ANALYZING THE STRUCTURAL CHANGE OF KURDISH NATIONALISM WITH THE APPROACH OF BRUBAKER


ŞENCANLAR M.

International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (SOCIOINT), İstanbul, Türkiye, 8 - 10 Eylül 2014, ss.515-522 identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Cilt numarası:
  • Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.515-522
  • Kocaeli Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Ethnic tensions have increased world-wide with globalization. Ethnic groups are thought to be at the centre of these tensions in analysis. When ethnic groups are thought to be at the heart of these tensions, analysis becomes more difficult. Brubaker uses the term "groupism" for the sort of analysis that is based on ethnic groups. With the "groupism" approach, ethnic identities are believed to be stable and homogenous. Brubaker claims ethnic identities are not homogenous and not stable but variable structures. If ethnic identities are considered to be social and political processes in a certain context, it is easy to understand changes in ethnic based nationalist movements. After the Arab Spring, some important events occurred concerning Kurdish nationalism in Syria. The "Regionalism" feature of Kurdish nationalism came into prominence when Kurds took hold of Rojava. Despite this development, Mesut Barzani is out of favour with PYD leaders in Syria and came close to Ankara in 2013. This situation brings into question the search for self-determination of Kurdish nationalism in the region. To understand the present situation, the approach of Brubaker is important, because despite the existence of ethnic identities, the existence of "regionalism" upsets the notion of a single, fixed identity. Kurdish nationalism can be analyzed as a political process directed by leaders in different countries in the present context.