Overview

The sudden emergence of an Islamist movement and the startling buoyancy of Islamic political parties in Turkey - a model of secular modernization, a cosmopolitan frontier and NATO ally - has puzzled Western observers. As the appeal of the Islamist Refah (Welfare) Party spread through Turkish society, including the middle class, in the 1990s, the party won numerous local elections and became one of the largest parties represented in parliament, even holding the prime ministership between 1996 and 1998. Welfare was formally banned and closed in 1998, as was its successor Fazilet (Virtue), in 2001, for allegedly posing a threat to the state, but the Islamist movement continues to grow in popularity. Jenny White has produced an ethnography of contemporary Istanbul that charts the success of Islamist mobilization through the eyes of ordinary people. Drawing on neighbourhood interviews gathered over 20 years' fieldwork, she focuses intently on the genesis and continuing appeal of Islamic politics in the fabric of Turkish society and among mobilizing and mobilized elites, women and educated populations. White shows how everyday concerns and interpersonal relations, rather than Islamic dogma, helped Welfare gain access to community networks, building on continuing face-to-face relationships by way of interactions with constituents through trusted neighbours. To illuminate the local culture of Istanbul, White has interviewed residents, activists, party officials, and municipal administrators and participated in their activities. She draws on rich experiences and research made possible by years of first-hand observation in the streets and homes of Umraniye, a large neighbourhood that grew in tandem with Turkey's modernization in the late 20th century.

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Reviews

Jenny White's book is a timely contribution to our understanding of the recent success of the Justice and Development Party in Turkey's parliamentary elections. The book provides fresh insights into the resilience of Islamic activism in Turkey, despite the government's continuous efforts to suppress it and to ban the political parties inspired by this movement . . . . [White] grounds her analysis in rich ethnography that brings to life her informants and their daily struggles. * Middle East Journal * The most important contribution of White's study is found in its rich exploration of the daily lives, beliefs and attitudes, and aspirations of the citizens of the Umraniye district of Istanbul. White takes great care in carrying out this meticulous research and presents the reader a wonderful insight into these people's environment..An excellent analysis in cultural anthropolgy and sociology. * International Journal of Turkish Studies * Anthropologist White has presented a gripping study of Islamization in contemporary Turkey. . . . With it's engaging style and fascinating people, conversation, and events, White's book will appeal to students and the educated public, as well as to those specifically interested in Turkey, Islam, politics, gender, and civil society. * Religious Studies Review * Islamist Mobilization in Turkey offers a rich ethnographic study of the grassroots Islamist mobilization in urban Turkey. * H-Net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences *

Jenny White's book is a timely contribution to our understanding of the recent success of the Justice and Development Party in Turkey's parliamentary elections. The book provides fresh insights into the resilience of Islamic activism in Turkey, despite the government's continuous efforts to suppress it and to ban the political parties inspired by this movement ... [White] grounds her analysis in rich ethnography that brings to life her informants and their daily struggles. Middle East Journal The most important contribution of White's study is found in its rich exploration of the daily lives, beliefs and attitudes, and aspirations of the citizens of the Umraniye district of Istanbul. White takes great care in carrying out this meticulous research and presents the reader a wonderful insight into these people's environment..An excellent analysis in cultural anthropolgy and sociology. International Journal of Turkish Studies Anthropologist White has presented a gripping study of Islamization in contemporary Turkey... With it's engaging style and fascinating people, conversation, and events, White's book will appeal to students and the educated public, as well as to those specifically interested in Turkey, Islam, politics, gender, and civil society. Religious Studies Review Islamist Mobilization in Turkey offers a rich ethnographic study of the grassroots Islamist mobilization in urban Turkey. H-Net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Author Information

Jenny B. White is associate professor of anthropology at Boston University.

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