Religion and society in iontemporary, Turkish sociologists (Example of Ümit Meriç)

Its science in Turkey was encountered in the last periods of the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman intellectuals tried to find solutions for the continuation and survival of the state. Expressing that Turkish society is different from Western society and that Turkish society can not be explained with Western concepts and phenomena, Ümit Meriç is among the leading names in Turkish sociology with his works in the field of sociology. In his works, Ümit Meriç examined different issues that concern the society such as the problems of Turkish sociology, urban housing and people, fashion from the sociological perspective, and mass media from the sociological perspective. In the research, the life and works of the author were examined in detail. Ümit Meriç, who received his sociology education from his father Cemil Meriç, identifies the situations in which he saw problems in the Turkish society during his lifetime and offers solutions to these problems. In this study, it is aimed to express the ideas of Ümit Meriç in the field of religion and society. The research expresses Ümit Meriç's perspective on the phenomenon of religion and the religious and what social change and social structure he foresees in the Turkish society he lives in. In the research, firstly, secondary sources related to the subject were tried to be reached where necessary by scanning the original sources written by Ümit Meriç. Keywords: Religion, Society, Ümit Meriç, Cemil Meriç.