Voices That Matter: Kurdish Women at the Limits of Representation in Contemporary Turkey

In Voices That Matter, Marlene Schäfers examines the sociopolitical power of Kurdish womens voices in contemporary Turkey, revealing that "raising one's voice" is fraught with anxieties, dilemmas, and contradictions. She shows that new vocal practices produce new selves and practices of social relations, and how contemporary politics foster new hopes and desires but also create novel vulnerabilities as they valorize, elicit, and discipline voice in the name of empowerment and liberation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 11 November 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

“Raise your voice!” and “Speak up!” are familiar refrains that assume, all too easily, that gaining voice will lead to empowerment, healing, and inclusion for marginalized subjects. Marlene Schäfers' Voices That Matter reveals where such assumptions fall short, demonstrating that “raising one's voice” is no straightforward path to emancipation but fraught with anxieties, dilemmas, and contradictions. In its attention to the voice as form, this book examines not only what voices say but also how they do so, focusing on Kurdish contexts where oral genres have a long, rich legacy. Examining the social labor that voices carry out as they sound, speak, and resonate, Schäfers shows that where new vocal practices arise, they produce new selves and practices of social relations.

In Turkey, recent decades have seen Kurdish voices gain increasing moral and political value as metaphors of representation and resistance. Women's voices, in particular, are understood as potent means to withstand patriarchal restrictions and political oppression. By ethnographically tracing the transformations in how Kurdish women relate to and employ their voices as a result of these shifts, Schäfers illustrates how contemporary politics foster not only new hopes and desires but also create novel vulnerabilities as they valorize, elicit, and discipline voice in the name of empowerment and liberation.

The book's central argument is that the voice is not just a means of communication but also a site of power and resistance. It explores how the voice is used to express identity, negotiate power relations, and challenge dominant narratives. The author draws on a range of empirical evidence, including interviews, fieldwork, and analysis of media and cultural texts, to illustrate how Kurdish women use their voices to resist oppression, promote social change, and assert their rights.

One of the key themes of the book is the relationship between the voice and gender. The author argues that the voice is not just a tool of male domination but also a means of resistance and empowerment for women. Women's voices are often silenced or marginalized in patriarchal societies
societies, but the book shows how they can be used to challenge gender norms, promote gender equality, and assert women's rights. The author also explores how the voice can be used to promote social cohesion and solidarity among marginalized communities.

Another important theme of the book is the relationship between the voice and power. The author argues that the voice is not just a means of expressing oneself but also a tool of political and social power. The book shows how the voice can be used to challenge dominant power structures, promote social justice, and assert the rights of marginalized communities. The author also explores how the voice can be used to promote cultural diversity and heritage.

The book's conclusion highlights the importance of recognizing the power of the voice and the need to promote its use as a means of resistance and empowerment for marginalized communities. The author argues that the voice is not just a tool of individual expression but also a collective and social force that can be used to challenge dominant power structures and promote social change. The book provides a valuable contribution to the field of anthropology and sociology, particularly in the study of gender, power, and resistance. It offers a nuanced and empirically grounded analysis of how the voice is used to express identity, negotiate power relations, and challenge dominant narratives. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of anthropology, sociology, gender studies, and cultural studies.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226823058