What We Have After Mübeccel Kıray
Mübeccel Belik Kıray, one of the most eminent figures of qualitative sociological tradition of Turkey from 1960's onwards, mainly tried to understand social reality of Turkey in line with the modernization paradigm of the post-War Western social theory. She commited herself to gain a true perspective on the changing character of Turkish social structure and its fundamental problems arising in the transformation of Turkey. Throughout her academic life she chiefly concerned with the analysis of social change from tradition towards modernization. However according to her Turkish society was experiencing another phase between modernization and tradition, which can be named as transitonal one and it left a serious and critical burden on the shoulders of Turkish society. She thought that primary social problems of the society will be solved if the aim of modernization is going to be succeded. That explains why she choose the -rural development- as a principle research area. Her main contribution to Turkish sociology is to show that how qualitative sociological researchers can be well organized and pursued effectively. She also raised or affected a lot of young Turkish sociologists who currently try to continue their academic studies with the reference to Kıray's understanding of sociology and methodology. This study dwells on her sociological studies and tries to put them in the proper place within the contemporary Turkish sociology by presenting a short biography of Kıray, and then analysing her studies critically.
FAHRETTİN ALTUN
