Navigating Islam and Same-Sex Liaisons Among Men in Turkey

ABSTRACT

This study reports the experiences of 20 Turkish men in having sex with men in an Islamic society. As part of a broader study on Turkish homosexualities, the article analyzes responses to the question, “What joys and difficulties have you experienced regarding your sexual orientation in relation to Islam?” to elicit responses on how Islam and homosexuality might coexist in everyday life.     

The Relationship Between Islam and Democracy in Turkey: Employing Political Culture as an Indicator

During the last decade the agenda of local and global politics is heavily marked by the encounter of two powerful currents, namely democracy and political Islam. On the one hand Islam as a religion itself is facing a cultural dialectic between a modern and an authentic form, producing a synthesis which is only to be criticized again by a new radical antithesis. Within that framework political Islam is perceived to be a tool for this current antithesis, attacking the states for impiety and materialism. Democracy, on the other hand, is becoming dominant as a criterion of good government, the “only game in town”, with its inherent complexity which reveals itself in each particular context. The two currents are not necessarily irreconcilable, but they produce a number of different effects on each other whenever they meet. The fundamental contention of this article is to demonstrate this relationship within the Turkish setting.     

The Role of Religiosity in Satisfaction With Life: A Sample of Turkish Gay Men

ABSTRACT

In this study, we investigated the role of religiosity in satisfaction with life in a sample of Turkish gay men. A one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the religiosity had a significant effect on life satisfaction of gay men. Extrinsically religious gay men displayed significantly higher life satisfaction scores than both intrinsically religious and nonreligious gay men. Moreover, intrinsically religious and nonreligious gay men did not significantly differ in terms of life satisfaction. Based on the findings of the study, we concluded that the role of a committed religiosity in enhancing satisfaction with life as documented by the overwhelming majority of previous research was reversed in the case of Turkish Muslim gay men.     

Comparing Heterosexuals’ and Gay Men/Lesbians’ Responses to Relationship Problems and the Effects of Internalized Homophobia on Gay Men/Lesbians’ Responses to Relationship Problems in Turkey

The purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to investigate the effects of sexual orientation (heterosexuals and gay men/lesbians) and gender difference on responses to romantic relationship problems (Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect [EVLN] responses) and of perceived partner’s EVLN responses in Turkey, and (2) to examine whether internalized homophobia was associated with EVLN responses and perceived partner’s EVLN responses for gay men and lesbians. Responses to Dissatisfaction Scale-Accommodation Instrument, Internalized Homophobia, and Demographics Information were administered to 187 participants (44 lesbians, 44 gay men, 53 heterosexual women, 46 heterosexual men).The MANCOVA results showed that men reported higher loyalty than women, whereas women presented more exit responses than men. Further, the interactions between gender and sexual orientation on the participants’ EVLN responses and on the perceived partner’s EVLN responses were significant. With respect to heterosexual women, heterosexual men displayed more loyalty responses. Lesbians had higher scores on loyalty than did heterosexual women. Lesbians also had higher scores on perceived partner’s exit response than did heterosexual women and gay men. On the contrary, heterosexual women reported more perceived partner’s voice response than lesbians. In addition, lesbians reported higher perceived partner’s neglect responses than heterosexual women. Compared to heterosexual women, heterosexual men reported higher perceived partner’s exit response. Finally, internalized homophobia was associated with destructive responses for both lesbians and gay men.     

Coming Out à l'oriental: Maghrebi-French performances of gender, sexuality, and religion

In this article, I examine issues of gender, sexuality, and religion for North African (Maghrebi)-French men in contemporary France. I introduce performance artist-photographer "2Fik," one of the Maghrebi-French research subjects from my 2010 fieldwork, and examine excerpts of his particular coming out story to his parents and situate it in relation to recent work on homosexuality in the housing projects of France's banlieues [suburban neighborhoods] (Chaumont, 2009; Na?t-Balk, 2009). The interviewee's narrative interweaves a variety of discourses and imagery that help distinguish his experience from those found in those publications as well as in recent scholarship on sexuality, citizenship, and transnationalism (Cruz-Malavé & Manalansan, 2000; Hayes, 2000; Leap & Boellstorff, 2004; Patton & Sánchez-Eppler, 2000; Provencher, 2007a). I argue that 2Fik's story and photography provide him a unique voice that draws on feminist and queer perspectives--informed by both reformed Islam and contemporary Western values--to "decline" (Rosello, 1998) and rewrite longstanding stereotypes of Islam in France. In fact, by acting as a "citizen-photographer" (M?ller, 2010), 2Fik successfully declines stereotypes including the absent Muslim father, the veiled woman, and the symbolic violence associated with heteronormativity and traditional masculinity in Maghrebi-French families.     

