Work

‘Show me your phone!’: Affect, neoliberal rationality and nationalism in Türkiye’s street interviews

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: As a recent cultural phenomenon, street interviews (vox pops, sokak röportajları ) in Türkiye have challenged the country’s captured media ecology and its neoliberal authoritarian establishment. Produced by journalists and circulated through social media, these interviews invite citizens to reflect on pressing national problems but soon become sites of intense political debate. In their discussions with dissidents in these interviews, pro-government citizens frequently say ‘show me your phone’ in the middle of the discussion to deflect political criticism. With this statement, pro-government citizens produce affective encounters, mobilize neoliberal rationality and circulate a nationalist politics of thankfulness. Probing the political work of ‘show me your phone’, we make a call for theorizing global neoliberal populisms beyond populist strongmen’s official talks and through ordinary citizens’ affective and networked performances around everyday objects.

Source: European Journal of Cultural Studies

DOI: 10.1177/13675494251380396

Authors: Ergin Bulut, Başak Can

Institutions: Goldsmiths University of London, Koç University

Language: English

Topic: Populism, Right-Wing Movements

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650