Mystical Family Formation: The Sacred and Metaphysical Reconfiguration of the Family in Populist Discourse

Authors : Muhammed Ramazan Demirci

Pages : 141-159

Doi:10.32709/akusosbil.1725118

View : 46 | Download : 27

Publication Date : 2025-10-19

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In recent years, populist leaders have increasingly placed the concept of the “family” at the center of their political discourse, reconstructing it not merely as a social institution but as a sacred and metaphysical political apparatus. This article introduces the original concept of the Mystical Family Formation as a theoretical contribution aimed at understanding this transformation on a conceptual level. The proposed concept seeks to explain how populist leaders reproduce traditional family ideologies through religious and mythological imagery, envisioning society around the construct of a “sacred family.” The theoretical framework of the study is built upon Ernesto Laclau’s theory of populism, Roland Barthes’s methodology of myth analysis, and Max Weber’s notion of charismatic authority. Discourse analysis is employed as the methodological approach, and the cases of Narendra Modi in India, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil are examined comparatively. The analysis identifies distinct traces of the Mystical Family Formation within the discourse of these leaders, revealing how the emphasis on “family” transforms into a metaphysical conception of “the people” and how the leaders position themselves as guardians of this sacred family. In this context, the article discusses the explanatory potential of the Mystical Family Formation for studies in populism, gender, and political discourse, offering a conceptually rich analytical framework that lays theoretical groundwork for future research.
Keywords : Popülizm, Toplumsal Cinsiyet, Aile İdeolojisi, Karizmatik Liderlik, Mistik Aile Formasyonu

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