Prevalence of and attitudes to abortion among migrant women in Sydney

This study, based on a socio-demographic survey, conducted in 1988, of 980 ever-married women of Lebanese, Turkish or Vietnamese origin, shows that Turkish women had the most liberal attitudes and reported the highest incidence of abortion. More than half of the Turkish women and only 10–15 per cent of Lebanese and Vietnamese women thought that a woman should have the right to make the abortion decision herself. In spite of religious and moral objections there were many women who were prepared to consider having an abortion in a variety of common situations such as contraceptive failure, rape, extra-marital pregnancy and medical conditions.     

Ethnic and religious differentials in Bulgarian mortality, 1993-98

We investigated ethnic/religious mortality differentials in Bulgaria during the 1990s. The analyses employed a unique longitudinal data-set covering the entire population of Bulgaria from the census of 1992 until 1998. The mortality of Roma is very high compared to all other ethnic/religious groups. The excess applies to nearly every cause of death examined and is not entirely explained by the adverse location of Roma on social and economic variables. For young men, Muslim mortality is substantially lower than that of non-Muslims when socio-economic differences are controlled. An analysis of causes of death suggests that lower consumption of alcohol may contribute to this 'Muslim paradox'. For older Turkish women, a significant mortality disadvantage remains after controls are imposed. Suicide mortality is lower for Muslims than for Christian groups of the same ethnicity. Consistent with deteriorating economic conditions over the study period, mortality was rising, particularly for women.     

Mediated Piety in Contemporary Syria: Women,Islam, and television

Dr Rufayda al-Habash is a prominent female preacher (da‘iya) in Syria today and is a representative of the Islamic revivalist movement. The channel Iqraa and her personal website are the main visual venues through which her message and knowledge are disseminated. By analyzing her as an exemplar, this study examines how da‘iyas use media to augment their religious authority, engage with the discursive tradition of Islam, and address everyday issues of ordinary women. The paper argues that the use of media allows Dr al-Habash to become more visible and active in the religious field that is dominated by male preachers and theologians. Although she functions within religious, media, and interpretivist frameworks that have been designed, put in place, and regulated primarily by men, she creatively utilizes available resources to achieve multiple goals.     

Negative sexual experiences with men among heterosexual women and lesbians

Survey responses on traumatic experiences with men were compared from 50 matched pairs of heterosexual women and lesbians. Prior research has implied that lesbians have had more traumatic experiences with men than heterosexual women. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that lesbians would report more negative sexual experiences with men than heterosexual women. The findings of the present study did not support this hypothesis. The only significant difference found between the two groups was that heterosexual women were more likely to report multiple categories of traumatic experiences and lesbians were more likely to report experiences in only one category of trauma. Contrary to prior studies, these results indicate that previous traumatic experiences with men may not be a significant factor in the development of sexual orientation.     

Turkish Validity Examination of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale

The validation studies of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) have been conducted with samples from different nations but mostly from western individualistic cultures. Life satisfaction and its constructs could differ depending on cultural characteristics and life satisfaction scales should be validated in different cultures before using as measurement tools. This paper exhibits the validation study of the MSLSS in the collectivistic Turkish context and the study was conducted among 959 high school and primary school students. The MSLSS was found to be reliable and valid for the Turkish context with a few exceptions.     

Islam conference endorses family planning

The participants of the Conference on Islam and Family Planning, held in Gambia during October 1979, agreed that family planning conforms with Islam. They asked for increased involvement on the part of local Muslim leaders in African countries in encouraging family planning for the promotion of maternal and child health. Although family planning within marriage conforms with Islam, traditional religious leaders were frequently ignorant of this and opposed family planning. Included among Conference recommendations were the following: 1) the encouragement of family planning in all Muslim societies in Africa; 2) collection and publication of the views of African Muslim leaders on the subject of family planning; 3) the education of Muslims on the need for good nutrition, sanitation and health; and 4) cooperation with the International Planned Parenthood Middle East and north Africa and East Asia and Southeast Asia offices in the regions in assembling and distributing relevant information for use in Muslim African countries.     

