http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8023 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:26:05 GMT 2026-04-04T03:26:05Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8027 Title: Mrs. Sen’s Sense of Cooking in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies Authors: Yalvaç, Fatma; Ayan, Meryem Abstract: Mrs. Sen’s is one of the short stories in Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story collection Interpreter of Maladies (1999). In Mrs. Sen’s, Lahiri narrates the story of an Indian woman immigrating to a new country due to her husband’s occupation. Mrs. Sen has to leave her motherland and start a new life in a foreign country. She faces some difficulties in adapting to her new life away from India. For Mrs. Sen, the days, after moving to a foreign land, are surrounded by homesickness and loneliness. It can be observed that her reactions to these feelings are closely related to food and cooking rituals. Food-related routines are remedies for Mrs. Sen’s struggle to cope with the difficulties she encounters after immigration. Namely, Mrs. Sen’s personal experiences in her social life seem to interact closely with food-related details revealed in the story. Thus, this study aims to examine how Jhumpa Lahiri depicts food and cooking as significant instruments for sustaining an immigrant woman’s personality traits in a foreign country. To this aim, Mrs. Sen’s is analysed by considering the related literature and existing studies within this context. Accordingly, foodrelated details found in Mrs. Sen’s story are evaluated to shed light on the significance of food and cooking in the identity formation processes of immigrant women. Moreover, the significance of the kitchen as the space for preserving and projecting cultural identity is examined by taking Homi Bhabha’s concept of the third space into consideration. As a consequence of the study, it is revealed that, in fiction, a deep and intimate relationship possibly exists between daily food-related routines and immigrant women who suffer from homesickness, isolation, loneliness, marginalisation, and identity crisis after moving to a foreign country. Furthermore, it is concluded that food and cooking are not limited only to nutritional needs because they have additional roles in the identity development processes of the characters in fictional works. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8027 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8026 Title: Re-assessment of the Urban Hist Re-assessment of the Urban History of Azerbaijan fr erbaijan from Ancient om Ancient Times t Times to the Pr o the Present in the Context of Gener esent in the Context of General Turkic Cultur urkic Culture Authors: Quliyev, Telman Nusretoglu; Nasirov, Nurlan Pashaoglu Abstract: While the Turks have often been depicted as a nomadic people in Western and former Soviet historiographies, recent archaeological evidence and research reveals that they were instrumental in the development of settled urban civilizations, particularly during ancient and medieval times. This is particularly evident in Azerbaijan, a region historically inhabited by Turks, where they significantly contributed to the establishment of urban centers. These cities, along with their infrastructure and architectural features, have been well-documented in Greco-Roman, Arabic, Persian, and other primary sources from the period. Azerbaijan, located at the crossroads of EastWest trade routes, has a long history of urbanization, with the establishment of cities dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE. Over time, these urban centers evolved, contributing to the development of modern urban life. Today, the cities of Azerbaijan remain important hubs of trade and craftsmanship, serving as living legacies of ancient and medieval urban civilizations. This paper seeks to examine the historical evolution of urban life in Azerbaijan, focusing on the cities created by the Turks. It will explore the characteristics of these urban centers, their social, economic, and cultural functions, and the ways in which these features have persisted or been reflected in contemporary urban life. By investigating these historical cities, the paper will highlight the enduring impact of ancient and medieval urbanism on the modern urban landscape of Azerbaijan. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8026 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8025 Title: The State and Er The State and Erosion of the Civic Space in Nigeria osion of the Civic Space in Nigeria’s Democr s Democracy, 1999–2023 Authors: Okoli, Al Chukwuma; Ngwu, Elias Chukwuemeka; Onah, Francisca Nkemdilim Abstract: Nigeria’s experience with democratic rule since 1999 has been somewhat contradictory. Rather than a widening of the civic space for robust citizen participation, there have been sustained attempts by the state to suffocate the civic space by stifling differing viewpoints. The government has led the process by securitizing the civic space, criminalizing civil dissent, and politicizing civil society platforms. Although there appears to have been a global trend towards the shrinking of the civic space, the situation in Nigeria has been typically enervating for fostering the democratic culture. Sequel to this, this paper examined the state of the civic space and civil society in Nigeria vis-à-vis the continued onslaught by the state since the country’s Fourth Republic began in 1999. This is with a view to ascertaining their robustness and capacity to provide a bulwark against excessive state intrusion and ensure a deepening of democracy. Through analysis of primary and secondary data, we demonstrated how the civic space in Nigeria has been embattled as a result of the restrictive policies and legislations by which the government aimed at usurping, suppressing, infiltrating and controlling it during the focal period. We further demonstrated that government’s erosion of the civic space has led to a widening of the activities of uncivil society groupings resulting in the ambience of insecurity that presently pervades the country. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8025 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8024 Title: The Development and Psy elopment and Psychometric Pr chometric Properties of Climate ties of Climate Change Awareness Scale Among Higher Education Students Authors: Açikalin, Şuay Nilhan; Erçetin, Şefika Şule; Potas, Nihan; Çevik, Mehmet Sabir Abstract: Higher education has a pragmatic and educational approach to mitigating climate change and solving environmental challenges by enhancing awareness. Therefore, the study aims to develop a scale in a survey model to measure higher education students’ awareness of climate change. The study group comprises higher education students enrolled at Public Universities in Ankara during the 2023–2024 academic year. For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and divergent (discriminant) validity, item analysis, and reliability analysis were employed. The scale was rigorously validated through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and other measures. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, a scale comprising 22 items and three dimensions was developed. The dimensions of the scale are as follows: Awareness of Causes, Awareness of Consequences, and Awareness of Solutions. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the scale’s factor structure with three dimensions and 22 items. It was also determined that the scale met the convergent and divergent (discriminant) validity conditions, and all items were found to be distinctive. The scale’s reliability was calculated using Cronbach’s Alpha, McDonald’s Omega, and Composite Reliability (CR) coefficients, and all reliability coefficients were adequate. Therefore, the study concluded that the climate change awareness scale is a psychometrically valid and reliable measurement tool. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12323/8024 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z