Sosyologca, Year 2024 Issue 27

On Orientalism…

Baykan Sezer — 2024-08-29

East and the West have been in mutual interaction since the earliest days of history, from the emergence of Greece onto the historical stage. Through this interaction, they have differentiated from each other and formed their distinct identities. In other words, the relationship between the East and the West has held vital significance and meaning for both sides. Due to the critical importance of this mutual relationship, controlling it has been a primary concern and objective for both parties. Today, the West holds a certain superiority in various fields (though not in all). In contrast, the West itself has not been a direct concern for the East. The West has not gained any significant characteristics on its own but has had to transform according to its relations with the East. This makes a comprehensive understanding of Western knowledge largely unattainable on its own. The West is compelled to understand and explain the East, and through this understanding, to control intersocietal relations via its dominance over the East. To achieve this, the West requires knowledge about the East. Studies concerning the East have primarily been prepared for the benefit of the West.

Challenges in Establishing Occidental Studies as a Scientific Discipline and Overcoming These Challenges: Forms of Occidentalism

Ertan EğribelYüksel Yıldırım — 2024-08-29

For the past two centuries, Turkey and the world have engaged in 'Western Occidental Studies.' In the new century, where Western superiority is debated, and the era of Asia/the East is beginning, significant responsibility falls upon the East and Turkey. The issue is not anti-Western Occidentalism but overcoming Western Occidentalism and redefining the solution on the basis of a new world order and civilization. In this context, the study discusses the issues surrounding 'The Problem of Critiquing Occidentalism and Orientalism,' 'The Problem of Western Occidentalism and Eastern Occidentalism in Traditional Eastern Civilizations,' 'The Problem of Ottoman Westernization and Forms of Western Occidentalism,' 'The Problem of Western Occidentalism and Marxism/Socialism,' and 'The Critique of Western Centrism/Universalism and the Problem of Anti-Western Occidentalism and Indigenous/Locality.'.

The Political Image of the West in Non-Western Societies: Foreign Powers (A Sociological Approach in the Context of Facts, Perceptions, Concerns)

Ali Öztürk — 2024-08-29

It is difficult to determine the boundaries, directions and characteristics of civilizations. There are very solid judgments and systematics on these issues. However, some of the judgments that civilizations make about themselves and others are quite ambiguous. Moreover, different steps of the issue can create very different asymmetrical results. Indeed, facts, assumptions, biases, definitions, etc. thanks to all of these, ıt is possible to talk about thousands of different layers. Despite all this, the problem here is that everyone is somewhat right. In this context, what non-Western societies think about the West; We will try to understand how much of this is true, how much of it is myth, and how much of it is based on concerns. In this context, this study is a comparative theoretical study that aims to question the political image of the West in the context of facts, perceptions and concerns.

An Occidentalist Reading of Jordanes on the Basis of Attila's Addresses to the Hun Army

Tolga Ersoy — 2024-08-29

In Jordanes' work Getica, Attila's speeches to his Hunnic army reflect a distinct occidentalist narrative and a critique of Western Roman Empire. These passages portray the Huns as a nomadic force destined to conquer the weakening Western Roman Empire. Attila emphasizes the Huns' martial prowess and inevitable victory, contrasting sharply with the attiributed negative characteristics of the Romans. The first speech extols the Huns' strength and criticizes Roman military strategies, while the second uses omens, like birds fleeing Roman cities, to highlight the inevitability of their defeat. This narrative which also includes occidentalist elements, representing Huns as vigorous and triumphant over a collapsing West. In these speeches, which aimed to mobilise the Hun army, the historical dynamics and contrasts between East and West were emphasised, and the Huns were positioned as the representatives of an inevitable historical change against the declining Western Roman Empire. Turkish translations of the speeches are also included in the appendix of the article.

The Matter of the Ottoman Palace Library Narrated on the Fate of Byzantine Libraries in the Western Itineraries

Nafiye Nihan Yıldız — 2024-08-29

In Western itineraries on Istanbul, from the 16th century to the early 20th century, a prominent intellectual problem that stands out is the matter of the Ottoman Palace Library. The Western world developed a narrative suggesting that after the conquest of Istanbul, under the intellectual persona of Mehmed the Conqueror, the Ottomans preserved Byzantine libraries and maintained book collections. Over time, these narratives were repeated extensively within Western intellectual circles and began to be accepted as the truth. Western travelers visiting Istanbul, guided by these narratives, attempted to uncover the truth but were unsuccessful due to the impossibility of accessing the palace. Each travelogue reiterated the previous narrative, adding current information and research, thereby constructing a narrative framework regarding the Ottoman Palace Library in Western travelogues.

