Makalenin Dili
: TR
Subjects related to work and employment have been academically researched in Türkiye for nearly a century. As is well-known, this field was initially established in Türkiye under the name “social politics,” which was later changed to “labour economics and industrial relations.” Today, while the department name “labour economics and industrial relations” remains in the Turkish higher education system, the primary focus of the department has shifted towards social policy and labour relations. Nevertheless, labour economics and industrial relations (LEIR), which generate knowledge on specific issues, share common values, and have periodicals along with regular activities such as congresses, symposiums, and conferences, have been institutionalized as an academic field in Türkiye. This isalso noted in a significant book detailing the global evolution of the field (Kaufman, 2004: 489). Conversely, it is highlighted that there is no established and deep-rooted Industrial Relations intellectual tradition in most of the countries discussed in Kaufman’s book. It has been asserted that Industrial Relations research in these countries is not worthy of examination beyond mere mention in footnotes (Ackers, 2005: 97). While Ackers’ claim may apply to other nations, it is evident that Türkiye possesses a robust tradition and research field in social policy and industrial relations, with roots tracing back to the late 1930s. (Yıldırım ve Çalış, 2007; Taşçı, 2010; Yorgun, 2009; Koray, 2013; Makal, 2014; Cam, 2021)
Our research aims to uncover the primary problem areas and issues that social scientists in the field of LEIR focus on, based on articles published in the Çalışma ve Toplum (labour and society) journal. This approach allows us to present the academic trends and issues emerging in the field of LEIR in Türkiye through one of the leading journals in the discipline. There are a limited number ofspecialized academic journals in Türkiye that publish papers in the field of LEIR. An analysis of the papers published in these journals provides insights into the current state of the subject by identifying key concerns and problematic areas, as well as the direction in which the field is evolving. This paper examines 686 papers published between 2004 and 2023 in the Çalışma ve Toplum Journal, a prominent outlet in the field. The articles are reviewed annually, and the topics are classified under the headings of “labour economics,” “industrial relations,” “social policy,” “labour and social security law,” “human resources management,” and “other social science topics.” Based on our analysis of the papers published in the Çalışma ve Toplum journal, we have found that the intellectual foundation of the field of LEIR has shifted from traditional industrial relations to a broader domain of labour relations that encompasses social policy issues.
When examining the articles published in the Çalışma ve Toplum journal, it becomes evident that the topics of interest are primarily authored by social scientists from the LEIR department of various universities. The fewest articles published in the journal was 12 in 2004, the year of its founding, while the highest number was 60 in 2021. This serves as a straightforward yet significant indicator of the journal’s substantial growth over time and its status as a respected and popular resource among academics and other researchers.
Parallel to the number of articles published in the journal, there has been a relative increase in the number of articles authored by scientists working in the department of LEIR. Although the Çalışma ve Toplum journal welcomes contributions from all fields of social sciences, the majority of those interested in the journal are scientists affiliated with departments of LEIR. As of the end of 2023, 292 of the 686 reviewed articles were written by academics actively engaged in departments of LEIR. It is evident that when including those who have retired from these departments and are pursuing postgraduate studies, the total will surpass 292. Furthermore, it should be emphasized that when considering authors in the journal who possess expertise in the field of LEIR but are not employed at universities, it can be suggested that a significant portion of the research in the journal originates from researchers, experts, and academics in the LEIR field.
When the published articles are categorized by subject, 199 articles were released in the field of social policy, 163 in labour and social security law, 144 in industrial relations, 108 in labour economics, 53 in other social science fields, and 19 in human resources management. Based on the number of publications, the most research was conducted in social policy, while the least was in HRM. The second highest number of publications was in labour and social security law.
Interestingly, “labour economics” and “industrial relations,” which are the namesake of the department, rank third and fourth in terms of publication numbers in the journal. Notably, labour economics issues, which are the dominant focus of the department, receive relatively little attention in the Çalışma ve Toplum journal.
The most fundamental finding that emerged from the examination of articles published in the Çalışma ve Toplum Journal is that the field of LEIR has evolved from traditional industrial relations issues, which focused on the relationships between workers (unions), employers, and the state, to a broader domain of labour relations. In this transformation, social policy issues have come to the forefront. For instance, the publication of research on identity groups and immigrants in the journal highlights this context. In this regard, the Çalışma ve Toplum journal and its contributing researchers have not remained indifferent to the new developments in Türkiye’s working and social life. However, this evolution did not manifest as a neglect of labour/industrial relations issues, which can be considered the journal’s fundamental core subject. In other words, while the journal’s subject area has expanded, its core focus has been preserved.
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