Zeynep Atalay is an Assistant Professor in Sociology. She has received her PhD from the University of Maryland in 2012 and has been a member of the Saint Mary's community since 2013. At SMC, she teaches courses on Sociological Theory, Globalization, Transnational Migration, Revolutions and Transnational Social Movements.

 

As a political sociologist, Zeynep Atalay focuses specifically on state-civil society relationship in the context of globalization. One strand of her research focuses on transnational activism and social movements. In her graduate work, she studied transnational Islamist NGO coalitions and the intersections between civil society and religion. Her current research in this area examines the dynamics of second-generation transnational political activism, focusing particularly on second-generation Muslim immigrants of Middle Eastern background in the U.S. 

 

Another strand of Atalay’s research focuses on neoliberal authoritarianism in Turkey. She has written about state - conservative civil society partnerships in areas such as Turkish foreign policy, neoliberal social welfare systems, and development. Currently, she is working on partnerships between the current Turkish government and conservative educators trade unions to place limitations on teaching evolution in public school curriculum.