Turkish Modernization and the Sefaretnames in the Context of Occidentalism

Ümmet Erkan — 2024-08-29

Occidentalism, which has been on the periphery of the West since the modern period, and which has manifested itself with a discourse that opposes and tries to overcome Orientalism, which divides the world into two parts ontologically and epistemologically, is a discipline that aims to make the West the subject of scientific research, to examine and examine it and to seize its discursive superiority. Ottoman-Turkish modernization is an effort to restore itself with the different ruptures it has undergone since the 18th century. For this, it tried to get to know the West. From the 18th century onwards, ambassadors were tasked with getting to know the West in addition to their existing duties. For this purpose, ambassadors wrote reports called sefaretname. These reports covered a wide range of topics from daily life to the functioning of public institutions, from scientific and technological developments to military structure and armament in the Western capitals visited by Ottoman ambassadors. The sefaretnames are not only occidentalist texts but also a framework program of Turkish modernization. The various topics described therein began to be put into practice with Mahmut II.

An Evaluation About Garp Philologies Journal

Arif Akbaş — 2024-08-29

The fact that the East and the West have different political systems and ideologies in historical processes has become obvious, especially during the Cold War period. The West has developed rapidly with the technological advances of the industrial revolution and its aftermath. This situation has affected the economic power balance between East and West and has created a problematic issue in this regard. Dec. The East-West problem can be a rich area in terms of cultural interaction, mutual understanding and cooperation. But it can also reflect a reality that these differences can sometimes cause conflicts, misunderstandings and cross-cultural tensions. Baykan Sezer, the most sociologist in Turkey, has mentioned this issue. In the past, a journal called “Garp Philologies” has been published on this subject within the structure of Istanbul University. In this article, this important journal will be examined and discussed within the framework of an interpretive approach.

The East-West Perception in

Berkay Çetin — 2024-08-29

In this study, an initial discussion is conducted on the novel Cevdet Bey and His Sons, specifically regarding its position among Pamuk's other novels. In this discussion, the print runs of Cevdet Bey and His Sons and his other novels are compared, focusing on Pamuk’s last two publishers. Subsequently, the study focuses on the East-West perception in the novel through the metaphors of “darkness and light”, “Venetian landscape”, and “alaturka (traditional Turkish) toilet and alafranga (Western-style) toilet”. Within the scope of this study, these concepts and objects are evaluated and analyzed as metaphors. In this context, the study examines how these metaphors relate to the characters’ perceptions of the East and the West. Particularly through the examples of alaturka and alafranga toilets, it is identified that some characters clearly perceive the West as superior to the East. Similarly, metaphors such as “Venetian landscape” reveal that the characters orient themselves more towards the West rather than the East.

The Significance of Turkish Novel and Thought Not Distancing Itself from the Internalization of Orientalism and Westernization: Kemal Tahir and the East-West Conflict

Ertan Eğribel — 2024-08-29

The Western view of Eastern societies (orientalism) has become internalized in our novelists and societal thinking. In Turkish literature, the perception of the differences between Eastern and Western civilizations is primarily based on efforts towards Westernization and the superiority of the West. Kemal Tahir opposed the view of Western superiority and the stagnation of Eastern societies (orientalism), while also advocating for a new world order (socialism) without absolutizing the differences between Eastern and Western societies. Starting from this observation, Kemal Tahir rejected the perspective that attributes superiority to the West, which differentiates Eastern societies and Turkey and absolutizes this differentiation. In this sense, Kemal Tahir emerges as an advocate for Eastern societies and universality, embodying an Eastern revolutionary.

