I am a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre of Resilience for Social Justice, University of Brighton, working closely with Professor Angie Hart and the Boingboing community.
In a period where I felt the need to unite my academic research experience and activism (by focusing on resilience research and practice and influencing policies through my research), I learnt about the Centre of Resilience for Social Justice (CRSJ) and Boingboing. Not surprisingly, I was (and still am) fascinated by their substantial work in resilience research and evidence-informed practice. Furthermore, I was lucky enough to join both the CRSJ and Boingboing. Between 2018 and 2019, while writing my PhD dissertation, I worked as a visiting researcher at the CRSJ and volunteered at Boingboing. My PhD (in Developmental Psychology at Koc University, Turkey) focused on the well-being and development of children and young people (CYP) living under armed conflict, poverty, and social injustice in the eastern part of Turkey. This was the first research that investigated CYP’s armed conflict experiences and associated outcomes in the east of Turkey, offering important implications both at the individual and societal level. After my graduation in late 2019, I joined the team as a Research Fellow to evaluate the impact of the Resilience Revolution: HeadStart Blackpool programme.
With my CRSJ and Boingboing involvement, I have broadened my knowledge and understanding of resilience with an inequalities lens. Beyond my keen interest and academic involvement in social justice-oriented resilience research, I dare to consider myself an activist. I had volunteered in non-governmental organisation (NGO) projects since my undergraduate years, which targeted various disadvantaged groups. I am still a member of the Association of Psychologists for Social Solidarity and Free Colors LGBTI+ Association in Turkey, involved in projects that include acting in solidarity with the oppressed people in the society, organising workshops about social equality, campaigns against hate speech and discrimination towards minority groups and gender-based violence.
In my spare time, I read/watch science & fantastic fiction (oh, I do love utopias and dystopias), cook (including experimental cooking!), hike, and travel/discover new places. These days, I am particularly enjoying feminist sci-fi from Black authors.
