Rethinking the Labor Processes of Architecture in Turkey

<p class="FreeForm">This paper aims to discuss how “the discourse of creative labor” is being reproduced as an apparatus of exploitation in the architectural labor processes of twenty-first-century Turkey through “architect-workers.” The discourse of creative labor has deepened the e...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gülşah Aykaç, Esra Sert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hacettepe University 2018-12-01
Series:Momentdergi
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.momentjournal.org/index.php/momentdergi/article/view/355
Description
Summary:<p class="FreeForm">This paper aims to discuss how “the discourse of creative labor” is being reproduced as an apparatus of exploitation in the architectural labor processes of twenty-first-century Turkey through “architect-workers.” The discourse of creative labor has deepened the exploitation of architect-workers, as all workers, and defines the very privileged position of architect-boss in relation to other laborers. This exploitation became visible both in Turkey and worldwide through the comments of architects—who are both bosses of their architecture firms and so-called <em>starchitects—</em>about their own positions and practices. In addition, twenty-first-century architecture in Turkey can be criticized for the increasing precarity that has stemmed from the processes of <em>yapsatçılık</em> and mega-projects. To cope with this exploitation, “the discourse of creative labor” can also be reproduced by architect-workers. Consequently, this paper aims to provide ground on which to problematize the architect-worker as a member of the working class, as well as in the context of a discourse on creative labor and its exploitative use in the labor processes of architecture.</p>
ISSN:2148-970X