A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION OF ADOLESCENTS IN ANKARA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY MÜGE BAKİOĞLU IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MIDDLE EAST STUDIES DECEMBER 2014 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha Altunışık Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özlem Tür Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şen Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assist. Prof. Asuman Göksel (METU, ADM) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şen (METU, SOC) Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk (TEDÜ) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Müge Bakioğlu Signature : iii ABSTRACT A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION OF ADOLESCENTS IN ANKARA Bakioğlu, Müge MS, Department of Middle East Studies Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şen December 2014, 146 pages The main purpose of this study is to evaluate how adolescents perceive politics, what kind of an impact politics has on their lives and how adolescents regard political participation. This study will also contribute to reveal how the new generation regards the political paradigm/s of our times. Perceptions, views, beliefs and evaluations of adolescents who are at the crossroad of their political socialization since they are about to change their social roles, may also shed light on the question how politics and political paradigm will evolve within this context. Findings of the study may contribute to rebuild the present codes of politics, politization and political participation. Keywords: Political Socialization, Youth Studies, Political Perception, Political Impact, Political Participation iv ÖZ ANKARADAKİ ERGENLERİN SİYASAL SOSYALİZASYONU ÜZERİNE NİTEL BİR ÇALIŞMA Bakioğlu, Müge Yüksek Lisans, Orta Doğu Araştırmaları Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Mustafa Şen Aralık, 2014, 146 sayfa Bu çalışma, ergenlerin siyaseti nasıl algıladığı, siyasetin ergenlerin yaşantısı üzerinde nasıl bir etkide bulunduğu ve ergenlerin siyasal katılımı nasıl algıladığını değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışma aynı zamanda yeni jenerasyonun günümüz paradigmasını/paradigmalarını nasıl gördüğünü ortaya koymaya katkı sağlayacaktır. Aynı zamanda toplumsal rollerindeki değişim nedeniyle siyasal sosyalizasyonlarında bir dönüm noktasında olan ergenlerin algıları, görüşleri, inançları ve değerlendirmeleri, siyasetin ve siyasi paradigmanın bu bağlamda nasıl evrileceği sorusunu aydınlatabilecektir. Bu çalışmanın bulguları siyaset, siyasallaşma ve siyasal katılımla ilgili kodların yeniden kurgulanmasına katkı sağlayabilir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Siyasal Sosyalizasyon, Gençlik Çalışmaları, Siyasal Algı, Siyasal Etki, Siyasal Katılım v “to whom I am confined…” vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şen who cracked the door and gave me the opportunity to accomplish this thesis. I am deeply grateful for his inspiring guidance. I am also thankful to Assist. Prof. Asuman Göksel for her contributions who helped me to improve my work. Lastly, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to TEDMEM family; Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk, Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Palancı, Dr. Sabiha Sunar, Fulya Koyuncu and Hüseyin Körpeoğlu. I am indebted for their priceless support along the way and their presence in the hardest times. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM...........................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iv ÖZ ............................................................................................................................... v DEDICATION .......................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ viii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background of the Study ....................................................................... 4 1.2. Significance of the Study .................................................................... 10 1.3. Methodology ....................................................................................... 14 2. BACK TO BASICS: A REVIEW ON POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION STUDIES...................................................................................................... 20 2.1 Early Years of Political Socialization: Youth as an Apolitical Mass .. 25 2.2 Political Socialization after 1970: A Change in the Apolitical Image of Youth ................................................................................................... 30 2.3 Discussion on Agents and Factors of Political Socialization .............. 34 2.4. A Short Visit to the Background of Political Perception, Impact of Politics and Political Participation ...................................................... 41 3. DISCUSSION .............................................................................................. 50 3.1 Three Approaches: Life Politics of Self-Actualization is the New Black ................................................................................................... 50 3.2 Findings of the Study .......................................................................... 61 3.2.1 Political Interest of Youth: Is it Youth Uninterested in Politics?62 viii 3.2.2. Political Perception of Youth: Politicians are under the Beds .. 64 3.2.3. Impact of Politics: For Me? No Thanks! .................................. 73 3.2.4. Political Participation: We Can Do It! But Sometimes ............. 79 3.3. Discussion of the Findings .................................................................. 89 3.4. Instead of Conclusion ........................................................................ 107 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 111 APPENDICES........................................................................................................ 130 A. Data Collection Instruments ........................................................................ 146 B. Turkish Summary ........................................................................................ 150 C. Tez Fotokopisi İzin Formu .......................................................................... 146 ix LIST OF TABLES TABLES Table 1. Sample.........................................................................................................16 Table 2: Emancipatory Politics versus Life Politics ................................................ 62 Table 3. Answers Given to the Questionnaire. ......................................................... 63 Table 4: What comes to your mind when you hear the word politics? .................... 64 Table 5: Reasons why participants have chosen positive adjectives....................... 66 Table 6: What do you think about whether politicians keep their promises or not? 67 Table 7: What do you think about whether politicians make mistakes or not?....... 67 Table 8: What do you think about whether politicians take the opinions of whom they represent into consideration? ............................................................................ 68 Table 9: Do you think politicians change before and after the elections ................. 68 Table 10: How do you think is the qualifications of public services provided by the politicians?................................................................................................................ 70 Table 11: Reasons why do you think people become politicians? ........................... 71 Table 12: In your opinion how should politics be like? ........................................... 72 Table 13: In your opinion how should politicians be like? ..................................... 73 Table 14: Reasons why participants are uncomfortable with the ways of which politics is done and operated .................................................................................... 76 Table 15: Responses regarding policies related to which issues and social institutions influence the participants' lives. ........................................................... 77 Table 16: What kind of a physiological impact does politics have? ........................ 78 Table 17: Do you think political participation is important? ................................... 80 Table 18: Types of Participation List ......................................................................