Deniz Kandiyoti
Encyclopedia
Deniz Kandiyoti is an author and an academic of research in the fields of gender relations
and developmental politics in the Middle East, specifically Turkey. She holds a PhD from London School of Economics
.
Her work on gender and Islam
, especially in post-colonial and rural development
areas, has been influential throughout the entire field. She has pioneered new research into understanding the implications of Islam and state policy on women, and as a result has brought more attention to the field.
As of 2007, Kandiyoti works as Reader in the Department of Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies
, which is part of the University of London
. She has done consultancy work for United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Environmental, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE), the UK's Department for International Development
(DFID) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women
(UNIFEM).
and rural transformation, but then moved towards gender, nationalism and Islam
. Most recently, her research has “returned to exploring the politics of gender in Muslim-majority societies but from an even broader comparative perspective” which involves Afghanistan and Uzbekistan as well as Turkey.
in 1966 and a Master of Science in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics
before receiving her PhD there as well.
came while doing field work for her PhD in Central Anatolia.
From 1969 until 1980, Kandiyoti worked at Istanbul Technical University
and Bogazici University
in Turkey, but then moved to England to teach at Richmond College
in Surrey, England. Kandiyoti was a fellow
at University of Manchester
and the University of Sussex
from 1987-1988. In 1992, Kandiyoti moved to the School of Oriental and African Studies, where she still remains today.
From 2000-2005, Kandiyoti was part of a research effort sponsored by United Nations Research Institute For Social Development
(UNRISD). The major areas of research during that time for UNRISD were poverty eradication
, promotion of democracy
and human rights
, gender equality
, environmental sustainability
, and the effects of globalization
. Kandiyoti worked with other researchers including Bina Agarwal
on agrarian change, gender, and land rights. She published four essays in conjunction with this research project: “Agrarian Reform, Gender and Land Rights in Uzbekistan” “How to Get it Wrong in Rural Uzbekistan: An Ethnographic Critique of Household Survey Categories” “Post-Soviet Institutional Design, NGOs and Rural Livelihoods in Uzbekistan” and “The Politics of Gender and Reconstruction in Afghanistan.”
Kandiyoti is also the editor of the journal Central Asian Survey
, “the only established peer reviewed, multi-disciplinary journal in the world concerned with the history, politics, cultures, religions and economies of the Central Asian and Caucasian regions.”
Kandiyoti’s current project is entitled “Islam and the Politics of Gender.”
Gender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
and developmental politics in the Middle East, specifically Turkey. She holds a PhD from London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Her work on gender and Islam
Islamic feminism
Islamic feminism is a form of feminism concerned with the role of women in Islam. It aims for the full equality of all Muslims, regardless of gender, in public and private life. Islamic feminists advocate women's rights, gender equality, and social justice grounded in an Islamic framework...
, especially in post-colonial and rural development
Rural development
Rural development in general denotes economic development and community development actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban neighbourhoods, remote villages and the countryside...
areas, has been influential throughout the entire field. She has pioneered new research into understanding the implications of Islam and state policy on women, and as a result has brought more attention to the field.
As of 2007, Kandiyoti works as Reader in the Department of Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
, which is part of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. She has done consultancy work for United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP), International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Environmental, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
(UNESCO) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
(OSCE), the UK's Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
(DFID) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women
UNIFEM
The United Nations Development Fund for Women, commonly known as UNIFEM was established in December 1976 originally as the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women in the International Women's Year. Its first director was Dr. Margaret Snyder, Ph.D...
(UNIFEM).
Focus
Kandiyoti’s early work focused on political economyPolitical economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
and rural transformation, but then moved towards gender, nationalism and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Most recently, her research has “returned to exploring the politics of gender in Muslim-majority societies but from an even broader comparative perspective” which involves Afghanistan and Uzbekistan as well as Turkey.
Early life
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Kandiyoti holds British and Turkish citizenships. She received a Bachelor of Arts from University of ParisUniversity of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 1966 and a Master of Science in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
before receiving her PhD there as well.
Academic life
Kandiyoti’s academic life has been based in theoretical as well as field-based studies. Her initial interest in genderGender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
came while doing field work for her PhD in Central Anatolia.
From 1969 until 1980, Kandiyoti worked at Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey...
and Bogazici University
Bogaziçi University
Boğaziçi University is a public university located on the European side of the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey. It has five faculties and two schools offering undergraduate degrees, and six institutes offering graduate degrees...
in Turkey, but then moved to England to teach at Richmond College
Richmond College
Richmond College is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka. The school was established in 1814 by Christian missionaries. Richmond College is now a well established institution with a reputation as one of the finest schools in Sri Lanka...
in Surrey, England. Kandiyoti was a fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
at University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
and the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
from 1987-1988. In 1992, Kandiyoti moved to the School of Oriental and African Studies, where she still remains today.
From 2000-2005, Kandiyoti was part of a research effort sponsored by United Nations Research Institute For Social Development
United Nations Research Institute For Social Development
The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development is "an autonomous United Nations agency that carries out research on the social dimensions of contemporary problems affecting development"...
(UNRISD). The major areas of research during that time for UNRISD were poverty eradication
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, promotion of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
, environmental sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, and the effects of globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
. Kandiyoti worked with other researchers including Bina Agarwal
Bina Agarwal
Bina Agarwal is a prize-winning development economist and Director and Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic Growth in Delhi. She has written extensively on land, livelihoods and property rights; environment and development; the political economy of gender; poverty and inequality;...
on agrarian change, gender, and land rights. She published four essays in conjunction with this research project: “Agrarian Reform, Gender and Land Rights in Uzbekistan” “How to Get it Wrong in Rural Uzbekistan: An Ethnographic Critique of Household Survey Categories” “Post-Soviet Institutional Design, NGOs and Rural Livelihoods in Uzbekistan” and “The Politics of Gender and Reconstruction in Afghanistan.”
Kandiyoti is also the editor of the journal Central Asian Survey
Central Asian Survey
Central Asian Survey is an academic journal first published in 1982 concerning Caucasus and Central Asian studies. It is currently published by Taylor & Francis, and has four issues a year....
, “the only established peer reviewed, multi-disciplinary journal in the world concerned with the history, politics, cultures, religions and economies of the Central Asian and Caucasian regions.”
Kandiyoti’s current project is entitled “Islam and the Politics of Gender.”
Further reading
- Kandiyoti, Deniz. (1985) Women in Rural Production Systems: Problems and Policies. Paris: UNESCO. As part of a series entitled “Women in a World Perspective”, Kandiyoti “illustrates different patterns of women’s participation in rural production systems through a comparative analysis of cases from Africa, Asia, Latin America the Middle East and North Africa” (preface). ISBN 978-9231022968
- Kandiyoti, Deniz (1988) ‘Bargaining with Patriarchy’, Gender and Society 2(3): 274–90. This article, published at a time where Islamic gender studies were rare and the field was nascent, caused notoriety. Since writing this article, Kandiyoti herself has critiqued it, calling it an “analytically flawed piece” (Hammami, 2006, pg 1350). She attributed the success of this article to an “ instant recognition of the phenomena [she] was describing, especially on the part of [her] colleagues in the South, who knew, almost intuitively, what [she] was talking about” (Hammami, 2006, pg 1350).
- Kandiyoti, Deniz (ed.) (1991) Women, Islam and the State. Basingstoke: Macmillan. This book, a compilation of case studies regarding Islamic states and their histories with women. The book argues “that an adequate analysis of the position of women in Muslim societies must be grounded in a detailed examination of the political projects of contemporary states and of their historical transformations” (pg 2).