The Research Topic as a Guideline (original) (raw)
2015, Borders and the Changing Boundaries of Knowledge. Brandell (ed.), Sweedish Institute in Istanbul Transactions, vol. 22
There are several ways of studying the history of a historical narrative: from outside (institutions, authors, academic trends, etc.) and from inside; in the latter case, the historian must become a discourse analyst, and build a method in accordance with the discourse itself. But his work can rapidly lead from an analysis of a representation to an analysis of words, pirctures or maps, which all are signs. Soon the signs become themselves research topics and, like the leaves of a tree, can enable the researcher to identify the tree itself. Thus, insignificant objects in the daily press or in the urban landscape can reveal the nature of a state ideology. From history to linguistics and semiology, from semiology to anthropology, and back to micro-history: mapping out a posteriori the path I have followed, I am just trying here to find a coherence in my previous researches about contemporary Turkey and Cyprus.
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The Research Topic as a Guideline (2015)
Borders and the Changing Boundaries of Knowledge, Edited by Inga Brandell, Marie Carlsson, Önver Çetrez
There are several ways of studying the history of a historical narrative: from outside (institutions, authors, academic trends etc.) and from inside; in the latter case, the historian must become a discourse analyst, and build a method in accordance with the discourse itself. But his work can rapidly lead from an analysis of a representation to an analysis of words, pictures or maps, which all are signs. Soon the signs become themselves research topics and, like the leaves of a tree, can enable the researcher to identify the tree itself. Thus, insignificant objects in the daily press or in the urban landscape can reveal the nature of a state ideology. From history to linguistics and semiology, from semiology to anthropology, and back to micro-history: mapping out a posteriori the path I have followed, I am just trying here to find a coherence in my previous researches about contemporary Turkey and Cyprus.
In this paper, I reflect on the discipline of historiography and its application to conflict resolution. I start from concepts found in the phenomenological writings of the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty. I expand upon these to discuss the concept of positionality within time and space to uncover the context-specificity of nationalist historical tropes. I provide a brief overview of other applications of phenomenology to other branches of the social sciences. In order to illustrate these concepts, I use examples of temporal and spatial positionality from Turkish historiography. I thereby explore the manner in which an understanding of the individual's location and perspective vis-à-vis the State can be employed to grasp the changes that the writing of Turkish has undergone over the last centrury. I conclude with suggestions on a method to transcend the positional fixity contained within national meta-narratives, and to refocus history on individuals and their stories rather than the agenda of the state.
Turkish Historical Review, 2022
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PALABIYIK - POLITICIZATION OF RECENT TURKISH HISTORY.pdf
Turkish Studies, 2017
This article aims to analyze how history has been used as a political discourse by the current ruling elites of Turkey in the post-2010 period. In doing that, the article first defines what the politicization of history is and locates the Justice and Development Party’’s (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) perception of history within the broader conservative political movements in Turkey. Then, the article focuses on the discourses of some AKP politicians and pro-AKP journalists to show how the AKP has been using history as a discourse to create a binary opposition between the Unionist/CHP mentality and the AKP mentality and to label the latter as the source of all current political troubles of Turkey.
Historiography as a Tool for Nationbuilding: The Case of Turkey
Mediterranean Journal of Humanities, 2013
Almost every country in the world is based upon nationalism. Some are based on a spiritual unity, while others focus on an ethnic or racial background. In all of these theories, there is the element of creating an unity through the process of nation-building. In this process, one can use multiple sources. Among these are songs, poems, writings, historiography and much more. In particular the case of historiography is emphasized in this article as historiography can be best implemented by using history text books for education. In this way, generations of school children can enjoy historiography that will make them grow into a unity with their fellow countrymen. In the case of Turkey, this tool of historiography is used to depict a new nation. I argue that this image of the nation is not based upon ethnicity, racial background, nor even linguistics or religion but mainly on geography. And in order to create a geographical basis, historiography was used as a tool to promote the military glorification of Anatolia. The strong focus on Anatolia also meant neglecting other geographical regions, of which the Balkans seem to be the most neglected, due to the military humilitation the Turks encounted in those regions.
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