ISTANBUL POLICY CENTER-SABANCI UNIVERSITY-STIFTUNG MERCATOR INITIATIVE
cordially invites you to the 7th Mercator-IPC Talk with
Prof. Dr. Klaus Kreiser
(University of Bamberg; Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow)
hosting keynote speaker
Prof. Dr. Horst Unbehaun
(Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg)
and discussant
Dilşad Budak
(Free Journalist and CEO of the Köksal Attorney Partnership, Istanbul)
“Between Analysis and Myths 50 Years of Research on Turkish Migration to Germany”
Thursday, June 27, 2013, 18.30-20.00
Istanbul Policy Center, 6th floor
In his presentation, Prof. Horst Unbehaun offers a retrospective view on some subject
areas of Turkish migration to Germany that drew the attention of many researchers in
past and present. His intention is, on the one hand, to point to selected research
findings concerning the fields of everyday life, community and colony structures, social
and ethnic segregation, integration of children with Turkish origin into the school
system, the gender question and “Turkish” Islam in Germany. On the other hand, he
wants to show that these fields of research are embedded in political frameworks which
structure them ideologically. For this end, Prof. Unbehaun introduces some theses on
German (non)immigration policy, which in his view has influenced research approaches
over time indirectly.
With some examples it is to be shown, how research findings or popular science
publications on Turkish migration were feeding public discourses: on the so called
“failing” or incomplete “integration” of Turkish immigrants and their children in German
society; and on the “suppression” of women and girls – namely by “forced marriage”
and even “honour killing” – by men clinging to traditional patterns of patriarchy. This is
often “explained” with the stereotype of a pre modern “parallel society”, in which
Turkish migrants live and are influenced by “backward Islamic communities”. It is to be
discussed at the end, how and to what extent migration research has been able to
contribute to a criticism of myths and stereotypes in public discourses on “integration”
and on “the dangerous Islam” – and in which fields political decisions on immigration
were influenced by these research results.
Horst Unbehaun is Professor for the subject area of social work, including intercultural
social work, at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied
Sciences Nuremberg (now Nuremberg Institute of Technology) since 2002. The
presentation will be reflected upon by discussant Dilşad Budak. Ms. Budak grew up in
Germany and studied law at Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf. She currently lives
in Istanbul and holds the position of the CEO of Köksal Attorney Partnership and
furthermore works as an author and freelance journalist. She has published extensively
on issues related to German-Turkish relations and has been affiliated with the Turkish
Community in Germany (TGD).
The event will be held in English and take place in the form of a casual dinner. Please
send your RSVP to Gülcihan Çiğdem (e-mail: gulcihanc@sabanciuniv.edu, tel. +90 212
292 4939 ext. 1417) by June 24, 2013.
Address: İstanbul Politikalar Merkezi, Bankalar Caddesi No: 2, Minerva Han, Karaköy,
İstanbul
Website: http://ipc.sabanciuniv.edu/en/