The potential for dialogical transversal politics and coalitional solidarities in the contemporary women's movement in Turkey

Dinçer P.

WOMENS STUDIES INTERNATIONAL FORUM, vol.80, 2020 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 80
  • Publication Date: 2020
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.wsif.2020.102366
  • Journal Name: WOMENS STUDIES INTERNATIONAL FORUM
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, American History and Life, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Gender Studies Database, Geobase, Historical Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Political Science Complete, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study focuses on the fragmentations based on exclusionary identity politics within the women's movement in Turkey. Through in-depth interviews I conducted with women activists and academics in Turkey in 2014-2015, I explore activist women's positions on identity issues, such as gender, religion and ethnicity, as well as their views of each other. I argue that seeing identities as unalterable deepens the fragmentation within the movement, creates a false sense of homogeneity within groups and exacerbates activists' tendency to stay in their small groups. In order to move away from the limitations of identity politics, I offer adopting dialogical transversal politics in understanding differences among women, whereby activists can find a realm aside from the exclusionary structures of universalism and identity politics, and suggest coalition building as a realm where transversal politics can cultivate and in which a degree of solidarity within the women's movement in Turkey can develop.