The Trolley Problem Revisited: Crisis Ethics, Gender, and Media Discourse after the February 6 Earthquakes in Turkiye

Authors : Edip Doğan, H. Yusuf Güngör

Pages : 119-133

Doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1772075

View : 97 | Download : 321

Publication Date : 2025-10-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examines the reflections of crisis ethics and gender in media discourse following the February 6, 2023 earthquakes. Building on the Trolley Problem metaphor, it explores how resource allocation and ethical dilemmas intersect with gender dimensions in times of disaster. The research was conducted through a big data analysis based on the GDELT GKG dataset, quantitatively assessing news density, sentiment tone, and gender-related themes. The findings reveal that news intensity was significantly higher in Hatay compared to other provinces, that sentiment tone generally remained stable with a focus on information delivery, and that gender themes attained only limited and fragmented visibility. These results demonstrate that, in times of crisis, media prioritized operational information over emotional or equality-oriented discourse, and that women’s specific needs were insufficiently represented. The study underscores how the Trolley Problem highlights ethical and gender-based vulnerabilities in crisis management; it further argues that media discourse and related crisis management practices should be evaluated not only in terms of quantitative intensity but also through the lens of qualitative equity. In doing so, the study contributes to the development of an ethical crisis management model capable of transforming the post-disaster social imagination.
Keywords : Kriz Etiği, Vagon Problemi, 6 Şubat Depremi, Toplumsal Cinsiyet, GDELT

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