Violence as a communicative action: Customary and honor killings

Abstract

The concept of gender plays an evident role in arranging the social structure. It is observed that societies are commonly arranged with a matriarchal structure or a patriarchal structure.

In matriarchal structure, women are in a respected position that has a social power. On the contrary, patriarchal structure operates with an understanding that men are superior. Patriarchal structures reign inversely proportional to the civilization level of the society especially in the societies in which monotheistic religions are practiced. It is believed that bloodline is continued over men. The perception, which considers man as a seed and woman as soil, reduces the women to a carrier for continuing the human bloodline. This perception affects human relations to a great extent. Social and legal norms, which are formed in order to maintain the social order, are formed and practiced within the scope of this perception. Social order is regarded as normal in view of this perception. Socialization materializes in compliance with this perception, and values are reproduced in accordance with this perception. These are all actions which are performed in a communicative sense.

Blended with violence; blood feud; honor killing; ‘berdel’ (the bartering of women between families to avoid paying dowry related expenses to each other); similar practices and cultural structure, the patriarchal understanding becomes the language of daily life in the extent of communicative action.

Customary and honor killings – which are performed with the discourse of honor, customary, and pride that were conveyed to other regions and countries with the internal and the external migration commonly practiced especially in the Eastern and Southeastern regions of Turkey – are types of violence that are emerged with the patriarchal structure as a communicative action; they are fed by ignorance; and they have an economic background.

In this study, an attempt will be made to question the reasons for the customary and honor killings which are currently highlighted in the media and to analyze the social structure in the societies in which these killing are performed, and as an aim to find a solution to this problem, the issue will be discussed with the following questions; Is violence a communicative action? When and why does violence become a communicative action?