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Browsing by Institution Author "ACAR, Yasemin Gülsüm"

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    Doing research in conflict contexts: practical and ethical challenges for researchers when conducting fieldwork
    (American Psychological Association, 2019-02) Moss, S. M.; Uluğ, Ö. M.; Acar, Yasemin Gülsüm; Psychology; ACAR, Yasemin Gülsüm
    Within social psychology, fieldwork in conflict settings is still not commonplace, despite recent calls for more researchers to engage in fieldwork to understand conflict dynamics. With this article, we wish to emphasize the importance of conducting fieldwork to the future of psychological science, while simultaneously acknowledging the challenges such research entails. We approach the subject as "outsiders," and consider a number of important factors that researchers in that position should be aware of before entering a conflict situation. We have chosen the issues we believe to be the main challenges and those which are most in need of discussion prior to outsiders conducting fieldwork in conflict contexts. These issues are listed as either practical or ethical. Practical concerns include the following: (a) actual and perceived safety of researchers and participants, (b) the complexities of getting research permits, (c) identities of the researcher, (d) social and cultural script, and (e) language barriers between researchers and participants. Ethical concerns necessary to take into account in conflict contexts include but are not limited to (a) getting informed consent, (b) recording interviews, (c) avoiding psychological harm to respondents, (d) psychological demands of research for the research team, and (e) giving back to the respondents. With a need for more conflict research within social psychology, we hope to contribute to an increase in the work done in such contexts as well as the general discussions of such experiences.
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    Examining prejudice reduction through solidarity and togetherness experiences among Gezi Park activists in Turkey
    (PsychOpen, 2016) Uluğ, Ö. M.; Acar, Yasemin Gülsüm; Psychology; ACAR, Yasemin Gülsüm
    Prejudice reduction research has focused on reducing negative regard as a means to improve relations between various groups (e.g., religious, ethnic, political). Though positive regard between groups may be created, these forms of contact and common identification do not alter policy orientations of advantaged groups toward disadvantaged ones. Rather than intergroup contact, it is suggested that a collective action model of prejudice reduction (Dixon, J., Levine, M., Reicher, S., & Durrheim, K. (2012). Beyond prejudice: Are negative evaluations the problem and is getting us to like one another more the solution? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 35, 411-425) would create ties between disadvantaged groups to work toward beneficial policy change. We seek to show that the Gezi Park protests in Taksim, İstanbul functioned as an intergroup phenomenon, requiring the cooperation of a number of disadvantaged groups (e.g., feminists, Kurds) working together to improve the status of all present. In a series of interviews with 34 activists from the Gezi Park protests, participants were to reflect on their individual and group-based experiences during their time in the Gezi Park protests. Data indicate that although a few groups remained distant or disconnected during the protests, a common ground was achieved such that some participants were able to overcome past prejudices. Data also indicate that through group perceptions and individuals’ descriptions of events, groups who had previously not been able to cooperate were able to work and stick together at Gezi. Results also imply, in line with Dixon et al. (2012), that if disadvantaged groups work together, they might change the position of their groups and improve each group’s disadvantaged position via collective action.
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    ‘Names will never hurt us’: A qualitative exploration of çapulcu identity through the eyes of Gezi Park protesters
    (Wiley, 2019-07) Uluğ, Ö. M.; Acar, Yasemin Gülsüm; Psychology; ACAR, Yasemin Gülsüm
    While there is a wealth of literature on how and why people engage in collective action, there has been comparably less focus on the way identities that have emerged (as compared to how they are consolidated or politicized) through crowd action are understood and explained by those who carry those identities, as well as the particular importance of norm formation and adherence in this process. The Gezi Park protests in Turkey allowed studying exactly how a newly created identity - capulcu identity [Turkish for looters] - can be perceived by the protesters. The present study utilizes a qualitative approach to explore how the capulcu identity was understood by people who participated in the Gezi Park protests, as well as the norms and prototypes associated with that identity. More specifically, we investigated perceptions of (1) the defining characteristics of a new identity (i.e., meaning of capulcu), (2) prototypicality (i.e., typical capulcu), (3) expectations of capulcu behaviour in terms of social norms, and (4) out-group definitions (i.e., differentiating a capulcu from a non-capulcu). We used a survey with open-ended questions to explore capulcu identity and analysed the data from 196 participants using qualitative content analysis. Results highlighted the important defining characteristics of capulcu identity, how this identity is positioned in relation to the newly created out-group (i.e., government supporters), and social norms based on this newly created identity. We discuss the meanings of identity characteristics and social norms in the political context of Turkey in relation to existing collective action models, as well as why we need to examine identities that come about during protests qualitatively.
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    Önsöz toplum, kimlik ve siyaset: sosyal psikolojik yaklaşımlar özel sayısı
    (Türk Psikologlar Derneği, 2017) Çelebi, E.; Acar, Yasemin Gülsüm; Psychology; ACAR, Yasemin Gülsüm
    Bu özel sayı yolculuğu bir soruyla başladı: "psikologlar olarak ülkemizin temel toplumsal sorunlarını ne kadar, nasıl anlıyoruz, nasıl çözümler sunuyoruz ve bu çözümleri nasıl anlatıyoruz?" Başka bir deyişle, psikoloji alan yazınında genişçe yer alan ve binlerce araştırmanın konusu olan ayrımcılık, etnopolitik azınlık hakları, nefret söylemi, ırkçılık, kolektif eylem, toplumsal cinsiyet, politik ideolojiler gibi olgular yanında ülkemize özgü Kürt sorunu, Gezi eylemleri gibi konularda psikologlar olarak bilgi üretiminin neresindeyiz? Psikoloji alanında sosyopolitik olguların akademik çalışma alanı olarak seçilmesi konusundaki önyargı ve engeller nelerdir? Bu konularda yeteri kadar çalışma olmamasının nedenleri arasında kültürel ya da kaültürlerarası yaklaşımların yeteri kadar benimsenmemiş olması, çalışma yapmaya dair zorluklar, etik kurul izinleri, azınlık grubu katılımcılarına ulaşmada sıkıntılar ve fon bulma konusundaki zorluklar sayılabilir. Buna ek olarak, Türkiye'de kamusal alan genelinde ve akademik alan özelinde uygulanan baskı, yıldırma ve sansür uygulamaları da alanımızda hangi konularda bilgi üretilip hangi meselelerin tabu olduğunu ve görmezden gelineceğini belirlemektedir. İşte tam da bu noktada, özel sayı bu boşluğu doldurmak amacıyla sosyal psikoloji yaklaşım, kuram ve yöntemlerini kullanan, Türkiye temelli görgül çalışmaların yayımlanmasını amaçlayan bir bakış açısından yola çıktı.
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    What happens after the protests? Understanding protest outcomes through multi-level social change
    (American Psychological Association, 2018) Uluğ, Ö. M.; Acar, Yasemin Gülsüm; Psychology; ACAR, Yasemin Gülsüm
    Over the last few years, large-scale social movements and the consequences of these movements from the perspectives of protesters have been gaining increased attention across the globe. Psychological research has tended to focus on individual or group level change; however, understanding the consequences of these social movements involves realizing that social movements bring about change in different ways: at the individual level, the group level, and the systemic or policy level. The current research attempts to examine not only the individual and group level change but also system level change from the perspective of participants of the Gezi Park protests in İstanbul, Turkey. The consequences of the protests in the subsequent 3 years will be discussed through a series of expert interviews. Overall, results indicate that a number of gains occurred on all 3 levels, but there were overall losses over time. With the impact of other political factors, many of those gains were lost as well.