Türkiye'de Erkekliğin Cinsel Politikası: Kimlikler ve Sünnet Pratikleri

Abstract

It’s known that there’s a bodily-sexual policy of masculinity in Turkish society and the circumcision ritual is the first step in the process of constructing this politics in Turkey, as it is sentenced by Selek (2018) and Barutçu (2013). Circumcision’s an early masculinity experience in which boys’re introduced to ‘Selamlık’ and sexual isolation practices they witness whilst they’re on their way to “becoming the ideal man”. Therefore, this research aimed to discuss different masculinity constructions in the intersection of religious/ethno-religious identity and sexual orientation, and the circumcision ritual. Additionally, research aims to investigate the violations of rights (physical-sexual violence) upon the bodies of boys through the social construction of masculinity. Thereby, a feminist qualitative research which is methodically focusing on the perspective of critical masculinity studies was designed and in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 Alewi-heterosexual, Sunni-heterosexual, Alewi-gay and Sunni-gay men. Consequently, men's masculinity’s shaped and learnt by social institutions such as family, education life, etc. Also, men's experiences differ through intersections of identities, thereby while 'shame' and 'feeling of guilt' take place in many stages of sexual orientation and sexual experience for Sunni men especially, these feelings don’t come to the fore in the lives of Alewi gay men. Another result, the concept of 'assimilation', which is a result of the Turkification policy, lies in the shaping of the masculinity of men have minority ethnic identities. The idea of a masculinity coalition on the axis of these assimilation and oppression experiences of minority men could have been put on the agenda. Regarding circumcision, it’s seen that circumcision contains elements that will create a violation of rights in both local and international laws. Additionally, it’s been observed that men internalize patriarchal codes with circumcision ritual during their childhood and this internalization differs according to whether they’re Alewi or Sunni.