Şerif Mardin's understanding of modernity

In this study, Şerif Mardin?s way of perception and conceptualisation of Turkish modernisation is discussed. Mardin takes ?the center and periphery relations? as the main axes of Turkish modernity. According to Mardin, gap between center and periphery is the main characteristic of process of Turkish modernisation. Mardin conceptualizes early years of Turkish modernisation as ?Westernisation?. Mardin evaulates this period in the light of thoughts of opponent intellectuals such as Young Ottomans and Young Turks. Because, according to Mardin, first supporters of Turkish modernisation were these opponenet intellectuals. Mardin also states that Atatürk Revolution was a modernisation project. However, there were some weaknesses in this project. These weaknesses brought about different alternatives. Nur community was one the alternatives. According to Mardin, this community is a different modernisation movement. While analysing The Turkish modernisation, Mardin takes into consideration historical and social specifity of Turkish society and does not neglect paradoxes and tensions experienced in this process. Mardin theoritizes Turskish modernisation not in variables such as economical development, technical progress, instead social and cultural variables. Therefore, in brief, he evaulates Turkish modernisation in culturalist modernity theory.