Labour and occupation during the early republican era: Meslek magazine 1924-1925

Abstract

This thesis examines the early Republican Era and evaluates the discussions about economic policies and working life between 1920s and 1930s within the context of the Meslek magazine published between 1924-1925. Following World War I and the Independence War and in the climate of the nation-state building, several actors in Republican Turkey, including state authorities, intellectuals, tradesmen and workers who played a role in the formation of National Economy, were concerned with the problems of economy and intended to confront the problem of economic activities, expressed their discontent about the future of the country and made efforts to solve these problems. One of the most important attempts concerned the applications and the problematizations related to the working life and situation of trade activities in the country. In this sense, the Meslek Magazine and the idea and the programme of Occupational Representation endorsed by the group around this publication has led to important discussions on economic policies and representativeness in the political system both in the years of World War I and in the early Republican period. The advocates of this movement indulged in close examination of various occupational groups, sectors and occupational organizations and they published their ideas on the current changes and developments in the Meslek magazine. Meslek magazine hailed and devoted its pages to the news about new organizations formed or the occupational groups that are being currently organized, alongside the articles focused on the problems faced by the tradesman, the artisans and local producers in the search of remedies to their problems during their actual struggles. This thesis, on the one hand, attempts to examine the group formed around the idea of Occupational Representation both in terms of their political opinions and by surveying the magazine they produced, namely Meslek in which problems of the period and information on the news related to occupations were covered. On the other hand, it aims to draw a picture of the economi and working life and conditions of work in the early years of the Turkish Republic.