Mainstreaming the Headscarf: Islamist Politics and Women in the Turkish Media

Description

With the rise to power of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the early 2000s in Turkey, the headscarf that used be looked down upon by the secular middle and upper classes moved to the mainstream. It has since become a symbol of desirable womanhood. This development has pushed Turkey’s secular feminists, who had been critical of the headscarf ban, to the margins. This book is the first to trace this new phase of conservative gender politics by examining the images of women’s headscarves across secular and Islamic news media. Based on the analysis of photographs and the columns of conservative women journalists, the book sheds light on how the AKP is transforming the image of womanhood. It also identifies the rise of the conservative female journalist as an important phenomenon in the country. Esra Özcan problematizes designators such as “Islamist women” or “Islamic feminists” and instead aims to understand these women in terms of their commitment to right-wing activism and politics, which has so far been ignored. An original contribution to feminist scholarship on Muslim women, this book draws on the unique perspectives of Visual Culture and Communication Studies. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Illustrations Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Islamist women, pious women, or conservative, right-wing women? Organization of the book 1 Old Versus New Turkey “Old Turkey” “New Turkey” under the Justice and Development Party Media under the AKP 2 The Headscarf as a Contested Terrain in Turkish Media and Politics Why universities? The headscarf, conservative families ,and the control of women’s sexuality The headscarf, Islamism, and the secular establishment The headscarf and the liberal democrats The headscarf and Turkish feminists The headscarf under the AKP 3 Transformation of the Representations of the Headscarf in Religious and Secular Newspapers Gender and visual culture of newspapers in Turkey The headscarf representing “the people” Narratives and counter-narratives Images of success Images of poverty Images of conservative female journalists 4 The Rise of the Conservative Female Journalist and the Mainstreaming of the Headscarf Justifying and legitimating authoritarianism: the AKP, Erdoğan, and conservative female journalists Dilemma between objectivity and partisanship: women as critical voices from inside the AKP The Gezi protests and Islamist female journalists Populist language in pro-AKP women columnists’ writing Women and right-wing politics Wounded conscience 5 Loss of Sisterhood: Challenges for the Progressive Feminist Movement in Turkey The rise of antifeminism and the breakdown of sisterhood Who represents “women’s rights”? Conflicting perspectives on the AKP’s gender policies The institutionalization of antifeminism in Turkey Possibilities for the future of feminism in Turkey Who are the new allies against authoritarianism? Feminism and religion: an uneasy relationship Conclusion 6 Conclusion—Toward a New Gender Equilibrium Shifting hegemonies Toward a new gender equilibrium: a new gender hegemony Images of contradiction: changing connotations of the headscarf The disconnect Notes Select Bibliography Index