Reproducing indebtedness through subjectification: The case of working-class indebtedness in Türkiye

This study investigates the link between rising working-class indebtedness in Türkiye and mechanisms of subjectification during the neoliberal era. It argues that debt is not a neutral technical tool but a violent power relationship that constitutes individuals as indebted subjects, thereby ensuring the reproduction of debt. Drawing on Michel Foucault and Open Marxism, the research utilizes qualitative data from 37 in-depth interviews with working-class debtors to examine their daily practices and discourses. The findings identify two primary power mechanisms: self-practiced and externally enforced. While the former involves the rational and moral responsibilization of the debtor and functions through her individualization and isolation, the latter is based on repayment schedules and legal procedures that leverage state authority. As such, they intensify labor exploitation and self-imposed austerity while capturing the debtor’s future time. By bringing these two theoretical approaches into conversation, this study aims to contribute to deciphering largely overlooked mechanisms through which indebted working-class subjects in Türkiye are produced and reproduced.