BARIS CAYLI messina, PhD
A Social and Cultural CritiC
ABOUT ME
I have received my academic training across different countries, including Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. My family background and life experiences have shaped me into a person who holds cosmopolitan values dearly, with a focus on equity and justice. My interests span across a wide spectrum of social, political, cultural, and legal matters, where human behaviours, collective actions, and dissent present a complex array of challenges and dilemmas that demand attention, discussion, and at times, rebuttal.
In my research endeavours, I strive to delve into the roots and repercussions of crime, conflict, violence, injustice, and inequality, as well as cultural shifts and social and political upheavals. My research reflects my dedication to unraveling the complex local and global processes that influence community dynamics and significantly impact individuals’ lives. My research has been funded by different organisations including the British Academy, the European Council, AHRC, the Max Planck Institute and others.
As a social and cultural critic, my work is characterised by a critical eye towards a multitude of issues. I am committed to critically questioning established power structures across communities, states, classes, cultures, genders, races, and resources. My academic curiosity drives me to adopt a comparative and critical lens when developing research designs for the topics I am passionate about exploring, particularly those that highlight the dire consequences of injustice and inequality throughout history and across different regions.
Being a gay man, I am deeply invested in supporting LGBTQ+ academics and mentoring up-and-coming scholars. My involvement with the ISA's LGBTQA Caucus is a significant part of my commitment to this cause. Furthermore, I am collaborating with colleagues to create structured mentorship programs to bolster early-career LGBTQ+ scholars in the UK more effectively. If you are a part of the LGBTQ+ academic sphere and in need of guidance or mentorship, please feel free to reach out to me. I am happy to offer mentorship to early-career researchers, such as PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows.
VISITING ACADEMIC POSTS AND RECOGNITIONS
Habiliation, Associate Professorship Certificate by the Catalan Ministry of Education, Catalonia, (Document no: 0233/1355/2018) (2018)
Visiting Professor (2019-2020), School of Law, University of LUMSA, Palermo
Visiting Professor (2018-2019), University of Palermo - Department of Culture and Society
Visiting Academic (2011) University of Oxford - Department of Sociology
Visiting Scholar (2011) Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Center for Law & Justice

EDUCATION
University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) - ISHSS Certificate
Bilkent University (Turkey) - BA in Political Science
University of Twente (Netherlands) - MSc in Public Administration
University of Camerino (Italy) - PhD in Law, Politics and Social Sciences
RESEARCH METHODS EXPERTISE
I have expertise in a number of empirical methods both in qualitative and quantitative data analysis. I have comprehensive knowledge in analytical data analysis in archival research, ethnography, methods in digital humanities, content analysis, and computer programmes for both qualitative and quantitative data. I have been recently interested in expanding my knowledge in AI, machine learning, and data visualisation.
Archival Research
Field Research
Digital Ethnography
Discourse Analysis
QDAMiner programme for Qualitative Data
Advanced Interview Techniques
Digital Methods in Humanities
Voyant Tools
NVivo
Web Scraping
Spatial Data Analysis
Automated Text Analysis
Data Visualization
Field Experiments
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Python
Bayesian Statistics
Time Series Analysis for Political and Social Sciences
Stata
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Functions in R
Simulations in R
Advanced Graphics in R
EDITORIAL BOARD ACTIVITIES
I am Editor-in-Chief of International Social Science Journal
I am editorial board member of
The Sociological Review (2021 November - onwards)
I am founding editorial board member of
Interdisciplinary Studies of the Mediterranean (2022 - onwards).
AFFILIATIONS
Royal Historical Society (Elected Fellow)
TSAS, Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society (Senior Research Affiliate)
Royal Society of Arts (Fellow)
Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) (Member)
The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (Associate Researcher)
ECPR - Standing Group on Organised Crime (Steering Committee Member)
Academics Stand against Poverty (Member)
Council for the Defence of British Universities: CDBU (Member)