Theses supervised by Prof. Dr. Arzu Öztürkmen Yılmaz
12 theses · Boğaziçi University
The dengbêjî tradition among Kurdish - Kurmanj communities: Narrative and performance during late nineteenth and twentieth centuries
The aim of this thesis is to study the the kilams and the dengbêjî tradition, the musical storytelling of Kurdish-Kurmanjee minstrels, mainly in the Eastern and Southeastern Turkey, and Western Armenia. In the thesis, the dengbêjî is classified as a ?genre? which is different from other Kurdish musical-narrative genres such as stranbêjî and çîrokbêjî. The thesis uses library research, private musical archives, and in-depth interviews as its main sources. The existing literature on dengbêjî usually consists of descriptive accounts of regional collections of kilams and strans, taking these to be part of the same repertoire. However the kilams differ from stran and çîrok genres in their particularly historical focus. While çîroks are fictions with fantastic elements, and strans express emotions like sorrow, happiness, or descriptions from daily life, kilams are surviving narratives of experienced historical events. An important contribution of this thesis has been the content analysis of the kilams? repertoire. This thesis is argues that the kilams have three important components which mark them. They all tell a historical event, which can be a riot, a family/tribal conflict or a true love story. They are also an outcome of a purely oral tradition, functioning as an oral transmitter of the knowledge of the past, and kept in memory though performances, where they are adapted and continuously reproduced. This thesis also argues that the dengbêjî tradition is a performative form of transmitting of history through a local voice. This means, the thesis focuses on local history and local language in the mentioned Kurmanjee speaking regions.
State power as performance: Royal wedding festivities and the Ottoman spectacular state during the Period of Mahmud II
This thesis examines two imperial wedding festivals organized during the reign of Mahmud II (r. 1808-1839): the festival of 1834, which was organized for the wedding of Saliha Sultan (d. 1843), and the festival of 1836, which was organized for the wedding of Mihrimah Sultan (d. 1838). By utilizing the methods and theories of performance studies, this thesis explores the ways in which celebratory patterns of the Ottoman state changed during the period of Mahmud II. In this analysis, how the state during the period of Mahmud II made use of its performativity, and how these performative patterns through royal wedding festivities constitute the major focal point. This transition is examined through changes in the ceremonial practices, festival spaces, and dramatic performances as well as changes in documenting the practices of these festivals. By considering the historicity of the state's performativity, how imperial festivities were used to re-invent and re-define the representation of state power is problematized within the broader social, cultural and political context of the nineteenth century.
China's developmental state and the main determinants of its growth during the reform era
This master thesis examines China's national development in late 20th century in the light of Japan's development process that has started with the Meiji restoration in late 19th century. The research is conducted in five parts in which starts with an introduction that provides a basic ideological discussion over the ideas on development and hegemony, and continues to discuss the main framework of 'the developmental state' theory developed by Chalmers Johnson in the early 1980s. A brief background to the theory is also presented during the first chapter, which is followed by the second chapter that offers a retrospective showcase for the 'Japanese developmental state' that follows with the Korean and Taiwanese and some other successful and failed examples of the model. Nonetheless, the economic stagnation in Japan that has started in the early 1990s is pictured to show the whereabouts of the 'developmental state' at the very place it started. The third chapter starts with China's development story starting from the post-1978'reform' era. The political economy and the institutional structure of the Chinese state until recent years are examined to understand whether the Chinese state suits the 'East Asian developmental state' model at any measure. The fourth part includes a mathematical analysis to see whether the provided data for a wide range of Chinese industries support China's development model to evoke the Japanese case. The fifth and the last part winds up with a conclusion.
Shifts in cultural policies in post-Mao China: Analysis of the sixth-generation films under XI Jinping's rule
This thesis will address the question of China's attitude toward independent films and filmmakers, known as the Sixth Generation, in the context of the great transformation of the country because of the reform policies of Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. Sixth-generation filmmakers tried to hold a mirror to China's changing social landscape by focusing on deteriorating interpersonal and family relationships and the new marginal segments emerging in metropolitan cities. In doing so, they relied primarily on their own experiences. They created their own social influence by making the deteriorating social institutions in today's China the main subject of their films. Their relationship with the government and governmental institutions has always been inconsistent. This thesis will try to understand the changing relations between artists and the government and the shifts in cultural policies of the government by making a close reading of the films of the leading names of the Sixth Generation, Jia Zhangke and Wang Xiaoshuai, throughout three decades. The thesis claims that filmmakers have to negotiate with the relevant state institutions consistently to shoot their films, and the Chinese government, including Xi Jinping, never had an apparent political attitude and regulations regarding the organization of the cultural field; instead, it argues that filmmakers can release their films in China as a result of constant negotiations and bargaining with government institutions.
