Subjects in Contested Spaces: Securitisation of Kurdish Langauge in Syria

Authors

  • Author

  • Yunus Abakay Corresponding author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31430/wvlm5255

Keywords:

Language, Security Discourse, Public Space, Social Body, Power Relations

Abstract

As Kurdish identity was perceived as a security issue by the state in Syria, governments took measures against the use and perceptibility of Kurdish language and manifestation of the identity, in public spaces. The securitisation of the language did not only come into effect in legal measures but also in ordinary people perceiving Kurdish language as an abject act to counter in public spaces. In spaces where Kurds constituted the majority and in reciprocal relations the effect of these measures could be minimised and those opposing its use could be challenged. Based on ethnographic data collected from interviews with Syrian Kurds and the Foucauldian concept of power, this study analyses multiple relations of subjugation deep-rooted in social relations. This is to understand power relations beyond the dichotomic relation of domination and to recognise the power that a minority could exercise by reproducing and validating the use of the language as a community facing repressive measures.

References

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Published

2022-04-01

Article dates

Received: November 9, 2021 Revised: January 10, 2021 Accepted: February 22, 2022

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Vol. 10 No. 040 (2022): Issue 040

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