Pelin Gül, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology, has published “Beyond left-right cleavages: making sense of refugees within the fields of struggle,” examining how public attitudes toward refugees are shaped by forces beyond national politics.
Drawing from a Global South context, Gül’s research highlights how geopolitical dynamics and global inequalities influence nativist views. By studying supporters from opposing political parties, she challenges the idea that refugee perspectives are strictly tied to left or right-wing divisions, instead revealing how the host country's position in the unequal global order plays a greater role in determining the citizens' view about refugees and refugee politics.
Gül’s research broadly focuses on how social ideas are constructed under the conditions of crisis. To explore this, she draws on various instances of displacement and immigration politics. Her dissertation project examines how the political responses of marginalized communities are shaped in the aftermath of disasters.
You can read the full publication here.