Atatürk's Reforms and Theories of Social Change

Abstract

The main subject of our study is to evaluate the reforms of Atatürk in terms of the data on the important concepts that Social Science defines as "social change, culture change". For this purpose, we would like to answer the following questions and similar ones: are the reforms of Atatürk within the category of "social changes" or "cultural changes" defined by social science? What processes of social change are in question in Atatürk's reforms? In terms of the data of the famous Marxist theory on social change, how can revolutions dependent on Atatürk's principles be considered as social change? If we treat these revolutions as social change, do the resistances that show themselves in every social change continue to exist today? In terms of acceptance or rejection of the proposals for change, the principles determined by social science, what view do the data reflect in terms of Atatürk's reforms? In the face of the fact that some social reform-oriented change proposals are still not fully included in all sections of Turkish society, is it possible to consider them as innovation proposals that the society rejects?