Paternalistic model of child: a comparison between late Ottoman society and early Republic of Turkey

Year 2015, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 65 - 80, 15.02.2016

Kemal İnal

Abstract

Ideal child model of the late Ottoman Empire and the early Republic of Turkey is largely the
same and based on the paternalistic notion of decency, terbiye. In this article, it is argued why
and how this ideal model of child is reproduced from late Ottoman society to the early Republic
of Turkey. The thesis is that terbiye as an old tradition aimed at growing children at home and
educating them in schools for survival of the social order based on trilateral power of God,
Sultan/President, and Father- is one of the political, religious and educational heritages
inherited from Ottomans to modern Turkey. But while terbiye in Ottomans is heavily regarded
and practiced in Islamic conception of formal and informal training, modern Turkey’s
understanding of terbiye was founded on Turkish nationalism having a laique feature
formulated in secular patterns. Although there are some continuities and discontinuities about
terbiye in two periods, the decisive power of both governments was directed to reproduce the
social order by placing the children into paternalistic place of society which shows that
paternalistic relations are against the democracy for children in terms of self-determination on
their acts and speech since the child has no right to determine his/her life both in present and
future in terms of paternalist conception of society, government and education. The method of
the study is based on the review and survey of the literature related to speeches by important
official founders and some writings of key ideological and political Turkish figures.

Keywords

Paternalism, ideal Turkish child, terbiye, terbiyeli çocuk, Ottoman society, Republic of Turkey

References

• Abdülaziz Bey. (2000) Osmanlı âdet, merasim ve tabirler. In: Arısan K, Arısan DG (editors). İstanbul: Tarih Vakfı Yurt Yay., 2. Basım.