Discussions on the Asiatic Mode of Production and Kemal Tahir

Yüksel Yıldırım — 2024-08-29

In this study, Occidentalism and Orientalism are initially discussed. The debates on the Asiatic Mode of Production (AMP) in both the world and Turkey are addressed. In this context, within the study, the Asiatic Mode of Production is considered a manifestation of Orientalism. The term "Asiatic Mode of Production" is evaluated as one of the ways of understanding and defining the East. While Orientalism can be described as the West's effort to comprehend the East with a different intention and perspective, the study also brings to the fore Occidental studies in our country, which emerged as attempts to understand the West during the same period. The content of Occidentalism in Turkey is, in a sense, evident as a manifestation of the Orientalist perspective. Orientalism and, as a natural consequence, Occidentalism, which nourish each other, are disciplines that serve to reinforce Western superiority by accepting this superiority in advance and attempting to reconcile Turkish society with Western values and concepts. The common ground of the discussions on the Asiatic Mode of Production, both in the West and in Turkey, is the view that the basis of the East-West difference is seen as the underdevelopment of Eastern societies. It is argued that the West's transition to a class society and private property, along with the emergence of class conflicts, is also considered historical progress. In contrast, the East's lack of private property and class society typical of the West, along with labels such as "static society" and "general slavery," suggests that Eastern societies are historyless and lack progress. In this context, it is emphasized that the concept of AMP was not localized until Kemal Tahir and Baykan Sezer.

Historiography and Identity in Kemal Tahir's Novels

Elif Albaşgil AtalayEsra Gedik — 2024-08-29

This study will examine the contribution of Kemal Tahir, an important name in Turkish literature, to sociology through his novels, focusing on his approach to historical analysis and identity formation from a sociological perspective. The study will explore the sociological aspects of Kemal Tahir's literary works, rather than his literary style. Specifically, the study will examine Kemal Tahir's novels that cover the period from the establishment of the Ottoman Empire to its later years, as well as the declaration of the Republic and the 1950s. Kemal Tahir used the social and historical realities of his time in his novels, and wrote them from a social realist perspective. In this way, Kemal Tahir emerges not only as a literary figure but also as a sociologist. His novels draw on economic, cultural, and political aspects of society, and this study will examine his sociological interpretations of the see lements, as reflected in his characters. The thesis will focus on Kemal Tahir's approach to historical analysis and identity formation through his use of a social realist perspective in his novels.

Baykan Sezer's Conception of Society in the Context of Methodological Debates

İlteriş Yıldırım — 2024-08-29

Sociology is a science oriented towards the analysis of social life. Considering the complexity of scientific knowledge production processes, especially in social sciences, it becomes more understandable how difficult it is to produce knowledge about society. So much so that the confusion about what society is starts from the very beginning. As a matter of fact, from its emergence until it reached its current large volume, sociology literature first presented a positivist framework that excluded the will of the individual, and then a hermeneutic framework that attributed the power to the individual to construct social life. These approaches have persisted as a dilemma in sociological methodology. One of the theoretical examples of Turkish sociology that tries to analyse society belongs to Baykan Sezer. In this study, it was asked what kind of understanding of society Sezer has in the context of the methodological dilemma in question, based on the analyses in his works and as a result, findings have been reached that Sezer adopted a concept of society that allows individual will and society to be reformed and regulated. This study also emphasises that the will-based understanding of society should not be limited only to sociology literature and discussions confined to sociology circles; on the contrary, the transition or transfer of the will-based understanding of society from sociology literature and sociology circles to society is of vital importance for the construction of an orderly social life.

Sport and Occidentalism in the Turkish Revolution: Turkish Sports Institution

Mert Kerem Zelyurt — 2024-08-29

In the early republic period, the source of the goal of modernization was western knowledge. Knowledge of social institutions, modern science, management and lifestyles in Western societies, in other words "Occidentalism", has become the basic reference in the modernization project. The westernization project, which is the political choice of the state, also includes sports. Sports is one of the social programs that will accelerate the modernization process and social change towards westernization. Modern sports branches are also within the scope of westernization. Information about sports management styles, sports training and mass sports regimes in developed western countries has been given importance by the state. In the publications of the Turkish Sports Institution (1936-1938), which reflects the official view of the state in sports, America, England, Sweden etc. It is seen that information about sports regimes in typical western countries and Eastern Europe is included. In this study, the relationship between sports and occidentalism has been problematized through these articles in the Turkish Sports Institution magazine. The relationship between westernization and sports in the Turkey of the thirties and the meanings of "western knowledge" in sports were examined. As can be understood from the contents of the articles, sports administrations in western countries, the number of athletes-clubs and the number of people doing sports are the targets to be achieved. Kemalist intellectuals compare the Republic of Turkey with Western countries in the context of mass sports.

