Irem Aydin
Research Details
Thesis Name
The Protest in Authoritarian Regimes: Gezi Park Resistance in Turkey.Thesis Abstract
Under an authoritarian regime where the independence of the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches has been eroded and the media functions merely as a tool for propaganda, people often turn to protests as a means of seeking change. However, whether successful or not, large-scale protests in authoritarian regimes frequently result in significant losses. These losses affect not only individuals but also society as a whole. When a society experiences collective losses, deep scars are left on its collective memory. This, in turn, influences how future generations perceive and approach social movements and protests. Particularly, when protests fail, the meaning of these losses may be questioned, potentially leading to an even more authoritarian regime. As a result, societies may become increasingly silent. Silence in authoritarian regimes is not merely a consequence of repression mechanisms; it is also a survival strategy developed by societies in response to traumatic experiences.
This PhD thesis, consisting of a creative artefact (a film), an accompanying reflective exegesis and research component, examines the journey from individual trauma to collective memory, analyzing the impact of remembrance on individuals and societies under authoritarian regimes. The film explores an individual’s process of confronting past traumas through psychotherapy, investigating how the act of remembering can emerge as a form of resistance and a path out of political silence.
The central research question "How can creative practice enable the witnessing of collective trauma, and how might therapeutic approaches be incorporated in this process?" is explored not only as an academic inquiry but also as an artistic investigation. In contexts where authoritarian regimes deny or suppress political violence, creative practices may offer an alternative archive—one that gives form to what has been silenced, enabling new modes of individual and collective remembrance and resistance.
