Based on content analysis and in-depth interviews with the editors of 5Harfliler, Catlak Zemin and Recel-blog, popular pro-feminist women’s websites in Turkey, this article shows that these websites constitute important projects in feminist memory work in two ways: (1) explicitly, by commemorating women in history, the gains of the women’s movement in Turkey, and by archiving misogynist policies and gender unequal legislation; (2) implicitly, in the essays written by anonymous women whose personal memories of feminist activism as well as oppression and patriarchy experienced in everyday life become sources for discussion of feminist identity and politics and contribute to women’s history writing from below. The websites also serve as a platform where feminist identity is negotiated and the past, present and future of feminist politics are discussed in a humorous, agonistic and affective style. The source of deliberation is often women’s everyday experiences and concerns rather than formal politics. Although keeping a distance from formal politics renders these websites open to criticisms of naiveté and apoliticism, they provide a creative platform for the constructive discussion of women’s shared everyday problems which are closely connected to a larger political context.
Makale, özen etiği yaklaşımının politik öznelik ve aktif vatandaşlık anlayışlarına katkısını feminist siyaset felsefesi çerçevesinde incelemektedir. Bunu yaparken feminist siyaset kuramcılarının modern evrensel ahlaki akıl yürütme teorilerine getirdiği eleştiriyi ciddiye alarak, kısmi bakış açısı ve özen ilişkilerinin esas alındığı vatandaşlık ilişki ve pratiklerinin altını çizmekte ancak kadınların farklı ahlaki bir bakış açısı olduğu ya da annelin yüceltildiği bir takım özcü yaklaşımlardan ve özenin apolitikleştirildiği bireyci yaklaşımlardan ayrılmaktadır. Makale, özen etiğinin toplumsal cinsiyet ekseninde barış ve çevre tartışmaları ve hareketleri bağlamındaki yansımalarını irdelemekte, özen ve bakıma değer verirken ataerkil toplumsal cinsiyet rollerini yeniden üretmeyen bir eşitlikçi, demokratik ve özenli vatandaşlık anlayışının deneyime dayalı bir demokrasi ve vatandaşlık eğitimini yolu ile geliştirilebileceğini öne sürmektedir.
This paper narrates the story of large-scale, nationwide intervention for participatory constitution making in Turkey. The process of democratic involvement in the making of Turkey's new Constitution has been an action research engagement since 2007 for the authors of this paper. In due process, a deliberative democracy-inspired large-scale conferencing, i.e., the Polling Conference [Tarama Konferansı], was designed. Ordinary, unaffiliated citizens and local nongovernmental organization (NGO) members participated in the constitution-making process via attending these conferences across the nation. Reflecting upon Turkey's first participatory constitution-making initiative and our intervention, we came to develop certain emergent themes, decisions and actions necessary for the successful realization of large-scale action research in polarized political contexts. These themes range from the establishment of a convening body and legitimate links to decision making and society, to the industrious preparation of a social-ecology on local and national levels. Our intervention is thoroughly embedded in the Turkish context; nevertheless, we came to develop a thematic approach that could set an example to nationwide participatory initiatives in similar democratic trajectories.
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