Özlem Yeniay

Özlem Yeniay studied classical archeology in her BA. Afterwards, she earned her MA degree in sociology from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in İstanbul, Turkey. Her thesis entitled “Fisher Women in the Gulf of Gökova” explores the women who make their living by fishing under the system of “family fishing”. She is currently pursuing a Phd at the University of Potsdam with a project focusing on the Landless Rural Workers Movement and the Kurdish Freedom Movement as the cases of local interventions against global capitalism in the twenty-first century.

Research Interests

• Sociology of culture
• Political and cultural anthropology
• Decolonial epistemology
• New social movements
• Political ecology
• Political economy

Publications

Book Chapters

• Yeniay, Özlem, and Enzan, “Spain and Rojava Revolutions”, epilog part of “Clara and Pavel Thalmann at the front of Aragon and Catalonia”. Barcelona, Descontrol, forthcoming. Written under pseudonym as Heval Siya. 
• Yeniay, Özlem, “Gökova Körfezi’nde Kadın Balıkçılar: İş ve yaşam” [Fisher Women in the Gulf of Gökova: Practices of Work and Living], The Optimism of Willing, Women in Turkey around 2000, a compilation of essays, ed. Aksu Bora. Ankara, Ayizi Yayınevi, April 2015.  

Journal Articles

• Yeniay, Özlem, “Tupi or Not Tupi: Bossa Nova’nın İzinde Bir Kültürel Yolculuk” [A Cultural Journey on the Track of Bossa-Nova], 1+1 Forum (Online Journal), 14 Temmuz 2019. 
• Yeniay, Özlem, “The Story of Three Friends: Rojava’s anti-fascist internationalists”, Kurdish Question (Online Political Journal), May 2017. Written under pseudonym as Heval Siya. 
• Yeniay, Özlem, “Topraksızlar Hareketi ve Kürt Özgürlük Mücadelesinde Alternatif Yaşam ve Ekoloji: Tartışmalar/Karşılaştırmalar” [Alternative Economy and Ecology within the Landless Rural Workers Movement and the Kurdish Freedom Movement: Discussions/Comparisons], Toplumve Kuram (Political Journal), Issue 12, 2017.
• Yeniay, Özlem, “Sovyet Sisteminde Ekoloji ve Ekonomik Model” [Ecological Approach and Developmentalism in the Soviet Union], Demokratik Modernite (Monthly Political Journal), Issue 18, April 2017. 
• Yeniay, Özlem, “Toplumsal Dönüşüm İçin Bir Alternatif Model: Agroekoloji” [Agro-ecology: An Alternative Model for Social Transformation], Yeni Özgür Politika (Political Newspaper), 20 May 2016.  
• Yeniay, Özlem, “Die Bewegung der Landlosen in Brasilien Escola Nacional Florestan Fernandes”, Kurdistan Report, July-August 2016 (Translated from Turkish).  
• Yeniay, Özlem, “ALBA - Sosyal Hareketlerin Kıtasal Koalisyonu” [ALBA-Alternative Project for the Americas, Continental Coalition of Social Movements], Mesele Dergi (Monthly Political Journal), Issue 108, December 2015.  
• Yeniay, Özlem, “Consulta Popular, Brezilya’da Halk Dayanışması” [Consulta Popular, People’s Project in Brazil], Mesele Dergi (Monthly Political Journal), Issue 107, November 2015. 
• Yeniay, Özlem, “ENFF - Halk Okulu” [Florestan Fernandes National School, Alternative Formation of Landless Rural Workers Movement], Mesele Dergi (Monthly Political Journal), Issue 106, October 2015.  
• Yeniay, Özlem, “For a Do Eixo; Bir Medya Kolektifi” [A Communal Life and an Independent Media Collective in Brazil], Mesele Dergi (Monthly Political Journal), Issue 105, September 2015.  

Seminars & Conference Papers

• “Revolution in Rojava”, Association Longo Mai, Marseille, May, 2017.  
• “New Legislations, Problems and Possible Solutions on Farming in Turkey and North Kurdistan”, Terra Madre Forum, International Workshop: Be A Farmer, Farming Youth Agriculture, Italy-Turin, September 24, 2016.  
• “The Experience of MST-Landless Rural Workers Movement”, Infial-Mekan Anarchist Collective, Istanbul, October, 2016.
• “Women in Rojava Revolution”, Comite de Solidaridade a Resistancia Popular Curda de Sao Paulo, Espaço de Rosa Latino Americana, January, 2016.
• “Eco-socialism and Eco-feminism”, YKP (New Cyprus Party), 2nd Ecology Forum, Limnitis, Nicosia-Northern Cyprus, 2013.  
• “Social Movements Protesting Energy Projects in the Black Sea Region: New Experiences, Visions, and Socialites?”, International Workshop: Ordering the Social Producing Change: New Ethnographies of Turkey in Transformation, Part 2: Humboldt University at Berlin, Department of European Ethnology and Collaborative Research Centre Representations of Changing Social Orders – Intertemporal and Intercultural Comparisons, Berlin, October 25-28, 2012.  
• “How to Ensure Objectivity in Qualitative Research? On Potentials of the Social Context of Ethnographic Work, Historical Process and Establishment of Objectivity by Present Indicators”, Workshop of Qualitative Work - 1, İzmir, September 1-3, 2012.  
• “Construction of Agent, Fisher Women in the Gulf of Gökova; Work and Living Practices”, Seminars of Sociology 4, Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, İstanbul, December 23, 2011.  
• “Social Movements Protesting Energy Projects in the Black Sea Region: New Experiences, Visions, and Socialites?”, International Workshop: Ordering the Social – Producing Change: New Ethnographies of Turkey in Transformation, Part 1: Boğaziçi University, Department of Sociology, Istanbul, June 24 to 25, 2011.  
• “Labour and Fisher Women” (Photographic Presentation), Documentary Photography Days, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Zonguldak, April 11, 2009. 
• “Invisible Laborers in Gulf of Gökova” (Ethnographic video-presentation), Symposium on Visual Ideology, İstanbul Bilgi University, Istanbul, May 22, 2009.