Abhazya'da devrim: Kimlik ve egemenlik (1917 – 1931)
In 1917, the revolutionary movements that led to the dissolution of the Russian Empire paved the way for many ethnic minorities to develop their own national policies and pursue first autonomy and then independence. Among the ethnicities that developed their own national policies in the chaotic aftermath of the revolution were the Abkhaz, a local Caucasian people. The aristocratic class and the elites established an ethnic administration in the country. The Abkhaz, who became a minority in their own country after the deportations under Tsarism, established identity and sovereignty relations with many elements in order to pursue their ethno-national interests. The Abkhaz, inclined towards the Mountaineer unity established in the North Caucasus, accepted the definition of Mountaineer as a higher identity and politically became part of the Mountain confederation. However, the micro-imperialist policies of Menshevik Georgia, which became independent during this period, led to the Georgian occupation of Abkhazia and the beginning of a period of repression. With the 1921 Bolshevik victory, the Abkhaz communists succeeded in establishing a Soviet republic on an equal footing with Georgia. Between 1921 and 1931, the Abkhaz, as a titular ethnicity, pursued a method of governance in Abkhazia based on ethno-national interests. In the 1930s, with the change of the Soviet Nationalities Policy, Abkhaz ethno-nationalism was liquidated. This thesis explores the motivation of Abkhaz identity and sovereignty politics during the revolutionary period and analyzes the ethnic factors that influenced this process.
Boys in court: Questioning child abuse cases between 1860 and 1865
This thesis explores how the sexual offenses committed against the male children were handled by the Ottoman courts and the society at large in the Ottoman lands between the years 1860 and 1865 together with the regulations drafted and implemented in the Ottoman reform period. As the study comprehensively analyzes the court cases in which numerous male children and their families stood as victims of sexual crimes and which were referred to Meclis-i Vâlâ-yı Ahkâm-ı Adliye, the official council formed to serve as the Supreme Court for legal matters and an ultimate court of appeals. This thesis reveals significant points regarding the court practices, interrogation methods, the concept of childhood and how the social and cultural codes were reflected on the court proceedings as well as the relations between the individual and state reshaped under the Tanzimat regulations and the relations between the center and the periphery.
Marjinalleştirilen bir semtte aidiyet: Istanbul, Okmeydanı'nın tarihsel etnografisi
This thesis studies the contemporary history of Okmeydanı, an urban neighborhood in Istanbul which has a specific place in the history of urbanization in Turkey. Established as a gecekondu settlement during the rural-urban migration period in the late 1950s and 1960s, the neighborhood went through other transformations marked by new waves of migration and the political circumstances surrounding them. Based on the narratives of Okmeydanı's inhabitants, this study examines the sense of belonging and the sense of community in this place which has been generally approached as one of the marginalized "Alevi-leftist" neighborhoods. To explore how the inhabitants developed an attachment to the neighborhood where they live in, and identify themselves with it, this study focuses on the establishment process of the settlement, and transformations that it went through in the 1990s. Given the diversity of its population and different historical processes, the inhabitants had their own particular experiences of bonding with their new environment after the migration, and thus have different recollections of the past. In addition, by the 2000s, under the impact of globalization, Okmeydanı has become one of the targeted areas for gentrification and urban renewal attempts. This thesis also overviews how the Okmeydanı's inhabitants defend the identity and texture of their neighborhood against the urban transformation project.
