Crip Activism in Populist Times: Disability, Gender, and Infrastructure in Turkey

Abstract

Populism is increasingly transforming discourses, practices, identities, and everyday life in many parts of the world. Turkey is one of many countries where a populist ‘us’ versus ‘them’ dichotomy has divided society into two camps: the ‘corrupt elite,’ accused of neglecting ‘the people,’ who deserve the state’s support, especially under neoliberal conditions. Disabled women are particularly affected by these trends, as their mobility and everyday lives are intimately tied to support like state-provided infrastructure. In Turkey, populist polarization is also deeply intertwined with patriarchal gender norms, shaping how disabled women experience disability, advocate for change, and relate to one another. This dissertation, based on over 12 months of ethnographic research in Turkey, explores how disabled women from diverse religious, political, ideological, and class backgrounds navigate life in such a context and engage with the state and one another. First, it shows that disabled women, regardless of affiliation, can access what I call disability infrastructure—state-provided services, spaces, and benefits—which at times empowers them but also deepens inequalities through selective recognition and distribution. Second, it examines how bodily vulnerability and discourses of ‘victimhood’ influence disabled women’s activism, generating distinct dynamics of political action, such as rights-based versus charity-based approaches. Finally, the dissertation analyzes how patriarchal polarization shapes the ways disabled women organize activism and build relationships across divides.