Social Power And The Turkish State

This book focuses on the historical sociology of the Turkish state. It seeks to compare the development of the Ottoman/Turkish state with similar processes of large-scale historical change in Europe identified by Michael Mann in The Sources of Social Power. This book focuses on the historical sociology of the Turkish state. It seeks to compare the development of the Ottoman/Turkish state with similar processes of large-scale historical change in Europe identified by Michael Mann in The Sources of Social Power. It traces the contours of Turkey's 'modernisation' with the intention of formulating a fresh way to approach state development in countries on the global economic periphery, particularly those attempting to effect closer ties with Northern markets. It also highlights matters of social change pertinent to states grappling with issues relating to political Islam, minority identity and irredentist dissent. Review: This is an impressive book that succeeds admirably on two equally different fronts. It represents the first systematic application of Michael Mann's model of the sources of social power to a non-Western European case. In doing so it expands and enriches this influential mode of inquiry. Equally important is the skill with which Jacoby uses Mann's framework to offer a sweeping interpretation of the Ottoman and Turkish Republican histories and explains the Turkish military's political power in contemporary Turkey. Jacoby's work is an excellent testament to the considerable benefits both Turkish studies and macro-historical sociology would derive from an informed conversation between these two fields of study.. -Resat Kasaba, University of Washington Tim Jacoby shows convincingly that macro-sociology as practiced by Michael Mann can be used to illuminate concrete historical processes, in this case the emergence and development of the modern Turkish state. But he also argues that attending to the peculiarities of Ottoman history requires the refinement of Mann's categories. This interplay between theory and history helps to make his book a tour de force.. -Professor Alex Callinicos, Head of the Politics Department, University of York .