Welcome to the Spotlight Series, where we put the focus on the talented individuals who contribute to the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy here in Trinity College Dublin.
Each month, we sit down with a member of our research team to learn more about their areas of expertise, what the turning points have been in their career, and what inspires them in their daily lives.
Dr Gizem Arikan
Gizem is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Trinity College Dublin. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey and her Ph.D. from Stony Brook University, NY, USA. Her main fields of study are political psychology and political attitudes. Her substantive research interests include religiosity, authoritarian values, and attitudes towards democracy. She also conducts research on attitudes towards economic inequality and political attitudes of religious-minority immigrants. Her work has been published in American Political Science Review, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Political Psychology, and Political Behavior.
What is your current area of research?
I am a political psychologist, which means I study the psychological dynamics underlying political attitudes and behaviours. Most of my research focuses on religion and its effects on attitudes towards democracy, immigration, or welfare. Lately, I’ve been conducting research on the effect of religion on the integration of religious minority immigrants in the West. I’m also conducting research other topics such as authoritarian values, climate attitudes, and cultural norms.
What question or challenge were you setting out to address when you started this work?
My research in the past decade or so has demonstrated that religiosity influences political attitudes and behaviour in complex ways, challenging the traditional view of religion as having either entirely ‘good’ or ‘bad’ effects. For example, on one hand, religious communities and networks can promote democratic attitudes and political engagement. On the other hand, certain aspects of religious life can lead to withdrawal or isolation from politics or undermine democratic attitudes.
This contradiction also applies in the context of immigration: Does religion help immigrants integrate into the host society by building connections, or does it encourage communities to turn inward and become isolated from the mainstream society? My recent research seeks to answer these questions and understand the broader role of religion in sociopolitical integration.
Share a turning point or defining moment in your work as a philosophical researcher?
In my third year of graduate school, I attended a peer’s presentation how religiosity affected attitudes toward democracy in Israel. I was struck by how many of the dynamics she described had striking parallels to Turkey, where I was born and raised. Until then, I hadn’t considered conducting research on religion, but the idea of uncovering shared patterns in religion’s effects across vastly different contexts intrigued me. After her talk, I approached her to discuss collaborating on a project, and we’ve been working on this and various other things ever since!
Briefly, what excites you about your research?
What excites me most about my research is the opportunity to explore the underlying reasons behind why people think and act the way they do in politics. I’ve always been fascinated by psychology and the complexities of human behavior, and political psychology gives me the tools to understand the dynamics shaping people’s political attitudes and actions.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
I’ve been taking some pottery classes and I really enjoy them. I also enjoy reading and try to stay active when I can. Recently, I discovered barre pilates and have really been enjoying it.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading two books: The first one is Saints and Sinners, which is a collection of short stories by Edna O’Brien. I am also reading What Works by Irish Bohnet, which discusses evidence-based strategies for overcoming unconscious bias and achieving gender equality in organizations.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
This is a tough question, but I’d choose Hilda of Klimt. Her art was experimental and ahead of its time, and she understood that it might not be fully appreciated during her lifetime. I’d love to ask her about her creative process, how she viewed the role of women in art during her era, and how she navigated a male-dominated artistic world.
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
Most people are usually surprised and amused when I tell them I can't ride a bike. The idea of balancing on two wheels is just too terrifying for me!
February 2025
Past Stories