Moralism, Hegemony, and Political Islam in Turkey: Gendered Portrayals in A Tv Series

Abstract

This article offers a feminist reading of the neoliberal-conservative hegemony in Turkey through one TV series, Yepren Dusler,Fler, broadcast on a prominent pro-Islamist TV channel, Samanyolu. Drawing on research into the political effects of storytelling through mass media, we reveal the gendered working of Turkey's neoliberalconservative hegemony, which has been in effect since the late 2000s despite various shifts and relocations. Our main argument is that the gendered subjectivities represented in stories told to the public through the mass media contain important clues for exploring hegemonic constellations. They also hint at possible breaches between hegemonic allies. This article takes issue with the basic assets of the neoliberal-conservative hegemony. It also considers the transitivity between the symbolic and the real by analyzing the connection between claims to moral improvement in this TV series and neoliberal preferences in real politics.