A conscious society is the condition for democracy

Recently, a concept has literally become a trend. It is on everyone's lips: literacy. The word literacy is being tacked onto everything. There are cool, pedantic, and somewhat academic conversations revolving around this axis. From technology literacy, health literacy, and digital literacy, when I heard the term sustainability literacy, I said to myself, "Enough is enough." What are we trying to solve by introducing a new type of literacy every day to people who have struggled for years to read and understand an aspirin prescription?

The concept of literacy has been used since the mid-19th century. It is a concept that thinkers and intellectuals have seriously emphasized for the ordering of societies and the development of humanity. If you want to develop a society, you must ensure that it is literate. First and foremost, literacy is a prerequisite. Therefore, it is normal to use the concept at every opportunity. However, there is a risk that the discourse will overshadow the reality after a certain point. Every society has its own unique dynamics and, therefore, its own unique problems. Not every discourse can be equally valid for every society or every social segment. To present problems realistically, root causes must be questioned very well. For example, for our society to become digitally literate, it must first be literate. There is no need to be deceived by statistics and get carried away. Regardless of what the statistics say, we still have a large number of citizens in the rural areas of the country who are not literate at all.  

The problem is not limited to rural areas either. Looking at the book and newspaper sales rates in the country is enough to understand the gravity of the situation. How many homes have books and newspapers as part of their daily routine? The village that is visible needs no guide. There is no need for numerical data to understand the situation. The fact that bookstores, just to attract customers, include sales of coffee, ornaments, etc., alongside book sections is one of the concrete examples of the society's interest in literacy.

In a society where literature is disappearing, pondering on literacy feels like a futile effort. First television series, then social media, have almost completely disconnected people from reading and writing. In a literate society, social media can be a medium for quality public debate, but unfortunately, in societies like ours that have not completed the literacy stage, it is not possible to use tools and devices in a way that brings benefit.

Everything could have been better. In the early years of the Republic, the foundation was laid firmly. The literacy mobilization that started from the village, followed by the Village Institutes, was intended for the establishment of a written culture in the country and the formation of an educated, literate society. To compete with developed societies and to progress, it was first necessary to be literate. Our founding leader, the Great Atatürk, had made plans and programs for the formation of an educated society immediately after the establishment of the Republic, and had set the goal as advanced civilization. He said "the people first," and started from the village, the peasant, and the rural areas. It could only be achieved with an education planning that started from the grassroots. The education of every segment of society and the spread of social consciousness to every segment was the fundamental condition of development. The Republic's education program included life studies, art, sports, and literature. A conscious, producing society capable of developing thought was targeted. The opening of village institutes in the most remote corners of Anatolia and primary and secondary schools in all villages was a necessity of the project. Everyone had to read. Important works in other languages were translated into Turkish. Public libraries were opened. Literacy courses were being organized for adults. It was a full-scale mobilization that was launched. There should have been no one left who did not know how to read and write.

Everyone had to read so that conscious citizens could direct the country's course, politics, economy, and culture. The democracy adopted by our Republic could only develop in this way. The development of democratic consciousness was only possible with a conscious public.

However, the course of events did not turn out that way. On one hand, the distant stance of political actors who surrendered to pragmatism toward the public, and on the other hand, the popular culture mediated by the media drawing the public into its own sphere of influence, caused the process to work in a distorted manner. The globalization process, which started with neoliberal policies and prioritized money, was the icing on the cake. The spread of television in society coincided exactly with this process and began to play a role as an important support device. The transmission of Western-origin, shallow, cheap popular culture products via television began to show its effect in a short time. Television series replaced books, and the troubles and worries of series characters began to be the main topics of people's daily conversations. Then, with the inclusion of social media in the process, the confusion increased significantly, and the situation became inextricable. And it can even be said that the process of establishing a written culture was thus interrupted, or even ended.

If the Republic's education and cultural policies could have been continued as originally planned, the people of this country would have become literate. Instead of entering the sphere of influence of externally imported popular culture, society would have developed its own unique culture and art. Written culture would have become established in all its stages. The relationship of a society that has completed the process of written cultural development with every tool, device, or cultural element coming from outside would also have been much more conscious, planned, and programmed. Conscious people with a high level of literacy are those who can consciously integrate both television and computers into their daily life practices. Therefore, they gain benefits rather than harm.

Individuals of a conscious society that has completed the literacy process can create awareness regarding everything happening in the world they live in and can manage the process consciously. In this respect, we are not in a good state as a society. But it is never too late to turn back from a mistake. As we celebrate the 101st anniversary of the founding of our Republic, let us rethink all of this. Let us come to our senses and strive together to become an educated, literate, and conscious society.

Let us strive so that our Republic may continue on its path with the principle of full independence set by our Founding Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and live forever. Because democracy is possible with conscious citizens.