Intergroup Emotions and Competitive Victimhoods

This book examines the narratives and collective emotions of diaspora groups who originate from Turkey and now live in Australia, focusing on their experiences of collective victimhood, competitive victimhood, and intergroup emotions in relation to other diaspora groups from Turkey. Based on 122 semi-structured extensive interviews with Armenians, Kurds, Alevis, Gülenists, Kemalists and Erdoganists, the book argues that, while in power, dominant groups driven by competitive victimhood often exhibit indifference toward the victimhood of other groups. This dynamic reflects how ressentiment can perpetuate cycles of oppression and antagonism. However, this pattern can shift when powerful groups find themselves in opposition. In such scenarios, they may become more attuned to the grievances of other groups. Ihsan Yilmaz is research chair and professor of political science and international relations at Deakin University’s ADI (Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation). Previously, he worked at the Universities of Oxford and London. He researches on nation- building, citizenship, minorities, securitisation, intergroup emotions, populism, transnationalism, digital authoritarianism, and legal pluralism. Presently, he leads two Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery projects: “Civilisationist Mobilisation, Digital Technologies, and Social Cohesion: The Case of Turkish & Indian Diasporas in Australia” and “Religious Populism, Emotions, and Political Mobilisation: Civilisationism in Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan.” Additionally, he co-leads a 3-year Gerda Henkel Foundation project: “Smart Digital Technologies and the Future of Democracy in the Muslim World.” He is the author of many books, including most recently published Populist and Pro-Violence State Religion: The Diyanet’s Construction of Erdoganist Islam in Turkey (2022) and Creating the Desired Citizen: Ideology, State and Islam in Turkey (2021).