THE CITY AND THE CITIZEN: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

Ideally, democracies are built on the ability of all segments of society to participate in civil society to enhance their community’s well-being or to claim rights. Participation in civic and political activities is a key feature of equal citizenship. Sociopolitical features of a city may influence participation, developing different citizenship practices at the local level. Cities will differ in the types of CSOs that thrive, the particular grievances that CSOs address and the types of civic activities that prevail. This study examines how different sociopolitical settings in Turkey impact the development of active citizenship practices among participants in civil society organizations (CSOs). The conditions under which CSO participation may develop active citizenship is key to understanding the potential transformation of hierarchical and passive conceptualizations and practices of citizenship at the national level in Turkey. The study is based on semi-structured interviews conducted in three cities in Turkey. Findings reveal that sociopolitical differences foster the development of different dimensions of active citizenship at the urban level and hence challenge different legacies of citizenship in Turkey.

KENT VE VATANDAŞ: AKTİF VATANDAŞLIĞIN ÖNÜNDEKİ ENGELLERİ AŞMAK

Demokratik toplumların temel özellikleri arasında toplumun farklı kesimlerinin sivil topluma katılabilmesi ve hak taleplerinde bulunabilmesi vardır. Sivil ve siyasi faaliyetlere katılabilmek eşit vatandaşlığın temel özelliklerindendir. Farklı kentlerdeki siyasi ve sosyal özellikler toplumun değişik kesimlerinin katılımını etkileyebilir. Bu farklılıklar bir kentte yaygın olan STK türlerini, hedef gruplarını ve faaliyetlerini şekillendirebilir. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de sosyopolitik özellikler açısından değişkenlik gösteren illerde sivil toplum kuruluşlarına katılımın aktif vatandaşlık pratiklerinin gelişimine etkisini araştırmakta. Aktif vatandaşlık pratiklerinin gelişimi Türkiye’de pasif ve hiyerarşik olarak tanımlanan vatandaşlık algı ve pratiklerin olası dönüşümünü anlamak için önemlidir. Çalışma, sivil toplum katılımcıları ile üç ilde gerçekleştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış mülakatlara dayanmaktadır. Bulgular, iller arasında farklı aktif vatandaşlık boyutlarının geliştiğini ve dolayısıyla ulusal seviyedeki farklı vatandaşlık algı ve pratiklerini dönüştürme potansiyelinin var olduğunu göstermiştir.

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