Dr. Gülay Türkmen

I am a comparative-historical and cultural sociologist with research interests that stand at the intersection of religion and politics. I am specifically interested in how certain historical, cultural and political developments inform questions of belonging and identity-formation in multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies. Under that rubric, my research focuses on how religious, ethnic and national identities intersect, intertwine and compete with each other, especially in Muslim communities in the Middle East and in Europe. I also conduct research on cultural politics of nationalism and national identity formation through a comparative-historical lens. I mainly employ qualitative methods, such as interviews, ethnography, and archival research. In addition to academic publications I occasionally write opinion pieces for non-academic outlets.

I received my PhD in Sociology from Yale University in 2016. For further information about my research and publications please see my website.