GEZI PARK PROTESTS IN TERMS OF CONTINUITY AND BREAK THEORIES
Abstract
After 1970s, presentation of practices created by neoliberal period in the name of
globalization has caused that forms of social opposition called as "new social movements". Theorists
of new social movements tried to explain this opposition movements and forms of experiencing the
democratic processes of these movements with different perspectives. At the end of the 1960s, a group
of social scientists who claimed that movements based on social classes decreased its impact, points
out that there is a significant "break" between old and new movements. On the other hand, another
approach related to new social movements emphasizes that there is "continuity" between old and new
movements.
The subject of this study is to analyze Gezi Park Protests in framework of two theories. Gezi
Park Protests, took place in summer of 2013, is one of the most important social opposition
movements of Turkish political history, has taken attention of many domestic and foreign social
scientists in respect of new social movements. Social scientists have different arguments with the
concern of analyzing that kind of rare social opposition movement for Turkish political history
correctly. Diversity of action in Gezi Park Protests, form of protests and diversity of participants
create a dilemma whether this protests should be evaluated as break theory or continuity theory in
new social movement literature. For this purpose in this study, on which arguments social scientists
writing about "Gezi Park Protests" categorized that protests as break or continuity theories, is going
to be examined.
The first implication of many social scientists and experts about Gezi Park Protests is that this
movement is significantly different than old social movements based on social classes in terms of
identities of participants, expressions and action style. However, when this sequence of actions is
analyzed more comprehensively in political and cultural dimension, it is seen obviously as a reflection
of neoliberal economy policies. The first reason relies upon Gezi Park Protests is creation of
neoliberal restructuring policies to promise the wealth of Turkey at the expense of deepening the
social contradictions since 2000s. In the words of Althusser, whether economy is the final one
determines the upper structure, the reason of Gezi Park Protests is class conflicts deepening by these
neoliberal economy policies. In this context, to analyze Gezi Park Protests in framework of continuity
approach leads more comprehensive implications with more dimensional societal reality
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
Turkish
Subjects
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Journal Section
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Authors
Publication Date
January 29, 2016
Submission Date
November 19, 2015
Acceptance Date
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Published in Issue
Year 2016 Volume: 3 Number: 1