Bahar Rumelili guest speaker at our first faculty seminar of the term

Prof. Dr. Bahar Rumelili, the guest speaker of the IUE Political Science and International Relations Department Faculty Seminar, presented her work “Fundamental Uncertainty, Emotional Reactions, and Political Consequences: Canada and Turkey Compared” and answered questions.

The theme of the speech was generalized anxiety, which stems from not knowing what the future holds, as distinct from the fear of the materialization of specific given risks, has become the pervasive mood in international society. The mood of anxiety is activated firstly by the increasing frequency and societal salience of unanticipated developments, crises, and arbitrary politics; secondly by the declining ability of liberal institutions to manage and contain these anxieties; and thirdly by governance strategies, which actively propagate anxiety for the purpose of promoting preparedness. The responses to anxiety and uncertainity from Canadian and Turkish participant were compared. The general themes of national attachment, liberal tendencies, closeness to authority and the need of belonging were discussed. The anxiety which rises from the possibility of reoccurrence of traumatic events and its political functions were highlighted.