The Social Cost of Neoliberal Transformation in Türkiye: Structural Tensions, Crime and Social problems

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between the neoliberal economic policies implemented in Türkiye in the post-1980 period and crime, as well as certain social problems associated with crime, within the framework of Robert K. Merton’s Strain Theory. The study examines the economic, political and cultural dimensions of the neoliberal transformation process that became institutionalized following the 12 September military coup; it discusses how the social changes experienced during this process can be interpreted from the perspective of the Strain Theory. The study evaluates phenomena such as the structuralization of income inequalities, the transformation of welfare state practices, the rise of self-centered individualism, and the proliferation of competition- and consumption-oriented values, alongside crime and social problems considered to be linked to crime. In this context, Merton’s Strain Theory is examined as a theoretical framework suggesting that the mismatch between culturally encouraged goals of success and the legitimate means of achieving them can be linked to crime and deviant behavior. However, this study does not aim to test this relationship empirically. In this vein, Türkiye’s experience of neoliberal transformation is examined through a critical interpretative approach, drawing on the existing literature, relevant documents, official statistics and various institutional reports.