Lerner’s story highlights the massive amount of change that occurred in Balgat in just four years. Not only did infrastructure change — like the village becoming a part of Ankarra, clean water, electricity — but the mindset of the people changed as well. All of this change occurred on the election of the Demokrat party. The new leaders turned the small farmer village into an up-and-coming town. Tosun’s account of Balgat in 1950 highlights the struggle between tradition and change. The Chief represents tradition while the Grocer represents change. Ringer mentions that to “define modernity is also to define tradition.” In this piece, we see the manifestation of that. Jobs and fashion trends changed in Balgat, but what remained give us a sense of Turkish tradition and culture — like how the Chief offered Lerner “the corners.” Sometimes we unknowingly resist change (or modernity). After finishing the piece, Tosun even comes across as a resister of change. He mocks the Grocer’s necktie and dislikes how he tries to be closer with him than the other villagers. Between the lines, Tosun is resisting a change of tradition. A dilemma of modernization lays in our ignorance of progress when it is occurring. We naturally resist change. At the end, Lerner quotes one of the villagers admitting to misjudging the Grocer, saying, in fact, that the Grocer was “a prophet.”
Introduction to Comparative Politics: Nationalism, Ideology, and State Power
Professor Shervin Malekzadeh
I agree with Christopher that change–modernization–is often resisted due to its unfamiliarity. That resistance to change, however, cannot be seen in a solely negative light. Lerner, in fact, presents the radical change of Balgat as the death of the traditional values and the death of the village, writing “[t]he ancient village I had known for what now seemed only four short years was passing, had passed” (Lerner 42). Although the modernization is traditionally seen in our society as better, I think it’s also important to remember the traditional values and traditions mentioned. Those values, it must be mentioned, sustained empires and vast nations for thousands of years. In other words, it is simple to just throw away the past, but the present would not rise without the foundation of the past– in the example of Balgat, Lerner demonstrates that that foundation has been not only ignored, but completely discarded and frowned upon in this new modern society.
Hi Christopher,
You highlighted the key differences between the Grocer and the Chief very well. I wonder: how do we resist change once we have achieved a modern world? I ask this with us in mind, as Westerners. Naturally, the Chief would resist change because it’s unfamiliar and goes against what he values. Does that occur to us as people living in 21st century U.S.A? I also wonder if resisting change ever stops it. Clearly the Chief’s resistance did not stop it in Balgat. But have we impeded change here?