Psychopolitical Determinations on the Administrative and Economic Motivations of Classical Period Ottoman Identity

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to analyze the construction process of the Ottoman large group identity within the framework of political, economic, social, cultural structures and the social networks during the classical period. This approach is not new to the discipline of history. However, in this study, we discuss the formation of Ottoman large group identity through an interdisciplinary perspective using theories and concepts of social psychology and sociology. The argument is that the institutional structure and organization of the Ottoman Empire, which regulated the interactions and relations of different social group members, led to the development of a dual identity model. This inclusive organization model, which was shaped by Ottoman rule, strengthened the formation of positive attitudes toward unification/integration between the groups, while preserving sub-identities, and contributing to the simultaneous identification of group members with both superordinate and sub-group identities. Objective representations such as Ottoman Greek, Ottoman Armenian, and Ottoman Jew can be perceived as the most concrete examples of dual identity formations within Ottoman society.

Keywords

• collective identity
• dual identity
• large group identity
• political psychology
• the ottoman empire
• i̇kili kimlik
• kolektif kimlik
• osmanlı i̇mparatorluğu
• politik psikoloji
• üst kimlik