In addition to its original and continuous purpose of concealing identity and providing a linguistic haven, Lubunca, with its idiosyncratic vocabulary and cultural significance, plays a crucial role in fostering a sense of belonging and solidarity within the queer community in Turkey.
Furthermore, Lubunca’s integration into the queer activism movement in Turkey represents a unique intersection of language and social change. I aim to unpack and discuss these aspects of Lubunca through various participant observation methods and narrative interviews, both with individuals and selective focus groups.
Along with the foundational work concerning the current use of Lubunca itself, a part of the dissertation will be allocated to using Lubunca as a vessel to talk about the principal question of what language is.
Research Interests
My main research interest resides at the cross-section of language and identity. More specifically, I am interested in how linguistic agency effects gender and sexual identity formation as well as maintenance, both at an individual and communal level.
Academic Background
I have a Master of Arts degree in Sociolinguistics and Multilingualism, which was co-organized by four universities: Stockholm University, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Vytautas Magnus University, and Tartu University.
I also hold a Bachelor of Art in Translation and Interpreting (Turkish-English) from Ege University.
