Browsing by Subject "Civil society organizations"

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    Differentiating faiths: strategies of intra-group and inter-group boundary making among Alevis in Turkey
    (2021-01) Akdeniz, Pınar
    The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between inter-group and intra-group boundary making strategies through a study of Alevi civil society organizations in Turkey. This study argues that to mobilize and deliver services to members of the Alevi community in a Sunni majority society, Alevi civil society organizations utilize two different boundary making strategies: 1) They construct and maintain intra-group Alevi boundaries to differentiate themselves from other Alevi organizations; 2) They construct and maintain inter-group boundaries with Sunnis to differentiate themselves from the majority community and organizations in Turkey. This research aims to find the extent to which these two distinct types of boundary making strategies are interlinked. The study utilizes the boundary making approach to analyze the strategies of the two groups. By focusing on the boundary making framework this study aims at investigating how the intra-group boundary making strategies could be applied and linked to inter-group boundary making processes. Hence, this research specifically looks at the link between these two processes, what I refer to as “the dual boundary making process.” Therefore, the research question that this dissertation aims to investigate is: “How boundary making strategies and debates are constructed within in-group Alevi civil society organizations influence the inter-group relationship between Alevis and Sunnis?” The study aims to contribute to the literature by analyzing the interlinkages between intra-group and inter-group processes while also contributing to the literature on Alevi civil society organizations in Turkey by presenting a novel frame for understanding how separate Alevi organizations differentiate themselves from each other and from Sunnis.
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    Walking on a tightrope: challenges and opportunities for civil society organizations working with refugees and migrants in Turkey
    (Springer New York LLC, 2021-01-19) Akşak, Emel Özdora; Dimitrova, D.
    This qualitative study sheds light onto the working structures, make-up, and strengths and weaknesses of civil society organizations working with Syrian refugees in Turkey. The research includes 22 interviews with a variety of national and international civil society organizations (CSOs) and aims to reveal strategies they employ to communicate with and advocate on behalf of refugees. The strategies utilized by international and domestic organizations are compared and their relationships elaborated within the specific sociocultural and political context of Turkey. Results reveal that Syrian refugee advocacy in Turkey can be defined as a balancing act, where civil society organizations need to establish and nurture positive government relations, while engaging closely with their beneficiary communities and each other due to their mutually dependent funding and implementation arrangements, as well as work closely with the media to ensure effective advocacy.