The changing role of japanese ngos: A case study of a japanese NGO in Turkey
The aim of this thesis is to present the late, yet steady development of Japanese humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the sector of global humanitarian aid by focusing on one international Japanese humanitarian aid NGO, the Association for Aid and Relief Japan, and its operation in the Syrian refugee response in Turkey. In this context, the study provides a general framework of the late development of the Japanese humanitarian aid through NGOs from the post-war period until the current day, highlighting the parallelism in their contemporary place both in overseas operations and government. Furthermore, the study will discuss the ongoing growth of their operations within the main matter in question and draw on the field operation of the AARJ within the scope of their steady and sturdy growth. Along with the desolate continuity of man-made crises, and the rise of unpredictable environmental crises, the visible growth of humanitarian aid through NGOs has gained a greater value and place within the global governance systems as one of the most practical and efficient response mechanisms. Therefore, by examining the real time field experience of the AARJ and its donor relations, this thesis offers the opportunity to thoroughly perceive the potential and possibilities in relation to the future of Japanese humanitarian aid NGOs.
Toplumsal fayda için yapay zeka: Küresel bir perspektiften bölgesel bir incelemeye
This thesis looks into the question of how the use of artificial intelligence can be utilized for the social good, what problems can it alleviate and what possible solution we can discover by using these new technologies around aligned with the specific needs of the countries with an emphasis on cases from Japan and China. In answering this question, the reports on the subjects from governments, international organizations, global and regional NGOs are used as a framework to reach conclusions about the means AI-based technologies are implemented for the purpose of social good. While considering these notions, the thesis also examines the proposed and applied AI legislations of the countries, the approaches made by various technology companies and the views from academia. Just like many other organizations and institutions working on the subject, the thesis uses the United Nations' Sustainable Goals as a general scheme while addressing the societal problems that can be solved by AI applications, and offers advices for future frameworks while enabling social good.
Impact of government policies on the development of the Korean Wave
The Korean Wave has turned into a global phenomenon over the past decade. Whereas the popularity of the Korean Wave was mostly limited to Asia until the end of the 2000s, it started to spread all over the world from the early 2010s and evolved from niche cultural trend status to a global phenomenon. In a world dominated by Western cultural hegemony, South Korea has become one of the few countries that can export many forms of its cultural content globally. This thesis investigates the reasons behind the spread of the Korean Wave, and discusses the role of the South Korean government and Korean conglomerates, as well as the importance of digital platforms. This study also explores the contribution of the development and spread of the Korean Wave to South Korea.
The representation of Sultan Abdulhamid II in the eulogies of Ebu'l Huda and Sheik Zafir
an age of disease and deformity, Sultan Abdulhamid II's thirty-three-year reign represented a complex attempt to navigate the Ottoman Empire through the whirlwind of late 19th-century transformation, a period that coincided with European colonial aggression and internal challenges of fiscal crisis and nationalist awakenings. Abdulhamid II's response was a "new gold dream" – a reform package based on a selective symbiosis of certain elements of Western modernity while preserving the Ottoman presence in resonance with the deep layers of Ottoman- Islamic heritage. His relationship with mystic Sufi sheiks, particularly Rufaiyya Sheik Ebu'l Huda es-Sayyadi and Shadhiliyya Sheik Zafir al-Madani, proved critical to this vision. This acquaintance served simultaneously as a strategic alliance, unofficial diplomacy, a legitimacy construction, an information network, and a relationship of personal interests. Both religious figures authored carefully prepared religio-political documents supporting the Sultan's Pan-Islamist policy, portraying him as a "philosopher king" while countering Western Orientalist narratives. Through the lens of Austin's performative language theory, these texts became acts of influence affecting imperial survival and rejuvenation. Abdulhamid II's paradoxical strategy demonstrated sophisticated rumination on statecraft; however, his governance could only delay imperial collapse.
Comparing Sakurahime and Yotsuya Kaidan by the 19th century Kabuki Playwright Tsuruya Nanboku IV
This thesis explores the evolution of female characters in 19th century Edo kabuki through a comparative analysis of two plays by Tsuruya Nanboku IV (1755-1829): Sakurahime Azuma Bunshō and Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan. Initially motivated by the question of whether social changes of the era could be traced through kabuki's female figures, the research narrows its focus to investigate how differing portrayals of women may explain the varying popularity of these plays. By situating the plays within the socio-cultural context of late Edo Japan and examining the influence of the kaidan genre, the study argues that Nanboku's character Princess Sakura served as a precursor to the more radical and enduring figure of Oiwa. The analysis suggests that Nanboku's evolving experimentation with female archetypes reflects both audience expectations and a broader cultural shift, culminating in Oiwa's uniquely personal and destructive revenge—a major factor in the lasting impact of Yotsuya Kaidan.