jeanius.edu
Ozan Can Yılmaz
Bio
Metropolitan University, HU
University of Vienna, AT
Université catholique de Lille, FR
My research interests include feminist theology, Catholic cultural studies, sociology of religion, cultic studies, gender studies, anthropology of childhood, and transnational migration.
Peter Lang, 2022
While a multiplicity of identity markers affect the dynamics of intercultural communication, the intersectionality of gender and religion deserves more scholarly attention. This book takes the dissimilar cultural concepts and identity performance as a starting point, exploring the significant role that religious indoctrinations play in the construction and performance of gender. It features contributions by scholars in the field of communication, gender, and cultural studies, including theoretical reflections on the socio-cultural formation of identity, dogmatic impositions on gender roles, and the performance of gender identity in intercultural settings.
Ongoing Research
ℜ𝔦𝔱𝔲𝔞𝔩𝔰 𝔬𝔣 ℜ𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢
Sacramental mass, crucifixion rituals as self-flagellations, Via Dolorosa processions, veneration of relics, and adoration of sacred imagery may alternatively be regarded as embodying and legitimating events for the current ecclesiastical norm. In the face of the attested perpetual depravities of modern times, as articulated by the church, these events anchor the ambiguities of antiquity against the devouring contemporary epoch. The aim of this research is to explicate the paramount significance of the events above-mentioned in transubstantiating present-time corporealities of human-made artifacts and idols into potent conduits for the solidification of the church’s catechetical tenets and creedal memories, thus constituting socially mediated religious subjectivities.
In this regard, the fundamental and indelible role of these events in commemorating epochal events and signifying sacrosanct verities is discussed by critically addressing liturgical praxes. Similarly, I emphasize the transmissive potency exhibited by sacraments such as baptism and Eucharist, accentuating how their regular observance efficaciously perpetuates quintessential religious memory, thus conducing to the reconstruction of communal memory. Findings suggest that saintly relics and static bodies clothed in celestial symbolism establish a palpable nexus to the ambiguities of the contested past, fostering a sense of historical continuity and invoking profound spiritual devotion; thus, serving as mnemonic entities, enabling adherents to comply with the apostolic authority.
The Male Vulva at Military
Freud's concept of penis envy posits that young girls, upon recognizing the anatomical distinction between males and females, develop a sense of inferiority stemming from the absence of a phallus. The resulting envy and desire for the male organ become integral aspects of female psychosexual development, shaping their relationship with their own bodies and influencing their interactions with the opposite sex. However, this analysis seeks to extend this concept by metaphorically conflating and contrasting penis envy with the imagined construction of a male vulva in the military context. By exploring the underlying dynamics of abjection and its association with the effeminate and homosexuality, this paper addresses the gendered complexities surrounding sexuality.
The concept of the imagined construction of a male vulva emerges as a counterpoint to penis envy. This conceptual metaphor reveals a deep-seated abjection towards the feminine and effeminate, ultimately implicating individuals who identify as homosexual in the military. While penis envy fixates on the perceived lack within the female anatomy, the male vulva calls attention to the potential for an alternative construction of male genitalia. By envisioning a male counterpart to the female vulva, this construct unearths the imaginaries of homosexual indignities and effeminized threats to the masculine identity in its counter-positioning to that of the female, feminine, and, therefore, the effeminate.
The male vulva serves as a manifestation of societal unease towards non-conforming gender identities and sexual orientations, while it can be conceptualized as the imagined embodiment of abjection associated with the effeminate non-heterosexual. The vulva is also a Lacanian phallic symbol that is relentlessly objected to and refused in order to consolidate the imaginaries of male identity against itself. To the extent phallic absence disables masculinist privileges for women, the vulvic presence allows for the non-masculinized forms of effeminate subordinates.
Gender, Migration, and Maternal Identity:
Narratives of Transnational Mothers
International migration has intricated gendered implications for maternal practices, paving the way for transnational mothers to encounter often non-negotiable ambivalences and hybrid forms of motherhood. This study utilized in-depth narrative interviews with six transnational mothers from diverse national identities and migration trajectories, exploring their child-rearing practices across borders, maternal identities, and motherhood practices influenced by gendered discrepancies and strategies employed to negotiate them. The analysis explores the intersectionality of gender, migration, and parenthood, emphasizing the specific challenges faced by transnational mothers, including the tensions between family roles and transnational responsibilities, the impact on maternal identities, the renegotiation of gender roles within the family, and the social and cultural expectations placed on transnational mothers. The findings demonstrate that despite shifts in gender roles, persistent gender-normative behaviors perpetuate women's subordinate positions in decision-making processes, forming gendered barriers such as interventions from spouses, disproportionate caregiving responsibilities, and physical limitations associated with pregnancy. The findings also show that such conditions create social and emotional consequences as women shoulder additional responsibilities such as household management and home-schooling while managing relationships with extended family members across borders.