The Radical Habitus and Agency: Refugee Narrations of Political Activism in Turkey

The population of leftist activists in Turkey in the second half of the twentieth century has long been an under-researched community. Many members of this diverse group of people fled the country after periods of post-military coup clampdowns, with a large percentage settling as refugees in various European countries. Within this community not only is there ideological variance under the broad heading of “leftism” but also significant ethnic, religious, and socio-economic differences. By drawing on in-depth interviews I conducted with both Turkish and Kurdish refugees living in Switzerland, this article addresses the following research questions: What types of agency do we see (if any) in individuals recounting their entrance into political activism, particularly in high-risk political environments? How do these individuals conceptualize and communicate their views on their own agency in the context of the interview? I pair these research questions and participant responses with a critical exploration of the work of theorists of habitus and agency. In so doing, I argue that these narrative accounts reveal a shared critical disposition towards state institutions, the political order, and societal conventions. This critical disposition is key to understanding not only why these refugees became politically active in the first place, but also how they view and narrate their agency many years later