The Self-Deprecation Culture and Kurdish Political Mentality A Socio-Psychological Study

Abstract

This research aims to clarify the impact of self-deprecating culture on shaping the Kurdish political mentality, viewing it as a social structure accumulated through a long history of external domination and political transformations. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology by reviewing historical sources, travel accounts, and political narratives, and by analyzing their social implications related to the foundations of political culture in Kurdish society.

The research treats Kurdish society as one with an extended political experience, while the study sample is based on analyzing recurring patterns of political behaviors and public phenomena. Data were collected through the analysis of historical texts and sociological sources in order to uncover the cultural mechanisms that have contributed to shaping political thinking. The findings indicate that informal culture—with its values, attitudes, and beliefs—plays a central role in defining the features of the political mentality. The data also reveal that self-deprecating culture, as a product of prolonged periods of external control, is reflected in political behavior through diminished confidence in self-capabilities, reliance on external powers, weak political initiative, and persistent internal fragmentation, contrasted with greater flexibility toward external actors. The results further highlight the influence of tribal and local structures in reproducing this fragmentation and limiting the potential for forming a unified political project. The study concludes that understanding the Kurdish political mentality requires a deeper analysis of the informal cultural structures that guide the thinking of political actors. The results also emphasize that strengthening self-confidence and reassessing the inherited informal cultural framework are essential steps toward building a more cohesive and proactive political model, thereby supporting the development of an effective national project.Based on the findings, the study presents several technical and practical recommendations aimed at reducing the negative aspects of the current cultural patterns and reinforcing a cultural foundation conducive to a more stable and empowered political awareness.