Childhood Ideology in the Early Turkish Republican Era

Abstract

Studies on ideology in the social sciences have been incremental in recent decades. Childhood ideology remains a pivotal issue in the humanities from pedagogy to philosophy. Since children are easily accessible ideological subjects, the exercise of ideology can be more clearly noticed in children. This study aims to focus on childhood ideology adopted by the authorities in the early Turkish Republican Era. The emergence and rise of nationalism from 1923 directed by the authorities to focus on what kind of generation they would raise for the future of the Turkish Republic. The study involved four regularly published newspapers -Cumhuriyet, Akşam, Vakit/Kurun, Hakimiyet-i Milliye/Ulus- dating back to 1930s. The main goals of the modernization project of the Republic were raising honest, industrious, patriotic and healthy children, which were the main individuals that had to be reared for the new Republic. Thus, a strong relationship between Turkish nationalism and the new types of children was established.