The Social Function of Literature: Identity, Representation and New Perspectives

Year 2026, Volume: 3 Issue: 1 , 108 - 138 , 30.03.2026

Arif Akbaş

https://doi.org/10.70869/asbad.1844564

https://izlik.org/JA82TH68ZH

Abstract

This study re-examines the social function of literature through the lens of identity and representation, focusing on how modern and postmodern literary works construct identity through specific narrative strategies. This article investigates how literary texts generate identity representations and the mechanisms by which these representations influence broader social structures. Employing the theoretical perspectives of W. Fluck, Pierre Bourdieu, Raymond Williams, and the Frankfurt School, it examines the ways in which literature shapes identity categories including gender, class, ethnicity, and cultural belonging.The central research problem is to determine how identity representations are generated within literary texts and the mechanisms through which these representations influence social structures. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of W. Fluck, Pierre Bourdieu, Raymond Williams, and the Frankfurt School, the study analyzes how literature shapes categories such as gender, class, ethnicity, and cultural belonging. The findings indicate that modernist works are characterized by themes of individual alienation and inner conflict, whereas postmodern texts prioritize multiple identities, fragmented narrative structures, and politics of representation. The study also relates the transformation brought by digitalization in literary production and reception to the evolving nature of identity representation. Overall, the analysis demonstrates that literature is not merely a medium that reflects social reality but a cultural practice that constructs, negotiates, and reproduces identities. In this respect, the study offers a theoretical and analytical framework for reconsidering the literature–society relationship through the perspective of identity and representation.

Keywords

Identity , Representation , Sociology of Literature , Modernism , Postmodernism , Cultural Production.

Ethical Statement

This study complies with all the rules specified in the "Guidelines for Scientific Research and Publication Ethics in Higher Education Institutions". The author declares that none of the actions listed under the second section of the guidelines, titled "Actions Contrary to Scientific Research and Publication Ethics," were committed.

Supporting Institution

The author has not named any sponsoring institutions.

Project Number

-

Thanks

No acknowledgments were made by the author.

Edebiyatın Sosyal İşlevi: Kimlik, Temsil ve Yeni Perspektifler

https://izlik.org/JA82TH68ZH

Abstract

Bu çalışma, edebiyatın toplumsal işlevini kimlik ve temsil ekseninde yeniden düşünmekte ve modern ile postmodern döneme ait seçili edebiî eserlerde kimliklerin hangi anlatı stratejileri aracılığıyla kurulduğunu incelemektedir. Makalenin temel problemi, kimlik temsillerinin edebi metinlerde nasıl üretildiği ve bu temsillerin toplumsal yapıyı hangi mekanizmalar üzerinden etkilediğidir. Çalışmada W. Fluck, Pierre Bourdieu, Raymond Williams ve Frankfurt Okulu gibi kuramsal yaklaşımlar kullanılarak edebiyatın; toplumsal cinsiyet, sınıf, etnik köken ve kültürel aidiyet gibi kimlik kategorilerini nasıl yapılandırdığı analiz edilmiştir. Modernist eserlerde bireysel yabancılaşma ve içsel çatışmaların; postmodern metinlerde ise çoklu kimlikler, parçalı anlatı yapıları ve temsil politikalarının belirleyici olduğu bulgulanmıştır. Dijitalleşmenin edebi üretim ve alımlama süreçlerinde yarattığı dönüşüm de kimlik temsillerinin değişen doğasıyla ilişkilendirilmiştir. Çalışmanın bulguları, edebiyatın yalnızca toplumsal gerçekliği yansıtan bir alan olmadığını, aynı zamanda kimlikleri kuran, müzakere eden ve yeniden üreten bir kültürel pratik olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışma, edebiyat–-toplum ilişkisini kimlik ve temsil ekseninde yeniden değerlendiren kuramsal ve analitik bir çerçeve sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Kimlik , Temsil , Edebiyat Sosyolojisi , Modernizm , Postmodernizm , Kültürel Üretim.

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışmada “Yükseköğretim Kurumları Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Yönergesi” kapsamında uyulması gerektiği belirtilen tüm kurallara uyulmuştur. Yönergenin ikinci bölümü olan “Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiğine Aykırı Eylemler” başlığı altında belirtilen eylemlerden hiçbiri gerçekleştirilmediği yazar tarafından beyan edilmiştir.

Supporting Institution

Yazar tarafından herhangi destekleyici kurum beyan edilmemiştir.

Project Number

-

Thanks

Yazar tarafından teşekkür beyanı yapılmamıştır.

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