Economy

Ongoing splintering and siloification in urban studies require alternative approaches to bring the major theoretical and epistemological perspectives into constructive dialogue. Reflecting growing calls for engaged pluralism, we analyse the extent to which different perspectives can come together as complementary alternatives in understanding cities and present a framework for overcoming the key theoretical and methodological challenges caused by fragmentation. Using Istanbul as our illustrative case, we do this in three steps. Theoretically, we stress-test the potentials and limits of four dominant perspectives in urban theory making-global cities, state rescaling, developmental and postcolonial-revealing how each can only ever generate a partial, one-dimensional, explanation. Methodologically, we proceed to make the case for doing comparative urbanism differently by developing a conjunctural approach. Finally, and conceptually, we identify 'conjunctural cities' as a distinctive type of city and as a new approach to analysing cities. Our contention is that approaching all cities conjuncturally provides a significant step towards putting engaged pluralism into action, as well as indicating new terrain on which the future of urban theory/urban studies can be constructively debated.

Living in a global city during a pandemic is somewhat different from living in other cities. Based on this hypothesis, this empirical paper reports on a wide-ranging survey to provide a comprehensive analysis of the diversified impacts of the coronavirus on global city dwellers. To this end, it examines the social, economic, and psychological changes that the residents of Istanbul, the global city of Turkey, have experienced during the pandemic, and how these experiences differ from the remainder of the country. On a national scale, the findings indicate that the effects of coronavirus have been more deeply felt in Istanbul than in other cities. On a local scale, strong evidence indicates that poorer, lower educated Istanbulites have been more exposed to the negative impacts of the pandemic than other inhabitants of the city.

The aim of this paper is to explore the demographic, political, and religious determinants of the coronavirus related conspiracy beliefs in Turkey. It also measures the relationship between the trust in science, political and religious authorities, and conspiracy endorsement. In a national survey (NTotal = 5538), we asked the participants three conspiracy questions and saw significant differences in all predictors that we identified. We saw that the housewives, youths, females, those living in rural areas and small towns, unemployed or less educated people were more prone to believe in coronavirus conspiracies. We also found that political identities, religious commitments, and trust in science were strongly associated with conspiracy endorsements. In comparison to their counterparts, the rightists, conservatives, and/or religious respondents were seen to endorse more the theory that the virus is a conspiracy. Further, as expected, there was a negative correlation between trust in science and conspiracy thinking. We also saw that people who believe a coronavirus conspiracy mostly believed two other conspiracies too, namely that conspiracy belief is an outcome of a general mindset.

COVID-19 arrived in a world where nationalism and anti-globalism were on the ascent. The fear and panic that the pandemic created and the strict measures that the countries take to prevent the spread of the virus are likely to deepen the existing situation. These developments inevitably raise concerns and questions about the future of nationalism and globalization in the post-corona world. To contribute to these debates, by conducting a nationwide survey conducted on April-2020, we investigate how the current pandemic affects the sense of nationalism in Turkey. Our results indicate that during the pandemic nationalist sentiments raised in general, but anti-globalist views not. We also see that the change of nationalist senses varies by some personal attributions. Whereas ideology, trust in government and wealth level make a significant contribution, others like individual concerns, education, and gender affect less remarkably. Based on our findings, our interpretation is that pandemic does not significantly raise nationalism alone but significant impacts. Further, this type of nationalism does not necessarily mean the interruption of globalization in the long run.