The Impact of Religion on Women Empowerment as a Millennium Development Goal in Africa

The study examines the impact of religion on women empowerment. Three religions, indigenous African, Islam and Christianity, comprising Africa’s triple heritage, are considered. The hypothesized relationships are confirmed. Christianity correlates with each of the four Development Targets specified for women empowerment under the third of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including raising the: (1) percentage of school-aged girls in school, (2) female adult literacy rates, (3) female share of non-agricultural employment, and (4) female representation in government. African indigenous religion correlates with Target #3. Islam is inversely linked to each of the four Targets. A composite index incorporating values on these Targets was developed and employed as the dependent variable in a multiple regression model. The model is statistically significant, and confirms the hypothesis of a link between women empowerment and religion. Therefore, any meaningful effort to promote women empowerment in Africa must account for the continent’s three main religions.     

Life Satisfaction Among Turkish and Moroccan Immigrants in the Netherlands: The Role of Absolute and Relative Income

In this paper we investigate the role of several socio-economic and non-economic factors such as absolute and relative income, education and religion to explain the differences of happiness levels of Turkish and Moroccan Immigrants in the Netherlands by using ordered logit model. We focus on members of the Moroccan and Turkish communities, as these are the two largest non-EU immigrant communities in the Netherlands. Our findings reveal that Moroccans, although they have lower income levels and higher unemployment rates than Turkish immigrants, their happiness level is higher than the Turkish immigrants. In order to understand this dilemma a questionnaire survey was performed to 111 Turkish and 96 Moroccan immigrants in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht and Arnhem in 2010. The main purpose is to investigate how reference group’s self-reported life satisfaction is related to the level of absolute income; the level of relative income and other socio-economic factors. The main findings are that for Turkish sample relative income is significantly and negatively correlated with life satisfaction whereas, both absolute income (positively) and relative income (negatively) are significantly correlated with life satisfaction for Moroccan case.     

Psychometric Properties of the Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale–Turkish (LGBIS-TR)

The aim of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS; Mohr & Kendra, 2011) in a Turkish sample. Three hundred and ten LGB individuals participated and completed the Turkish version of the LGBIS (LGBIS-TR) along with the Satisfaction with Life, Positive and Negative Affect, and Self-Compassion Scales. Confirmatory factor analysis results yielded a good-fit for eight subscales of the LGBIS-TR. We also obtained satisfactory criterion validity and internal consistency reliability. Based on this initial study, the LGBIS-TR appears to be a psychometrically sound instrument to gauge LGB individuals’ identity experiences in Turkey. We discuss the results along with previous findings and limitations of the study, and we provide implications for further research and practice.     

Veiled Representations

This article argues that the political divide between Islamists and secularists is what shapes and manipulates the representation of female sexuality in Turkish media. As manifested in the 2007 post-election debate surrounding veiled women and the g-string, Turkish media have been incapable of reconciling a traditionally western signifier (the g-string) with a quintessential Islamic sartorial symbol (the veil). This alleged irreconcilability of the two symbols in Turkish print media thus indicates, on the one hand, the already existing ideological rift in Turkish society between secularists versus Islamists, but more problematically, it is what alienates the female body from itself, denying it an autoerotic sexuality, and making it the site of bio-political battle.     

Craigslist Exposed: The Internet-Mediated Hookup

This research examines how people advertise themselves on Craigslist. The authors develop a framework that highlights 13 resources that heterosexual and homosexual men and women offer in Craigslist advertisements. The results reveal that many heterosexual advertisers offer and seek similar resources on Craigslist, whereas gay men primarily use Craigslist to seek and offer sex. About one-fourth of homosexual advertisers are in committed relationships. The authors build on this finding by exploring the extent to which married men use Craigslist for “hookups.” The authors show the extent to which married men solicit responses to 6 different advertisements for sexual encounters that range from safe to high risk.     

