Class and culture: The cases of Kırıkkale and Ankara

Abstract

This study elaborates useability of Wright's social class model which İs developed for the analysis of class formation and class structure of advanced capitalist societies, for the analyses of the same phenomenon in urban communities of newly industrial capitalist societies, such as Turkey. For this purposes, the model has been comprehended in accordance with other class models; and its decisive conceptualization of social class, based on relation of exploitation has been identified. Then, its basic concepts and premises about advanced capitalist societies have been elaborated with their problems, under the titles of class boundaries, class formation. The model has also been modified with respect to peculiarities of Kırıkkale and Ankara. Survey research and evaluations have been made through this new model of analysis. Lastly, explanatory power of class concepts have been elaborated through some selected variables, such as religious and political actions. Comprehension on issue has been carried out by a comparative approach, on Kırıkkale, a middle sized industrial city and Ankara national capital. Some further comparisons have also been realized with advanced capitalist societies, USA and Swedert. in this context, it is argued that VVright's model of social class are suppressed by capitalism bîas and economic reductionism. it comprehends economic relations i.e., relations of exploitations as the determînants of other social relations. Thus, it misunderstood non economic factors, such as influences of clientalism in Turkey. Model disregards some of the persons who are un- integrated with capitalism vvithin relations of production. Also, it disregards differences between economic sectors, when deciding class boundaries, such as manufacturing and tourism; and betvveen forms of ovvnership of means of production, such as private and state ovvnerships in Turkey. Then, class categories vvhich are in usage have less ör no povver to explain other social occurrences. On the other hand, Wright's model also enable us to see that studied urban territories have gained characteristics of class society vvhich has class categories peculiar to capitalist societies. Also, it has seen as a decisive aspects for these two communİties that contradictory class locations are vvidely expanded, vvhich show both advance in capitalism through experts, supervisors and managers and also resisting against capitalism through small employers, petty bourgeoisie and petty traders as well as casual vvorkers. Keywords: Class, Culture, Social Change, Tovvn and City, Industrializatİon and Social Change. Science Code: 211.03.01 iv