-2018 arasındaki yıllarda din psikolojisi alanı ile ilgili yayımlanmış olan yüksek lisans ve doktora tezlerindeki genel yönelimleri belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışma çerçevesinde, YÖK Ulusal Tez Merkezi veri tabanı ve İSAM İlahiyat Fakülteleri Tezler Kataloğu veri tabanı taranmış ve 133 yüksek lisans ve 36 doktora tezi olmak üzere toplamda 169 tez incelenmiştir. Çalışmadaki veriler analiz edilirken betimsel istatistik kullanılmıştır. 2012-2018 yılları arasında din psikolojisi alanı kapsamında en fazla tezin Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi’nden yayımlandığı görülmüştür. Belge/doküman incelemeden sonra tezlerde en fazla tercih edilen çalışma grubunun yerel halk ve yetişkin ve yaşlı bireyler olduğu; veri toplama tekniği açısından en fazla anket tekniğinin, araştırma konusu olarak da pozitif psikoloji konularının, olumlu duygular-değerlerin tercih edildiği belirlenmiştir. Tez kataloğunda ise incelemeye konu olan 169 tez yazar ismi referans alınarak liste halinde sunulmuştur. Araştırmanın son kısmında elde edilen sonuçlar değerlendirilmiş, az çalışılan konular belirtilmiş ve din psikolojisi bilim dalı kapsamında çalışacak olanlara yönelik öneriler sunulmuştur.

Compliance or negotiation? Diyanet’s female preachers and the diffusion of a ‘true’ religion in Turkey

This article addresses the religious activities of the female preachers ( vaizeler) employed by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). It investigates the extent to which, and how, the activities carried out by the Diyanet’s vaizeler are in compliance with a state attempt to standardise and control female religious engagement. As religious officers, the vaizeler both spread and embody an organised religion. However, far from any dichotomous perspective, to assert their religious authority the Diyanet’s preachers navigate daily between compliance with the institution’s dogmas and negotiation with a plurality of interpretations labelled as unofficial, popular and traditional. To fully assess this issue, this article refers to ethnographic observations of everyday vaizeler’s preaching activities in Istanbul’s mosques. Conducted between 2013 and 2014, these observations are crucial for contextualising the evolution of the Turkish state monopoly over religious affairs, particularly in the aftermath of the July 2016 attempted coup.

Religionspsychologie in der Türkei

No AccessReligionspsychologie in der TürkeiAus der Perspektive einer deutschen (Religions-)PsychologinAssist. Prof. Dr Sarah DemmrichAssist. Prof. Dr Sarah Demmrich Üsküdar Universität Institut für Psychologie Altunizade Mah. Haluk Türksoy Sok No. 14 34662 Üsküdar/Istanbul Türkei http://www.uskudar.edu.tr/en Authors email:[email protected]Üsküdar UniversitätInstitut für PsychologieAltunizade Mah.Haluk Türksoy Sok No. 1434662 Üsküdar/IstanbulTürkeiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:Jan 2017https://doi.org/10.13109/weme.2017.69.1.5SectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail AboutAbstractThe present paper presents the historical development and the current status of the psychology of religion in Turkey. Building up on this, two own studies are introduced, which underline challenges (God image research among Sunni-Muslim children) as well as chances (religiosity and its psychological correlates) of the psychology of religion in the Islamic context of Turkey. This paper was commenced before the coup attempt on July 15th, 2016 and completed before the closure of Süleyman Şah University on July 23th, 2016. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Download book coverVolume 69Issue 1January 2017 ISSN: 0043-2040eISSN: 2196-8284HistoryPublished online:January 2017 PDF download

The eu–Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and Turkey’s eu Accession Process

After the Treaties of Rome in 1957, Turkey started negotiations with the European Communities to define a framework for cooperation. The result was the Ankara Agreement (1965), which established economic cooperation and provided for an eu–Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (jpc), conceived as a discussion forum to encourage the democratic transition of Turkey. This article analyses the main phases and obstacles in Turkey’s accession process, focusing on relations between the European Parliament and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and on the effectiveness of European Parliament and jpc activities. The analysis particularly considers the respect for the Copenhagen political criteria with regard to minorities’ rights, the Cyprus dispute, and the role of religion in Turkey. The concluding remarks discuss the European Parliament’s role in overcoming the current deadlock in the Turkish accession process.

Language, Religion and Islamic Nationalist Movements in Turkey

Ponte Academic JournalMar 2016, Volume 72, Issue 3 Language, Religion and Islamic Nationalist Movements in TurkeyAuthor(s): RECEP GULMEZJ. Ponte - Mar 2016 - Volume 72 - Issue 3 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2016.3.26 Abstract:This study investigates Islamic movements in Turkey to reveal their views on language, using an inductive method. It is concerned with relation between religion, language, and Islamic identity. Language is an integral part of the creation of nationalism and national identity as well as religion. Language and religion have always contributed to the creation of identity now as a whole then seperately. Building a secular and nationalist identity has always been challenged by Islamists or ethno-nationalist separatist movements, especially in Turkey. Following the declaration of the Republic of Turkey, the debate on language and religion broke out, and Islamist groups opposed secularism. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) being in power, orders and communities, which are the actors of political Islam, have re-emerged, and are sociologically participants in every layer of society. The views of Islamic movements on national culture and language, whether they act according to the transformational Turkey in the Middle East are points of interest in this study. Whether Islamic movements with ummah approach to people is nationalist or adapts a kind of linguistic nationalism is the question this paper deals with. This study comparatively examines Turkish-Islam synthesis that demonstrates the relation between language and religion in Turkey and reveals the development of religion and language in the secular environment of the West. Ideological tendencies and views on language, of the Nur movement, the Nakshbandis, and Sulaymanists in an inductive manner, based on the votes they cast for political parties are also treated. This study first examines the relationship of language and religion with nationalism, and presents the views of the aforementioned movements on the Turkish language. However, the aim is inductive, which is based on previous studies and the tendencies of the movements towards political parties. This study will contribute to the studies on the relation of language, religion, and ethnic identity. The results suggest that Islamic movements, actors of political Islam in Turkey, contribute to the researches on linguistic nationalism and religious identity. Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

Editor's Note

Editor's Note

The Centrality of Gender to Understanding Turkish Politics

The Centrality of Gender to Understanding Turkish Politics

Massimo Rosati, "The Making of a Postsecular Society. A Durkheimian Approach to Memory, Pluralism, and Religion in Turkey." Farnham: Ashgate, 2015, 318 pp.

Massimo Rosati, "The Making of a Postsecular Society. A Durkheimian Approach to Memory, Pluralism, and Religion in Turkey." Farnham: Ashgate, 2015, 318 pp.

Social Mobility and Its Discontents: The Center-Periphery Cleavage of Turkey

Social Mobility and Its Discontents: The Center-Periphery Cleavage of Turkey Abstract This study analyzes effects of the center-periphery cleavage on the relationship between state and religion in Turkey during the period of 2002 and 2012. The confrontation between center and periphery is one of the most important social cleavages underlying Turkish politics that has lasted since the late Ottoman period. This study suggests that the social cleavages between the center and the periphery are still prominent factors shaping discussions on the state’s interaction with religion. That the periphery has gained more social capital since the 1980s has fueled these discussions. In recent years, the Republican People’s Party, the armed forces, and the higher judiciary have represented the centrist coalition, while the Justice and Development Party has established itself as the main representative of the periphery. During this period, the previous elites have lost more power on the state level, a development that can be read as the conservative periphery displacing the secular center to some extent.