A Validity and Reliability Study of the Multidimensional Trust in Health-Care Systems Scale in a Turkish Patient Population

The importance of trust within health care is widely acknowledged. Measuring patients’ trust in health care systems may contribute to plans for the financing, delivery, and outcomes of health services. Although many scales are available to measure patient trust, less attention has been paid to the multidimensional nature of trust in health care systems. The purpose of this methodological study was to adapt the Multidimensional Trust in Health-Care Systems Scale into Turkish and to evaluate its psychometric properties for a Turkish patient population. The scale was adapted into Turkish through a translation and back-translation process. The content validity of the scale was assessed using expert approval. The psychometric properties of the scale were investigated by collecting data from 232 hospitalised patients in Ankara during theperiod of 1 January–30 December 2010. An exploratory factor analysis identified that the eigenvalues for the three factors of the scale were 7.30, 2.61, and 1.21; these three factors explained 65 % of the variance. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated a sufficient model fit for the construct validity of the scale. Cronbach’s α for the total scale was 0.87, as well as 0.91, 0.82, and 0.61 for the three subscales; the Spearman-Brown split half reliability coefficient was 0.67. Despite the low internal consistency of the subscale 3, evidence from this study supports the validity and reliability of the Multidimensional Trust in Health-Care Systems Scale. This instrument can be used to measure multiple aspects of trust in the health care system; however, as trust is a contextual phenomenon, further work is needed to test the psychometric properties of this scale both in Turkish and different cultures.     

Effects of social contact with homosexuals on heterosexual Turkish university students' attitudes towards homosexuality

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of social interaction with homosexuals on attitudes toward homosexuality in a sample of heterosexual Turkish university students. Hudson and Ricketts' 25-item scale was translated from English into Turkish and used to measure students' attitudes toward homosexuality. Findings, in general, suggested that exposure to and contact with homosexuals resulted in more positive attitudes toward homosexuality. Performed factor analysis demonstrated that there were three factors for the scale. The factors were labelled as "Social interaction with homosexuals," "Probable family ties with homosexuals," and "Tendency to be a homosexual." Subjects' negative attitudes toward homosexuality increased on the last two factors, which were about having a homosexual child or sibling, and being comfortable with being attracted to a homosexual. Results were discussed in terms of prejudice and intergroup contact.     

“I Dumped My Husband For a Turkish Toyboy”

In this article, we analyse how British tabloid newspapers represent relationships between mature British women and the younger Turkish toyboy lovers they meet (and sometimes look for) on their holiday; a practice that is often considered as the female counterpart to male sex tourism, albeit labelled differently as “romance tourism.” Employing a combination of thematic, lexical, narrative, and visual analysis, we examine how the British tabloids make sense of the contradicting social categories and power relations at play in these encounters, in particular with respect to age, gender, nation, and economic position. We consider these contradictions as typical for the intersectionality of gender identities, and use the tabloid stories about romance tourism as a means to study how such intersectionality becomes manifest in everyday practices. We find that the tabloids construct only one dimension of identity as key to women's lives, that is the one of motherhood and more abstractly of caring for others. In addition, they present women as highly vulnerable to exploitation by foreign, exotic others, who are portrayed either as evil con men or—in the sporadic upbeat, happy-ending story we found—as dependent and passive objects of women's desires.     

Cultural value orientations, internalized homophobia, and accommodation in romantic relationships

In the present study, we examined the impact of cultural value orientations (i.e., the personally oriented value of individualism, and the socially oriented values of collectivism, familism, romanticism, and spiritualism) on accommodation (i.e., voice and loyalty, rather than exit and neglect, responses to partners' anger or criticism) in heterosexual and gay relationships; and we examined the impact of internalized homophobia (i.e., attitudes toward self, other, and disclosure) on accommodation specifically in gay relationships. A total of 262 heterosexuals (102 men and 162 women) and 857 gays (474 men and 383 women) participated in the present study. Consistent with hypotheses, among heterosexuals and gays, socially oriented values were significantly and positively related to accommodation (whereas the personally oriented value of individualism was unrelated to accommodation); and among gays in particular, internalized homophobia was significantly and negatively related to accommodation. Implications for the study of heterosexual and gay relationships are discussed.