Fromtothe Republic of Turkey was in effect ruled as an authoritarian singleparty regime, During these years the state embarked upon an extensive reform programme of modernisation and nationbuilding, Alexandros Lamprou here offers an alternative understanding of social change and statesociety relations in Turkey, shifting the focus from the state as the prime instigator of change to the population's participation in the process of reform.
Through the study of the 'People's Houses', the community centres opened and operated by the Republican People's Party in most cities and towns of Turkey, and using previously unpublished archival material, Lamprou analyses how ordinary people experienced, negotiated and resisted the reforms in thes ands and how this process contributed to the shaping of social identities.
This book will be essential reading for students and scholars of nationbuilding, sociocultural change and statesociety relations in modern Turkey.
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