Conference participations by Bengi Ruken Cengiz (POLS PhD Candidate)

Political Science PhD candidate Bengi Ruken Cengiz attended the Annual Convention of APSA (American Political Science Association) between September 1-4, 2016 in Philadelphia, PA, USA and presented her paper entitled “Citizenship Perceptions on Rights and Liberties in Turkey”.

Abstract:

Although there are certain continuities throughout the Republican history, Turkish citizenship as a concept has been challenged by various factors, varying from immigration to minority issues. Many studies have explored the origins of Turkish citizenship and effects of these challenges on its conceptualization.  Yet, citizens’ own perceptions of Turkish citizenship and corresponding rights and duties have remained unclear to a certain extent. This paper will investigate the actual perceptions of Turkish citizens regarding their rights and duties through utilizing survey methodology on a sample in Istanbul. These perceptions will be analyzed on the basis of political party orientations to capture the variance in the perceptions and their potential correspondence with the political landscape. Overall, the paper demonstrates that perceptions of citizens differentiate according to various factors, including political party orientations.

Bengi Ruken Cengiz also attended the General Conference of ECPR (European Consortium for Political Research) between September 7-10, 2016 in Prague, Czech Republic and presented her paper entitled “Conceptualizations and Perceptions of Turkish Citizenship”

Abstract:

Citizenship studies have shifted its focus from the legal status to rights and their actual practice. Given the long-lasting effects of globalization and immigration, citizenship can no longer be limited to belonging to a national community. Rather, citizenship has evolved into an arena in which boundaries and practices of it have been continuously contested. These struggles are most visible in terms of the changes within the legal structures, including but not limited to the regulations of naturalization and citizenship acquisition. In addition, citizenship rights have moved beyond the Marshallian framework and have acquired a “postnational” character, setting free from the nation state. As Turkey is not immune from these trends, its conceptualization of citizenship has also been challenged. This paper investigates the continuing and changing aspects of Turkish citizenship; while at the same time analyzes empirical data on an understudied aspect: perceptions of citizens themselves, especially on their rights and liberties. These perceptions will be analyzed on the basis of political party orientations to capture the variance in the perceptions and their potential correspondence with the political landscape.