R. Arzu Unal

University of Amsterdam, Sociology and Anthropology, Alumna

Bogazici University, Sociology, Part-time Lecturer

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Banu Gokariksel

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Magdalena Craciun

University of Bucharest

Rüstem Ertuğ Altınay

Università degli Studi di Milano - State University of Milan (Italy)

Özlem Sandikci

University of Glasgow

Perin Gurel

University of Notre Dame

Anna J Secor

Durham University

Zerrin KARAKAVAK

Annelies Moors

University of Amsterdam

Viola Thimm

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Banu Gokariksel

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Papers by R. Arzu Unal

Formats, fabrics, and fashions: muslim headscarves revisited

Material Religion, 2012

Abstract: Changes in the sartorial practices of Dutch-Turkish women who wear Muslim headscarves m... more Abstract: Changes in the sartorial practices of Dutch-Turkish women who wear Muslim headscarves may be summarized as a shift from sober, religiously inspired forms of dress towards colorful, more fashionable styles. A focus on the materiality of headscarves indicates, however, that the relation between Islam, dress, and fashion is more complex. The main motivation for the women to adopt headscarves, including the fashionable ones, is religious. They do so because they consider it a practice prescribed in the foundational ...

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Undoing Patrilineality: New Maternal Families and the Politics of Naming in Turkey

Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World, 2020

Based on the topical life stories of fifteen single mothers from Turkey, this article traces the ... more Based on the topical life stories of fifteen single mothers from Turkey, this article traces the act of naming as a practice of social and legal boundary making and as a means of undoing patrilineality and to seek acknowledgement for a new maternal family. Analyzing the politics of naming in the stories of these single mothers, this contribution first discusses the stigmatizing aspects of conventional patrilineal and marital family naming in Turkey. It traces changes in the registration of family names, how single mothers decide on the registration of the father’s first name, and their concerns and strategies during these legal, bureaucratic procedures. Whereas family law reform has given more rights to single biological and adoptive mothers, they still remain affected by the emotional aspects of a stigmatized practice. Strategically planning their future and that of their children, one solution is to use naming to merge their maternal families with their own paternal families.

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The Genealogy of the Turkish Pardösü (long overcoat) in the Netherlands and beyond

Islamic Fashion and Anti-Fashion New Perspectives from Europe and America, Jun 2013

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Formats, Fabrics, and Fashions: Muslim Headscarves Revisited

by R. Arzu Unal and Annelies Moors

Material Religion:popularizing islam: muslims and materiality, Sep 2012

Changes in the sartorial practices of Dutch-Turkish women who wear Muslim headscarves may be summ... more Changes in the sartorial practices of Dutch-Turkish women who wear Muslim headscarves may be summarized as a shift from sober, religiously inspired forms of dress towards colorful, more fashionable styles. A focus on the materiality of headscarves indicates, however, that the relation between Islam, dress, and fashion is more complex. The main motivation for the women to adopt headscarves, including the fashionable ones, is religious. They do so because they consider it a practice prescribed in the foundational Islamic texts and because presenting a pleasant, up-to-date look can be considered as a form of visual da'wa. At the same time, however, wearing particular styles of fashionable headscarves also performs other, non-religious, identities and forms of belonging, such as those pertaining to status, ethnicity, and professionalism. This is evident in how fabrics (such as silk) and shapes of headscarves (square or rectangular) matter. An investigation of headscarves as particular items of dress is, in turn, helpful to understand the limits of a focus on aesthetic styles and fashion. The headscarf format makes these items of dress easy to acquire and hard to discard, because they are often received as gifts. A woman's attachment to particular headscarves-materializing social relations and functioning as souvenirs-goes beyond aesthetic styles and mitigates the force of fashion.

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Books by R. Arzu Unal

Notes on Sartorial Representations of the Middle East

“Notes on Sartorial Representations of the Middle East” in Joseph, S. and Zaatari, Z. (eds) Hand Book of Middle East Women. Routledge, 2023

The Routledge Handbook on Women in the Middle East provides an overview of the key historical, so... more The Routledge Handbook on Women in the Middle East provides an overview of the key historical, social, economic, political, religious, and cultural issues which have shaped the conditions and status of women in the region. The book is divided into eleven thematic sections, providing a comprehensive guide to understanding the current and historical contexts of women in the Middle East, each giving groundbreaking insights into various aspects of women's movements:

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Fashioning the Female Muslim Body: From “Hiding Beauty” to “Managing Beauty”, in Leibelt, C. Bollinger, S. and Vierke, U. (eds.) Beauty and the Norm. Palgrave Studies in Globalization and Embodiment, Palgrave Macmillian,

Palgrave Studies in Globalization and Embodiment, Palgrave Macmillian

Tesettür is an inclusive term that refers not only to the religiously inspired Muslim dress, but ... more Tesettür is an inclusive term that refers not only to the religiously inspired Muslim dress, but also more broadly to the cultivation of a modest pious self that is not restricted to clothing. Beyond the binary of veiled and unveiled sartorial styles, fashioning a pious, modest self requires a more complex and nuanced way of managing one's appearance. Instead of examining how Turkish-Dutch Muslim women deal with the stigma of being members of a sartorial minority in the Netherlands, my research explores the ambivalent meanings and contested practices of being visibly Muslim by focusing on a more commonly shared practice: the application of makeup among tesettürlü women. Using certain amounts of cosmetics in a proper manner has become a common yet a highly contested practice in fashioning a modest tesettür appearance. In particular, wearing make-up is a challenging practice, as it is often promoted to make a person look more attractive. There is a thin, ambiguous line between a healthy natural look and an attractive look.

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Formats, fabrics, and fashions: muslim headscarves revisited

Material Religion, 2012

Download

Undoing Patrilineality: New Maternal Families and the Politics of Naming in Turkey

Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World, 2020

Download

The Genealogy of the Turkish Pardösü (long overcoat) in the Netherlands and beyond

Islamic Fashion and Anti-Fashion New Perspectives from Europe and America, Jun 2013

Download

Formats, Fabrics, and Fashions: Muslim Headscarves Revisited

by R. Arzu Unal and Annelies Moors