Abstract:

In this study, the changes in consumer culture and lifestyles within the framework of the projections of the transformations in Turkey's ecopolitical and cultural structure are analyzed with a critical political economy approach in the context of society magazines (Alem and Şamdan Plus). In the study, which also includes a distinct definition of community press and journalism, the ecopolitical structure of the Turkish media shaped by neo-liberal policies is questioned through society magazines. In the study, qualitative analysis method was adopted, and semi-structured in-depth interviews and textual analysis techniques were used to collect the relevant data. In-depth interviews were conducted with three people from each magazine selected as the object of analysis. The interviewees were asked questions about the production dynamics and content of society magazines. In addition, a total of 32 issues (16 issues of Alem and 16 issues of Şamdan Plus) of the magazines from all the issues published in 2018 were selected as the object of analysis by using purposive sampling technique, and these issues were examined using textual analysis. The study concludes that society magazines play an important role in shaping and popularizing consumer culture and lifestyles in Turkey. It has been particularly determined that members of the upper class aim to reinforce the relatively privileged position and prestige of their social class by displaying their luxurious and ostentatious lifestyles through society magazines.

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