BARIS CAYLI messina, PhD
A Social and Cultural CritiC
ABOUT ME
I pursued my academic training across several countries, including Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. My scholarly interests encompass a broad range of social, political, cultural, and legal topics. I am particularly intrigued by the complexities inherent in human behaviours, collective actions, and social dissent, which pose multifaceted challenges and dilemmas that warrant thorough scholarly examination, debate, and occasionally, refutation.
My research projects aim to uncover the origins and consequences of crime, conflict, violence, human suffering, and injustice, particularly as they intersect with cultural transformations and significant social and political upheavals. Through various projects, I seek to dissect the complex local and global mechanisms that influence community dynamics and deeply impact social processes. My research is fueled by a commitment to social justice and the alleviation of human suffering, aiming to make a meaningful impact on chronic social issues. I strive to enhance our understanding of these critical challenges and to develop solutions that bring about substantial, meaningful, and enduring change in society. My research has received funding from prestigious organisations, including the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, the European Council, AHRC, the Max Planck Institute, among others.
As a social and cultural critic, my research is characterised by a rigorous examination of conflictual social issues to deconstruct and clarify entrenched power dynamics across diverse communities, states, social classes, cultural groups, genders, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and access to resources. My academic pursuits are driven by a fervent curiosity, leading me to adopt a comparative and critical approach when designing research methodology. I am particularly drawn to topics that shed light on the profound ramifications of injustices, spanning different time periods and geographical regions. This enables me to delve into nuanced analyses and generate insights that contribute to a deeper understanding of complex social phenomena across time and space.
As a gay man, I am deeply dedicated to advocating for LGBTQI+ academics and providing mentorship to emerging scholars. My active participation in the ISA's LGBTQA Caucus reflects my strong commitment to this cause. Additionally, I am collaborating with colleagues to develop structured mentorship initiatives aimed at better supporting early-career LGBTQI+ scholars in the UK. If you are a member of the LGBTQI+ academic community seeking guidance or mentorship, I encourage you to reach out to me. I am readily available to offer mentorship to aspiring researchers, including PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows.
VISITING ACADEMIC POSTS AND RECOGNITIONS
Scholar-in-Residence, the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity Germany (2024)
Visiting Professor (2019-2020), School of Law, University of LUMSA, Palermo
Visiting Professor (2018-2019), University of Palermo - Department of Culture and Society
Habiliation, Associate Professorship Certificate by the Catalan Ministry of Education, Catalonia, (Document no: 0233/1355/2018) (2018)
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 AND RECOGNITIONS
Royal Historical Society (Elected Fellow)
ESRC Peer Review College (Member)
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)