Küresel ekonominin ulus-devletlerin bölgesel sınırlarını aşarak
derinleşmesi, küresel kentler olarak adlandırılan bazı büyük şehirlerin bu
sistemin organizasyonunda önemli işlevler üstelenerek giderek daha fazla
önem kazanmasına neden olmaktadır. Bu kentlerin küresel ve bölgesel
işlevleri, ulus-ötesi bağlantıları ve geçirdikleri ekonomik, politik ve sosyal
dönüşümler üzerine inşa edilmiş geniş bir literatür bulunmaktadır. Bu
literatürdeki temel yaklaşımlardan bir tanesi küresel şehirlerin üretim
yapılarının sanayiden ileri hizmetler sektörüne doğru keskin bir geçiş
gösterdiğidir. Zaman içinde hem küresel kentler olarak tanımlanan
şehirlerin sayısındaki artışa hem de sanayisizleşme çalışmalarında önemli
gelişimler gerçekleşmiştir. Bu gelişmelere rağmen küresel kentlerin
sanayisizleşmiş şehirler olduğu tezinin yeteri kadar ampirik sorgulamaya
tabi tutulmadığı gözlemlenmektedir. Bu noktadan hareketle, bu çalışma
küresel kentlerin aynı zamanda post-endüstriyel bir karakter taşıdığı
tezini İstanbul örneği üzerinde sorgulamaktadır. Bu amaçla, makale
İstanbul’un bir küresel kent olarak ortaya çıktığı 2000’li yıllardan itibaren
şehrin ekonomik yapısındaki değişimleri ekonomik üretimin, istihdamın
ve mekânsal göstergeler yoluyla inceleyerek şehirde bir sanayisizleşme
sürecinin yaşanıp yaşanmadığını incelemektedir. Bulgular, literatürde
varsayılanın aksine, şehirde bu tarz bir dönüşüm yaşanmadığını,
ancak küreselleşmenin sanayi üretiminin niteliğinde ve kent içindeki
yerleşiminde birtakım değişikliklere yol açtığını göstermektedir. Bulgular
ayrıca sanayisizleşmenin temelde bir kısım yerel ve ulusal faktörlerden
kaynaklandığını, küreselleşmenin de bu sanayinin kentte kalmasına katkı
sağladığını göstermektedir.

Kuresel kapitalist ekonomik sistemdeki genislemenin bir sonucu olarak, son yillarda kuresel ve dunya kentlerinin sayisi, islevleri ve sinir otesi baglantilarinda dikkate deger bir gelisme yasandi. Bu gelismeye paralel olarak, giderek artan sayida kuresel ve dunya kenti arastirmacisi, bu yeni kuresellesen sehirlerin kuresel ekonomik duzende ustlendigi islevleri arastirmaya ve kuresel kent aglarinda nasil konumlandirilabilecegini tartismaya basladi. Literaturdeki bu guncel girisimlere ampirik bir katkida bulunmak amaciyla, yari yapilandirilmis gorusmelere dayanan nitel bir vaka calismasi olarak tasarlanan bu makale, yeni kuresellesen sehirlerin arasinda en fazla gelisme gosterenlerden biri olan Istanbul'un kuresel ve bolgesel islevlerini analiz etmektedir. Arastirmanin bulgulari, kuresel sehirler sisteminde ikincil bir oneme sahip olmasina ragmen Istanbul'un onde gelen bir bolgesel komuta ve kontrol noktasi, bir gecit ve bir bolgesel havayolu ulasim merkezi olarak degerlendiri...

Ongoing splintering and siloification in urban studies require alternative approaches to bring the major theoretical and epistemological perspectives into constructive dialogue. Reflecting growing calls for engaged pluralism, we analyse the extent to which different perspectives can come together as complementary alternatives in understanding cities and present a framework for overcoming the key theoretical and methodological challenges caused by fragmentation. Using Istanbul as our illustrative case, we do this in three steps. Theoretically, we stress-test the potentials and limits of four dominant perspectives in urban theory making – global cities, state rescaling, developmental and postcolonial – revealing how each can only ever generate a partial, one-dimensional, explanation. Methodologically, we proceed to make the case for doing comparative urbanism differently by developing a conjunctural approach. Finally, and conceptually, we identify ‘conjunctural cities’ as a distinctiv...

COVID-19 arrived in a world where nationalism and anti-globalism were on the ascent. The fear and panic that the pandemic created and the strict measures that the countries take to prevent the spread of the virus are likely to deepen the existing situation. These developments inevitably raise concerns and questions about the future of nationalism and globalization in the post-corona world. To contribute to these debates, by conducting a nationwide survey conducted on April-2020, we investigate how the current pandemic affects the sense of nationalism in Turkey. Our results indicate that during the pandemic nationalist sentiments raised in general, but anti-globalist views not. We also see that the change of nationalist senses varies by some personal attributions. Whereas ideology, trust in government and wealth level make a significant contribution, others like individual concerns, education, and gender affect less remarkably. Based on our findings, our interpretation is that pandemic does not significantly raise nationalism alone but significant impacts. Further, this type of nationalism does not necessarily mean the interruption of globalization in the long run.