The deepening economic crisis, increasing political pressure and growing social silence in Turkey also affect citizens' struggle to seek their rights.
So why are millions of people silent despite the injustices experienced? Why are the reactions of unions, professional organizations and non-governmental organizations becoming weaker?
Sociologist Semih Turan, in his evaluation to Cumhuriyet, described the situation that society was dragged into as "social learned helplessness".
Turan pointed out that oppression policies, fear and despair strengthen the belief that "We cannot change anything" in society.
'SOCIETY IS LOSING THE WILL TO CHANGE'
Sociologist Semih Turan stated that society's silence in the face of injustice cannot be explained only by individual preferences, and that economic conditions, political pressures and social inequalities create a systematic feeling of helplessness in citizens.
Turan emphasized that the basis of social learned helplessness lies in the belief of "not being able to change" and stated that over time, people lose the will to seek their rights and oppose the current order.
Pointing out that anger against injustice should turn into a social struggle under normal circumstances, Turan noted that the environment of oppression and fear prevents this transformation and citizens are becoming increasingly passive.
'PEOPLE CENSOR THEMSELVES EVEN IF THERE IS NO PRESSURE'
Turan stated that the harsh interventions of authoritarian governments towards protests, punishments and judicial sanctions created fear and acceptance in society, and pointed out that this situation turned into a permanent form of behavior over time.
According to Turan, one of the most dangerous consequences of oppression is that citizens begin to censor themselves without being subjected to direct intervention.
Stating that the silence of the society is not limited to fear, Turan stated that the break from politics is also becoming increasingly common. He emphasized that citizens have begun to believe that participating in protests, supporting petitions, or even going to the polls to vote will not change the current order.
THE DISCOURSE 'NOTHING HAPPENS FROM THESE PEOPLE' ALSO CONSUMS THE OPPOSITION
Stating that the increasingly widespread collective pessimism in society poses a serious danger for the democratic struggle, Turan stated that the discourses "Nothing can happen to these people" and "Nothing changes in this country" were responded to not only among ordinary citizens but also in organizations seeking rights.
Emphasizing that this understanding weakens the fighting power of the social opposition, Turan pointed out that the failure of unions, professional organizations and non-governmental organizations to raise enough voice should be evaluated in this context.
According to Turan's analysis, one of the biggest problems of society is not that it is unaware of injustices, but that it has lost the belief that it has the power to change injustices.
'ORGANIZED STRUGGLE IS THE WAY OUT OF DESPAIR'
Stating that it is possible to overcome social learned helplessness, Turan said that the first condition for this is for citizens to stop seeing the current situation as an unchangeable fate.
Drawing attention to sociologist Doug McAdam's concept of "cognitive liberation", Turan argued that social opposition should focus not only on the injustices experienced one by one, but on the system itself that produces these injustices.
Stating that small and concrete gains are important as well as big goals in order to re-establish the belief in change in society, Turan cited the environmental struggles in Akbelen and Kaz Mountains, the resistance of the miners and the Saraçhane actions as examples.
Turan stated that the gains to be achieved in local struggles can strengthen citizens' belief that they can achieve results by acting together.
'ECONOMIC CRISIS ARE THE WEAKEST PERIOD OF POWERS'
Pointing out that economic crises affect not only the living conditions of citizens but also the social support of political governments, Turan stated that economic turmoil and divisions within the administration can change the political balances.
Turan stated that the division of dominant structures within themselves, economic crises and international pressures can weaken the perception that governments are strong and unchangeable.
Evaluating the recent funding crisis, Turan argued that this crisis is one of the concrete examples of the debates and divisions within the government. Stating that periods of economic crisis are the weakest periods of governments, Turan pointed out that social support may decline rapidly during these periods.
THE REAL DANGER IS GETTING USED TO INJUSTICE
Turan's evaluations point out that the growing social silence in Turkey is not only a political but also a sociological problem.
