Cultivating a Compliant Generation: The State and the Regulation ofYouth Political Activism in post-1980 Turkey

The post-1980 generation in Turkey came to identified with political apathy and cynicism. They seemed to lack interest in and knowledge of politics and to be disengaged from political parties and organizations. However, on May 31st 2013 the urban youth have become the forerunners of an anti-government uprising which was ignited by the attempts to demolish Istanbul’s Gezi Park as part of an urban transformation project. Young people took to the streets, occupied the Gezi Park and engaged in extensive social media activism against an increasingly authoritarian government. Their spontenous and unforseen engagement with political activism came as a surprise to many spectators. My project aims to explore the cycles of political disengagement and engagement among the urban and better educated youth in Turkey, particulary among university students in the cities of Istanbul and Ankara, by tracing the role of the state in drawing the boundaries of youth poltical participation. It aims to highlight how the state creates particular opportunities for and obstacles to young people’s engagement with politics.

Faculty Supervisor:

Paul Kingston

Student:

Partner:

Yeditepe University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: