This course introduces theories, and principal qualitative data analysis approaches to students and provides a space for them to practice multiple data collection and analysis steps. In the broadest sense, qualitative data analysis refers to the organization and distilling of raw materials collected during research. Thus, data analysis is one of the most significant parts of qualitative research. Yet, it cannot be considered a distinctive process irrelevant to qualitative research design and data collection phases. Instead, like a spiral form, various stages of qualitative research, such as research design, data collection, and analysis, should always inform and speak to each other. Therefore, this course is designed to present a holistic data analysis approach. Starting with formulating a research question, throughout the semester, students will learn how to conduct a literature review, collect and analyze raw data, and finally write research findings, bringing collected and analyzed data together. In this class, students will be introduced to MaxQDA, a data analysis software, and learn how to use this software for completing complex data analysis and visualization tasks.

Throughout history, human populations have changed their places temporarily or permanently due to various social and economic reasons, as well as wars, plagues, and extreme weather and climate conditions. When people move from one place to another, they transform both the site of departure and arrival. At the same time, people's ways of life, habits, and identities change to varying degrees according to the new social and physical conditions of migrated spaces. In other words, migration and space have an intertwined relationship, and they constantly shape each other. This course invites students on an intellectual journey to think about migration through the concept of space. The course searches for answers to many questions, such as what is space and why does this concept matter in understanding migration? How do migration processes form and transform here and there simultaneously? How does the operation of power through space cause displacement and forced migration? How do migrant communities, such as displaced people, diasporas, or refugees, develop new identities and social practices in their new settlement spaces, and how do they transform these spaces?

Cities are home to all types of human activity, from working to socializing, education to health services, and industrial and technological production. Moreover, cities are home to endless everyday human interactions in workspaces, schools, shopping malls, neighborhoods, airports, and so forth. Even more striking is that the social structure of cities is in a constant mode of change through massive internal and international migration movements. Cities, considering altogether, are critical social laboratories to examine and understand societal transformations, inequalities, and power struggles. This course explores urban areas from within this social laboratory perspective. Starting from the development of cities across time and space, and this course examines fundamental urban theories and approaches, focuses on selected topics from Turkey's urbanization issues.

This course traces the geographical production of Muslim subjects through transnational flows, networks and imaginaries. Rather than approaching “Islam” or Muslims as fixed in time and space, the course develops a dynamic perspective on Muslim societies and subjects. The course takes a wide variety of geographical and historical contexts, including the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. The discussions focus on a series of comparative case studies, such as the Maghrebi population and banlieus in France; mosque debates in Britain and Germany, and the development and transformation of Islamic belief and ideology among African-American Muslims in the US; Indonesian migrant workers and South Asian entrepreneurs in the Middle East; hip-hop and punk music of Palestinians, Turkish-Germans, and US Muslims.

This course, which is instructed in Turkish, aims to improve Turkish speaking skills of the advanced Turkish-language learner students by examining the political and cultural life of the modern Turkey in a historical perspective. Throughout the class, the building blocks of the Turkish politics and culture, such as the 'westernization' discussions in the late Ottoman period, the establishment of the Turkish Republic, modernization reforms and transition to democracy, are discussed by means of documentaries, movies, historical novels and academic studies. The goals of this course include (i) developing speaking, writing and presentation skills in Turkish by participating in classroom discussions and completing an independent research project; and (ii) developing critical analysis skills for understanding historical political and cultural debates and transitions in the Turkish history.

The main goal of this course is introducing students to major concepts of political science, such as democracy, state and political ideologies. Regimes and government systems with a specific emphasis on separation of powers are also the central issues that this course aims to tackle throughout this semester. Contemplating on different political systems requires a deep thought on what “separation of powers” is and also understanding a veiled trade off between stability and representation. At the end of the semester, the students are expected to compare and contrast the virtues and shortcomings of different political systems.

* This course was designed as a joint teaching course, and I coordinated and instructed this course in collaboration with three other professors at the department.