APL (Ajiken Power Lunch)

APL (Ajiken Power Lunch) is a lunchtime workshop open to public, including IDE staffs, visiting research fellows, IDEAS students, outside researchers and graduate students. This workshop provides a platform for presentation of any work in progress where we can discuss in either English or Japanese.

Those who would attend a seminar are asked to announce yourself to receptionists on your arrival at the IDE and to obtain APL Organizers' signature on your admission card after the seminar.

January 12, 2018. (Friday) 11：00-13：00

Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization C22 Meeting Room 　

Kurdish tribes, ethnic identity and the Middle Eastern state

Tribes are the most ‘traditional’ aspect of the social structure of Kurdish society, on which both the states incorporating large Kurdish populations and modern political movements speaking on behalf of the Kurds have looked with suspicion. Tribal organisation was associated with nomadic pastoralism and life on the periphery of the state. Modernising states, especially Turkey and Iran, have made efforts to detribalise their Kurdish subjects by settling the tribes, separating the leading families from their followers, and promoting modern education. Kurdish nationalist parties made efforts to replace loyalty to the tribe by loyalty to the nation. These efforts were only partially successful. Tribes appeared surprisingly adaptable to changing circumstances, and provide important services to their members in new environments such as big cities. Electoral politics have often led to a mobilisation of tribal networks and increased competition for party and state patronage between tribes. At times when Kurdish political movements and the state were embroiled in armed conflict, both sides found tribal allies. Turkey and Iraq especially have mobilised, armed and financed tens of thousands of men in tribal militias. In periods of relative peace, tribes lost their leverage. The balance of power between (Kurdish) political parties, state institutions and tribal organisation has changed repeatedly during the past decades, and there is no indication that the tribes are disappearing.

Prof. Martin Bruinessen (Utrecht University)

Hiroshi Sato

English