Alice Evans

This is an important distinction. Liberal Kemalists perceive a more patriarchal, authoritarian government. But the net trend is that women are increasingly leaving their homes, working in the public sphere for pay (rather than unpaid family work).https://twitter.com/merve_sancak/status/1402923665109434369?s=20 …

Most importantly, I *really* appreciate that so many brilliant, kind & generous Turkish academics on Twitter have shared their research with me, clarified key points & improved my understanding! I've only just started researching the region & I'm very grateful for your help

Published research is more limited in countries that are too poor to sustain thriving universities. So I often turn to phd theses (which have proved invaluable!!) But still, there is less, certainly less by citizens of that country, & that narrows my understanding.

Turkish research seems very heterogenous in terms of disciplines: there’s a wealth of work from anthropology, political science & economics. So one is continually pushed to see things differently, explore & engage with alternative approaches. It’s fabulous!

may be my favourite country to learn about. Diverse perspectives, topics, & research methods. This ofc is due to its wealth & anglophone, liberal universities. Comparative often, asking why Turkey differs from EU & MENA. This breadth means one is continually challenged!

Thank you Asli, for this corrective. If men do not expect to be sanctioned by the police, they may be more likely to sexually harass women. Those expectations could certainly be amplified by patriarchal rhetoric from the executive, signalling impunityhttps://twitter.com/aslicansunar/status/1402678226921705478?s=20 …

But soo many papers state that "Turkey has become more conservative" So what am I missing? Do correct me!

Even if the government turns a blind eye to horrific levels of gender-based violence & at best encourages mediation, that doesn't necessarily change behaviour. Women are more likely to leave abusers if they have economic autonomy, & the biggest driver over time is growth.

If you believe that government discourse & policy has a MAJOR influence on gender relations, you'd worry Turkey is becoming more patriarchal. But afaik, that premise is not supported by evidence. In fact, when the DPM condemned women laughing, women mobilised in outrage!

https://twitter.com/cemoyvat/status/1402594099530711045?s=20 …

https://twitter.com/cemoyvat/status/1402589310310924293?s=20 …

Yes the Government is expressing more conservative values (the DPM said “women shouldn’t laugh in public”, they withdrew from CEDAW). This happens in part because there is no longer any geopolitical incentive to please the EU. But Gov rhetoric has minor influence on society.

So Konya was always more patriarchal. The difference is that economic and political liberalisation enabled those patriarchs to become more influential But they have not made other parts of Turkey more patriarchal, and even Konya is becoming more egalitarian Dissent welcome!

Economic liberalisation led to the rise of the “Anatolian tigers” Entrepreneurs in historically conservative cities (like Konya) became wealthier & more politically influential. They vote AKP But even Konya has not become more patriarchal over time, as far as I can discern?

So many claim "Turkey has become more socially conservative" But I struggle to find any evidence of this Rather, once conservative groups are now more influential, & Gov. no longer has an incentive to pay lip-service to equality Turkish friends, I welcome your views here!!

Has Turkey become more patriarchal? My take When trying to join EU, Gov ceded to mobilisation & enacted egalitarian laws. Absent this incentive, Gov appears more patriarchal Pol & economic liberalisation strengthened conservatives But society is becoming more egalitarian

A wealth of evidence *does* support their argument that deep roots mediate the rate of social change, even controlling for wealth Methodologically, I just think we need to study a range of data in each country to gauge whether it has become more socially conservative since 1989.

I'm no Whig, I certainly don't think liberalism is inevitable, but I'm reluctant to make strong inferences about what actually happens in homes, firms, markets, and political gatherings based on how someone answers a multi-choice survey.