JOE BIDEN’S STATEMENT ON 1915 EVENTS: PURPOSEFUL POLITICAL ACTIONS MAY CAUSE UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES, AN ANALYSIS FROM THE SOCIOLOGICAL VIEWPOINT

Teoman Tulun ()

No r6jyk, OSF Preprints from Center for Open Science

Abstract: American sociologist Robert Merton, in his article titled "The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action", explained the historical background of the unanticipated consequences of purposeful actions and discussed the impact of these actions on society and its individuals. He stated that unforeseen consequences, separate from desirable foreseeable consequences, are necessarily undesirable from the standpoint of the actor (the decision-maker). According to Merton, the intended and anticipated outcomes of purposive action are always, in the very nature of the case, relatively desirable to the those who take the action. In the case of states, those who take actions can be considered as political decision makers. Merton asserts that these actions may seem axiologically negative to an outside observer who was negatively affected by the decision. Merton points out that the effects of the unintended consequences of purposeful actions differ between the decision-maker of the action and the other side who will be adversely affected from this action. Yet, the entirety of the text and the main purpose of the preparation of the statement reveal who and which nationalities or nations are targeted positively and negatively. In the text, one side (Armenian) is historically pampered and honored, while the other side (Turkish) is aggrieved for the main purpose of the preparation of the statement even if it is not intentional and sought to be avoided. This result, in my judgement, is compatible with the "unintended consequences" concept of Robert Merton and the process he described for reaching such a conclusion. It is highly likely that this statement will be viewed as an unjust accusation and attack against Turkish identity by a significant portion of the Turkish people. It would not be surprising that such an interpretation will lead to an increase in the need inevitably felt to protect Turkish identity, resulting in increased levels of nationalist and anti-imperialist sentiments in the short and medium term.

Date: 2021-05-02
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:osfxxx:r6jyk

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/r6jyk

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