The Diderot Effect in Islamic History of Science: Fuat Sezgin and His Works

Mehmet Aygün — 2024-08-29

Fuat Sezgin, born in Bitlis in 1924, completed his secondary and high school education in Erzurum. He moved to Istanbul in 1943 to study mathematics but was influenced by a seminar given by Ritter at Istanbul University's Faculty of Letters Oriental Institute, where Ritter discussed "Islamic Sciences and Orientalism" (1943-1951). This led Sezgin to change his course of study to Arabic and Persian philology and focus on the History of Islamic Sciences. Under Ritter's guidance and encouragement, Sezgin embarked on an intensive research process to highlight the contributions of Muslim scientists to science and technology, particularly during the 8th to 16th centuries. These studies, compiled into 17 volumes, evoke reminiscences of Diderot's "Encyclopédie," which played a significant role in the Enlightenment in the West. Will Sezgin's work have a similar impact in the Islamic world?

Introduction to the Middle East Concept and Definitions

Kübra Yücel Yönlü — 2024-08-29

In this article, the emergence of the concept of the Middle East and how the definition of the Middle East has changed/transformed in the historical process are discussed from a certain perspective by including different sources.. The emergence of the concept of the Middle East, the transition from the Near East to the Middle East, the first names to use the concept, the contexts in which the concept was defined, the changing structure of the definition over time, and the physical, social and cultural characteristics of this geography, which has changed accordingly and has been defined again and again, have been tried to be explained by including basic sources and basic discussions.

The Perceptions of the Yeni Osmanlılar and the İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti on the Ottoman Modernization Process:

Fatih Furkan Alpdoğan — 2024-08-29

The phenomenon of modernization is of great importance because it is a turning point in the historical process. With the defeats in the military field, the Ottoman Empire entered a process of suppression and forced modernization. At this point, a great process of change began, which started with the Nizam-ı Cedid and continued with the provisions of the Tanzimat period and the Edict of Reform. The intellectuals belonging to the neo-Ottoman society thought that the articles in the reforms would cause social problems rather than contribute to the modernization process. This society, which included a group of intellectuals, saw constitutionalism, the idea of Ottomanism, and the constitutional monarchy as the key point of modernization. At this point, they played an important role in the adoption of the Kanun-i Esasi and the proclamation of the First Constitutional Monarchy. The neo-Ottomans became role models for the Committee of Union and Progress with their intellectual infrastructure. The Committee of Union and Progress defended the parliament and the constitutional monarchy against the tyrannical regime of Abdul Hamid II. For the first time during their period, the discourses of women's rights, the development of the press, freedom and populism began to be frequently expressed. The Committee of Union and Progress aimed to build a new social model with its role in the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Monarchy and its contributions to modernization.

The Acceptable and Aggrıeved Asylum Seekers Of Europe: Ukrainians and Others

Hatice KaracaFahrettin Tepealtı — 2024-08-29

Migration, as old as history of mankind, is a dynamic phenomenon that has continued to exist due to various reasons and consequences until today. Migration, which can have profound effects on the economic, political, cultural and social well-being of countries, has been one of the most discussed issues internationally within the framework of irregular migration movements for approximately 30 years. European countries, towards which this influx of people is directed, have been trying to prevent this mobility with harsh measures, and this situation causes tragic events resulting in loss of life as it pushes refugees to more risky routes. However, the human mobility caused by the widespread conflicts between Russia and Ukraine since February 2022 points out a different stage in the attitude of European countries towards refugee migration. Contrary to their previous practices, such countries have demonstrated a very humane and conscientious approach towards Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, and thus, Ukrainian refugees were able to access rapid and comprehensive aid in the countries they had reached. In this study, the discriminatory attitude towards Ukrainian refugees and other refugees heading to Europe is discussed. In this context, the discrimination of asylum seekers heading to Europe during their arrival, stay and repatriation stages are presented with the help of the news reflected in the European media, and the unjust treatment to “other” refugees is emphasized.