Resistance from within hegemony: rise of semi-anonymous resistance in Turkey's new media environment
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Date
2013
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Kadir Has Üniversitesi
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Abstract
Türkiye'de İnternet ve ifade özgürlüğü üzerine yapılan araştırmaların çoğu gözetim teknolojileri ve ülkedeki sansür politikalarına ilişkin çalışmalardır. Tüm bu çalışmalarda genel olarak yeni medyada ortaya çıkan politik iradelerin geleceğine ilişkin pesimist ifadeler vardır. Oysa burada söz konusu olan hegemonik bir süreçtir ve tüm bu baskı mekanizmaları tıpkı Raymond Williams'ın (1977, 110) belirttiği üzere hegemonyanın dinamik yapısı dahilinde direnişe de sürekli olarak, istemeksizin, alan sağlar. Bu direniş türlerinden biri de kullanıcıların kendi güvenliklerini sağlamak için kullandıkları profillerin anonimlik seviyeleri olarak görülebilir. Tez boyunca, anonim kullanım olarak kabul gören kullanım biçimleri tahlil edilerek, anonimliğin tam gereksinimlerini karşılayamayan aktivistlerin profilleri çıkarılarak, yarı-anonimlik durumu kavramsallaştırılmakta, yarı-anonimlik tecrübelerinden yola çıkarak, yarı-anonimlerin kimliklerini gizleme motivasyonları kategorik olarak incelenmekte, anonimlik, yarı-anonimlik ve görünürlük tanımları üstünden internet alanındaki kimliklerin görünülürlüğü gruplandırılmakta, dijital aktivistlerin anonimliğe ihtiyaç duymasına neden olan çeşitli motivasyonları ve yarı-anonim ve anonim kullanımın gelecekteki anonim ve anonim kullanımın gelecekteki politik avantajları araştırılmaktadır.
Most of the studies over freedom of expression and thought in Turkey's new media sphere focus on surveillance technologies and related legal constraints in the country's new media sphere. Taking hegemony as a dynamic process just as Raymond Williams (1977, 110) did, hegemony is perceived as a structure within which resistance can still be available despite all the constraining policies of governments and companies in our lives. Anonymous, semi-anonymous and non-anonymous or real identity based resistance actions are considered as three different forms of resistance based on identifiability preferences. This thesis analyses the conjectural anonymous uses of Internet by activists by analysing their profiles. Anonymity and semi-anonymity are conceptualized based on the users' experiences while necessity of being anonymous are studied categorically. This study conceptualizes forms of identifiability/ anonymity as anonymity, semi-anonymity and identifiability, it also focuses on different motives that resulted in the necessity of anonymity for digital activism. Thesis ends with a proposal about possible political uses of anonymity and semi-anonymity in the future for a radical democracy model.
Most of the studies over freedom of expression and thought in Turkey's new media sphere focus on surveillance technologies and related legal constraints in the country's new media sphere. Taking hegemony as a dynamic process just as Raymond Williams (1977, 110) did, hegemony is perceived as a structure within which resistance can still be available despite all the constraining policies of governments and companies in our lives. Anonymous, semi-anonymous and non-anonymous or real identity based resistance actions are considered as three different forms of resistance based on identifiability preferences. This thesis analyses the conjectural anonymous uses of Internet by activists by analysing their profiles. Anonymity and semi-anonymity are conceptualized based on the users' experiences while necessity of being anonymous are studied categorically. This study conceptualizes forms of identifiability/ anonymity as anonymity, semi-anonymity and identifiability, it also focuses on different motives that resulted in the necessity of anonymity for digital activism. Thesis ends with a proposal about possible political uses of anonymity and semi-anonymity in the future for a radical democracy model.