Curriculum Vitae:

since 04/2010	PhD student and research assistant at the graduate school of the cluster of excellence "Religion and Politics" of WWU Münster
12/2009–11/2010	DAAD scholarship holder
09/2008–01/2009	Participation in the PhD programme "Political Sciences" at Sabanci University Istanbul
10/2007–09/2008	M.A. Sociocultural Studies "Islamic Television in Turkey" at Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
02/2006–10/2006	Exchange programme (Erasmus) at Istanbul Bilgi University
04/2005–04/2007	B.A Cultural Studies "Turkish National Identity" at Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

PhD project:

The structural change of the Islamic public. A case study about the fans of Muslim stars

The privatisation of television in the 1990s, modern satellite technology and the emergence of the Internet have caused far-reaching reorganisation processes of the Islamic public. By means of an anthropological case study, I aim to investigate in my work the impact that the changes in media behaviour have on the Islam as lived by a group of women in Istanbul. The Internet as a “free” medium shaped by the aspiring middle class is significant in this, while television is regarded as a state-controlled and cross-class medium. Lived Islam is to be seen as a political cultural process here, that is, political activism increasingly finds its way into everyday culture and does not proceed parallel to media activities, with which it is connected in many places, instead, often also taking place in the media. Certain attitudes can thus be confirmed through television or, as “experiences”, guide actions on the Internet. At the same time, Internet activism results in a new form of the public.

Research Interests:

• Turkey and Iran
• Media and Islam
• Migration

Contact

Sara Merdian M. A.
Institute of Sociology
Geiststraße 24-26
Room 123
D-48151 Münster
Germany
smerd_01@uni-muenster.de

Supervisor

Prof. Dr. Detlef Pollack
Institute of Sociology
Scharnhorststraße 121
Room 556
D-48151 Münster
Germany
Tel.: +49 251 83-25301
Fax: +49 251 83-29930
pollack@uni-muenster.de

Mentor

Dr. Felicity Jensz

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