SECULARISM AS A LIFE STYLE IN THE 2000S IN URBAN TURKEY: THE FORMATION AND PERFORMANCE OF SECULAR WAY OF LIFE AMONG LOWER-MIDDLE CLASSES IN ANKARA, A CASE STUDY

Date

2024-7-26

Author

GÜNEŞ DURMUŞ, AYSUN

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This study is an exploration of the secular lifestyle and cultural values of lower-middle- class families in Batıkent, Ankara, Turkey. Focusing on a group who identify as secular,the thesis examines how they negotiate diverse religious and cultural influences in their Daily lives.Through an 8-month ethnographic fieldwork,I observed that these families, while embracing secularism, also are not indifference to religious beliefs. Challenging the stereotype of secularism as an elite phenomenon perpetuated by the political discourse on the secular-religious divide, this study reveals its prevalence among various social classes in Turkey. These families, rooted in Atatürkist values, define secularism as a safeguard for their religious practices. They emphasize a modern mindset, education, and gender equality as key components of their secular lifestyle which I call as lower-middle class secular habitus. By constructing identities intertwined with Atatürkism and secularism, these individuals form a significant counter-narrative within Turkish society. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of secularism in Turkey, demonstrating its complex and multifaceted nature, especially among the lower-middle class.

Subject Keywords

secularism, lower-middle classes, lifestyle, Batıkent, Ankara

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/111350

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis