EUROPEAN-TURKISH IDENTITY INTERACTION FROM THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE

Year 2011, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 531 - 539, 01.12.2011

Zuhal Unalp Cepel

Abstract

Identity formation efforts of the EU draw attention in Turkey’s membership
process. This paper is based on a hypothesis that identity, culture, norms and
values which construct the social structure affect European and Turkish identity
interaction. In the paper, right and left views within the Turkish parliament and
European parliament will be analyzed in the framework of social constructivism.
Social constructivism which is provided as an alternative area of study in the
social sciences to the European integration, is still evaluated as a debated
approach in the internatioal relations literature. Wendt, Checkel, Smith,
Katzenstein, Keohane and Krasner define social constructivism as an approach
between rationalism represented with neo-realism, neo-liberalism and neo-liberal
institutionalism- and reflectivism represented with post-modernism and poststructuralism.
On the other hand, some other authors evaluate social
constructivism within the critical theories. This paper is based on the first
definition.
The first assumption of the social constructivism asserts that material structures
should be observed beyond the biological facts (Jupille, Caporaso, Checkel,2003).
According to this asumption, material structures gain importance by interpreting
within the social conditions and environment. By following this assumption, this
paper will focus on different foreign policy strategies of Turkey and Europe as a
result of different identity perceptions. The second assumption points to the nature
of the actors and their relations with the institutional environment. In accordance
with this assumption, opinions, values and discourses of the party groups in the
Turkish parliament and European parliament will be taken into consideration.
Social constructivism stresses on the social interaction of the states and non-state actors. In this respect analyzing the social interaction within the framework of
Turkish-European identity will make a contribution to the literature

Keywords

Social Constructivism, Identity, European Union, Turkey

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