Militarism, nationalism, and gender in the period of coronavirus pandemic in turkey: a militarist discourse analysis on newspapers

Gender inequalities, which existed worldwide before the coronavirus pandemic, have deepened during the pandemic period, and the losses of women in economic and social life have been more severe than those of men. Considering that gender inequalities are the result of gender constructs of nationalist ideologies, this study examines militarism that is based on gender constructs during the pandemic period in Turkey. Focusing on militarism during the pandemic, which is not directly related to military service or war, provides an opportunity to examine militarism as a social process, thereby understanding the extent to which militarism is naturalized. Militarist discourse was examined via content analysis of newspapers in which the pandemic and the struggle against the pandemic are explained in line with the war metaphor. The analysis indicated a widespread and common militaristic discourse that refers to an internalized militaristic logic in Turkey, where militarism appears as an ideology above all ideologies.