Zeynep Atalay

Professional Overview

Zeynep Atalay is an Associate Professor of Sociology at St. Mary's College of California.  She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Maryland in 2012 and was a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University between 2010 and 2012. Her research interests include state-civil society relationships in hybrid regimes, neoliberal governmentality, and reproduction of conservative communitarianism by faith-based organizations.

Her current research project is on cultural heritage management and public participation in global cities. The research project focuses on Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Cultural Heritage Restoration initiatives and analyzes the local administration’s strategies for creating “ownership” among civil society and local communities.

RESEARCH AREAS

Transnational Activism and Social Movements, Globalization, Civil Society, Norm Diffusion, Faith-Based NGOs, Cultural Heritage Management, Global Cities

EDUCATION

2012    Ph.D. Sociology, University of Maryland at College Park      

2004    M.A. Critical and Cultural Studies, Bogazici University         

2002    B.A. Sociology, Bogazici University

PUBLICATIONS

Books

Ritzer, George and Zeynep Atalay (2010) Readings in Globalization: Key Concepts and Major Debates. London: Wiley-Blackwell.

Journal Articles and Book Chapters

(2021) “The Mutual Constitution of Illiberal Civil Society and Neoauthoritarianism: Evidence from Turkey,” Current Sociology. doi: 00113921211039261

(2018) “Neoliberal Authoritarianism and Islamist Civil Society in Turkey” in P. Kamruzzaman (ed.) Civil Society: Perspectives from the Global South.  London: Routledge.

(2017) “Partners in Patriarchy: Faith-Based Organizations and Neoliberalism in Turkey,” Critical Sociology. DOI: 10.1177/0896920517711488

(2016) “Vernacularization of Liberal Civil Society by Transnational Islamic NGO Networks,” Global Networks, 16 (3): 391–411. doi:10.1111/glob.12122.

(2013) “Civil Society as Soft Power: Islamic NGOs and Turkish Foreign Policy” in R. Kastoryano” (ed.), Turkey between Nationalism and Globalization. New York: Columbia University Press.

(2013) “New Directions in Transnational Civil Society: The Politics of Muslim NGO Coalitions” in L. Tragardh, N. Witoszek and B. Taylor (eds.), Civil Society in the Age of Monitory Democracy. Oxford: Berghahn Books.

Zeynep Atalay and George Ritzer (2009) “Global Majority –Minority Relations: Race, Gender and Ethnicity in the Global Age” in G. Ritzer, Globalization: A Basic Text. London: Wiley-Blackwell.

Book Reviews and Encyclopedia Articles

(2018) “Islam and Democracy in Indonesia: Tolerance without Liberalism, by Jeremy Menchik,” American Journal of Sociology, 124 (3): 976-978.

(2010) “World Social Forum”; “Amitai Etzioni”; “Robert Putnam”; “Third Sector Foundation of Turkey” in H. Anheier and S. Toepler (eds.), International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. New York: Springer.

Ritzer, George and Zeynep Atalay (2007) “McDonaldization”; “Social Theory”  in J.R. Bailey and S. Clegg (eds.), International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies. London: Sage.

(2004) “Rationalization” in G. Ritzer (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Social Theory. London: Sage.