Hegemonie in Zeit und Raum. Zur Dekonstruktion des Zentrum/Peripherie-Gegensatzes in der Hegemonietheorie am Beispiel Türkei

Abstract

Schlagwörter: Hegemonie, Zentrum, Peripherie, Kapitalismus, Krise, Türkei, Politischer Islam, AKP, Kemalismus

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Hegemony in Time and Space.

Abstract

Deconstructing the Core/Periphery Antagonism in Theory of Hegemony  Using the Example of Turkey. Whether the concepts developed by Antonio Gramsci are limited to a specific period and area is a recurring question in debates regarding his theory of hegemony. One strand of the debate is  marked by the argument that his theory’s analytical potential is limited to a specifi c historical period, as well as to core capitalist countries,  suggesting that its utility is restricted; the argument suggests that  Gramsci’s theory may not be appropriate for studies regarding  (semi-)peripheral social formations. In particular, the assumption of the  predominance of coercion and violence in the (semi-)periphery tendsto  neglect the societal anchor-points of consent, compromise and leadership. Following a second strand of the debate, this article argues that the rise of bourgeois society and a new „exploitation complex“ should be analyzed in its historically and culturally specific conditions, without limiting the  analytical perspective to certain patterns of hegemony considered as typical for core countries. This approach will be exemplified by focusing on two historical periods in Turkey: 1) the foundation period of the Turkish nation state, when the development of the capitalist mode of production  was in its early stages and 2) the contemporary period, which is marked by a shift within the capitalist mode of production in conjunction with the rise of a religious bourgeoisie.

Keywords: Hegemony, Core, Periphery, Capitalism, Crisis, Turkey, Political Islam, AKP, Kemalism