Analysis of lynching acts between the years of 1991-2011 in Turkey

There have been many lynching acts between the years of 1991-2011 in Turkey and they have been on the rise since the 2000s. New reports articles and books on the issue have emphasized the importance of the increase in lynching acts. However yet, there was no systematic study to understand the causes of such increase. This study aims to analyze the lynching acts systematically and extensively. In order to understand the causes and dynamics of lynching this study utilizes event-data analysis. First of all, data set collected on lynching acts by surveying the newspapers between 1991-2011. Then, the events coded by using the event data analysis method. The data set first was descriptively analyzed by using statistical analysis to show temporal and spatial patterns in lynching acts and specific characteristics of these events, such as time of occurrence, participants, duration, type of violence. This analysis was further supported by structural analysis to show whether there is a causal relation between variables such as unemployment, economic crisis and lynching. As such, this study will be contribution in understanding the causes and consequences of the lynching acts. Lynching acts are usually analyzed with in three different conceptual approaches. The first approach underlines the importance psycho-social motivations such as frustration-aggression hypothesis, deindividuation and scapegoat theory. Second approach underlines the relationship of lynching acts with the economic conditions, political conditions, demographical conditions and changes in immigration patterns. Final approach underlines the importance of framing, collective culture and prejudice to understand lynching acts. This study will mainly work with the assumptions of the structural approaches and test their hypothesis first. Keywords: Lynching, group identity, collective violence, crime