Publication: Ulusçuluk ve mekan : cumhuriyet söyleminde ‘Vatan’ : 1920-1950
Abstract
Bu tez ulusçuluk, mekân ve siyaset arasındaki bağdan yola çıkarak 1920–1950 yılları arasındaki Cumhuriyet söyleminde “vatan” kavramını incelemektedir. Osmanlı İmparatorluğundan Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’ne geçiş sürecinde yaşanan süreklilik ve kopuşlar bu kavramın şekillenmesinde rol oynamıştır. Toprak öğesinin ve yaşanan mekansal kaymaların Türk ulusçuluğunun şekillenmesinde önemli bir rol oynadığı açıktır. Bu süreçler farklılık ve çeşitlilikler barındırmakla beraber, hepsine içkin olan bir anlam göze çarpmaktadır: Devlet vatanseverliği. Bu bağlamda tezin ana sorunsalı devlet söyleminde “vatan” kavramının kronolojik olarak nasıl tanımlandığı ve bu tanımlamalarda içerisi ve dışarısının hangi ölçütlere göre belirlendiğidir. Araştırma üç ana süreç üzerinden yürütülmüştür: “Dış mekânın belirlenmesi”; “İç mekânın vatanlaşması” ve “Vatan söyleminin yeniden üretimi”. Bu süreçler üzerinden ulusçuluk, mekân ve iktidar arasındaki ilişki irdelenmekte ve “coğrafyanın vatanlaşma” süreci tartışılmaktadır.
In this thesis, the main axis of discussion is the relation between nationalism, territory, and state, namely the “nationalization of geography”. It focuses on the concept of “vatan” (homeland) in the Turkish Republican discourse during the 1920-1950. Since Turkish Republic is established through the gradual shrink of Ottoman territories, territory had become an important element in the Turkish nationalist discourse. This thesis seeks to study the concept “vatan” and how it had transformed in the course of political periods and conditions; one the significant finding of this study is that though “vatan” is defined pragmatically, -even sometimes by inconsistent references-, there seems to be an immanent constituent of the concept: State patriotism. In this context the analysis of the state discourse provides us many clues about how territorialization occurs in the national sense. This thesis examines this process through the following categorization: External territorialization, Internal territorializaton and Reproduction the homeland discourse in geography school texts. Through this categorization this thesis aspires to problematize the spatial dimension of the nation and nationalism.
In this thesis, the main axis of discussion is the relation between nationalism, territory, and state, namely the “nationalization of geography”. It focuses on the concept of “vatan” (homeland) in the Turkish Republican discourse during the 1920-1950. Since Turkish Republic is established through the gradual shrink of Ottoman territories, territory had become an important element in the Turkish nationalist discourse. This thesis seeks to study the concept “vatan” and how it had transformed in the course of political periods and conditions; one the significant finding of this study is that though “vatan” is defined pragmatically, -even sometimes by inconsistent references-, there seems to be an immanent constituent of the concept: State patriotism. In this context the analysis of the state discourse provides us many clues about how territorialization occurs in the national sense. This thesis examines this process through the following categorization: External territorialization, Internal territorializaton and Reproduction the homeland discourse in geography school texts. Through this categorization this thesis aspires to problematize the spatial dimension of the nation and nationalism.