The Underdevelopment of Turkish Social Sciences
Turkish social sciences—including fields like law, literature, history, political science, economics, psychology, and sociology—are among the weakest in the country. This is primarily because Turkey has fallen behind its European counterparts and has historically prioritized areas deemed essential for its survival. The military has always been the foremost focus; Turkey has consistently been a dominant military power in the region. Skilled labor was constantly drawn into the armed forces; in this militaristic society, the highest skill was considered to be warfare. The Ottoman Empire, Turkey’s predecessor, relied heavily on a war economy and, in fact, often collected taxes in the form of soldiers due to continuous conflicts.
Survival First: Social Sciences as a Secondary Concern
We can look to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, or simply common sense, to understand our priorities. A community must survive before it can truly build; this is a matter of social survival. After physical survival, we seek respect, love, knowledge, and beauty. To pursue knowledge, a foundation must first be established. Like an individual, Turkey has adopted Western institutions in its vital sectors, such as the military and industry. However, social sciences have remained a secondary area of interest.
Academic Shortcomings and Recurring Social Crises
Compared to their European counterparts, Turkish academia often lacks appropriate methodology and talent. The situation is even worse in the social sciences, as natural sciences are often seen as more vital for economic survival. Without robust social sciences, how can Turkey overcome its social crises? It often doesn’t; instead, it frequently experiences social collapse. While political borders may often remain unchanged, the social structures, institutions, and ideals within the country tend to crumble. This happens because society’s reality isn’t built on factual foundations, which is precisely what we need to build upon.
Building the Future Through Social Sciences
Just as we build a future for our individual lives, as a society, we must construct our future through the social sciences. The future is built upon social constructs. Much like an individual shapes their career through human relationships, society shapes its trajectory through social institutions. Turkish academia rarely “builds”; at best, it produces descriptive foundational essays. Every social worker should remember that social sciences are meant to build the future, reflecting the ideals of individuals.
The Divergence: Natural Sciences vs. Social Sciences
Natural sciences deal with the past of the universe, while social sciences are concerned with the future of humanity. Natural sciences are about reality, the past, and what is given; social sciences are about possibility, the future, and creation. Not all social sciences embrace this mission; they often focus on the past. Yes, we must understand the universe’s past through natural sciences and the history of social structures within our species. But why bother knowing them if we’re not actively building the future?
The Struggle Within Turkish Academia
Turkish academia seems to be struggling for survival, let alone building the future. This is the biggest problem. The field doesn’t appear invigorated because it’s not grounded in facts for future construction. To build our future on concrete, factual foundations, we must first turn to science, then continue to observe society objectively, and proceed to build it.
Evidence of Academic Challenges and Brain Drain
Evidence of the struggle within Turkish academia is clear in the entrance exam for the Military Academy, where approximately 600,000 students apply each year, but only 3,000 are accepted. Turkish students consistently score the lowest in social sciences (p. 81). Despite an abundance of material on social sciences, history, and human relations in the country, Turkey continues to lag in these areas. After university entrance exams, the minimum score threshold was abolished because many departments remained empty. Nevertheless, the Turkish state, unable to attract strong students to basic sciences, has introduced incentives and scholarships for selected departments.
The Exodus of Prominent Social Scientists
Many of Turkey’s most successful and reputable social scientists often live abroad. They typically choose to leave Turkey to continue their research due to political reasons or financial difficulties. There’s a reason why renowned historians like Halil İnalcık, Şevket Pamuk, Stanford J. Shaw, Bernard Lewis, and Cemal Kafadar, or writers like Orhan Pamuk, Elif Şafak, Nazım Hikmet, and Yaşar Kemal, have spent significant portions of their lives abroad. This points to the arid climate for social sciences in Turkey and the difficulty of building the future in the face of reactionary forces.
