Exploring Asabiya and Social Capital Nexus in Modern Turkish Society

Abstract

Despite the modernization project has been prevailing in Turkey for more than 200 years, social life still preserves and sustains traditional patterns when prevailing social values, institutional structures and practices are considered. This study claims that the coexistence of traditional and modern, which signifies the authenticity of social formation of Turkey, can be explored from the Ibn Khaldunian notion of asabiyyah, and also from the well-known concept of social capital contributed much by Fukuyama, Coleman, Putnam and Bourdieu. While modern life style atomizes individual within the society, social capital arises as a new form of binding individuals together to regain solidarity and cooperation. Similarly, asabiya provides the sustainability of community-based social atmosphere.