Activities - Voyvoda Street Lectures 2004-2005

A. ECONOMIC HISTORY LECTURES

First Wednesday of each month 6:30-8:30 p.m.

A journey across time through the struggle for global dominance. The theme this season for the series ongoing since 2000, is "Globalization Past and Present".

October 6, 2004 - Prof. Çaglar Keyder
World Economy, World System, Globalization
World system theory, which became popular in the social sciences in the late 1970s, reflected the structural cicumstances specific to that period. In the age of globalization, economic, political and cultural structures call for a new form of analysis.

November 3, 2004 - Prof. Ayse Öncü
Globalization and Consumerism of the Past
The marketing and consumption of an "historical past" so widely prevalent today, cannot be abstracted from the power struggle around whose past and which past is being presented. Theme parks in urban centers around the globe, offering history synthesized and simplified into neat packages ready for consumption, provide crucial clues about this subject.

December 1, 2004 - Prof. Gülten Kazgan
From the Industrial Revolution to the Present, the Political, Economic and Technological Dimensions of Globalization
In the 200-plus years since the industrial revolution, we have witnessed, in two historical periods, the dominance of a single global power over the liberalization of goods, services and capital. The first phase of economic globalization was led by Great Britain , the instigator of the industrial revolution, and the second by the U.S., who has headed technological development from the 1980s to the present.

January 5, 2005 - Prof. Fuat Keyman
Cultural Globalization in Turkey: Actors, Discourses and Strategies
A look at the institutional structure of Turkey 's increasingly global economy, from the 1980s on, and its connection to culture and politics, from the perspective of such institutions as TUSIAD (Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association), MÜSIAD (Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association) and SIAD (Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association).

February 2, 2005 - Prof. Ziya Önis
The Limits of Neoliberal Globalization
In the majority of developing countries, the process of neoliberal globalization, has not brought about the desired rapid economic growth.This lecture investigates the causes of this failure and discusses past economic crises in Turkey and Argentina, while examining, as well, to what extent countries that have succesfully adjusted to globalization, such as China, India, Malaysia and Chile, have done so by deviating from the norms of neoliberal policy.

March 2, 2005 - Prof. Taner Berksoy
The Two Globalizations: Similarities, Differences, Consequences
Both similarities and differences exist between the first phase of globalization which took place in the 19th century and the current globalization process. Considering that the earlier globalization achieved quite the opposite of its set goal, what fate awaits globalization today? Will it once again lead to such unwelcome outcomes as autarchy, economic isolation and nationalism?

April 6, 2005 - Soli Özel
Globalization and the Future of International Relations
The end of the Cold War created a minor upheaval in international relations theory. The "end of history" and "clash of civilizations" theses were advanced proclaiming that, with the new global order, nation states would lose their power as the primary actors in world affairs and boundaries would disappear. However, September 11, and the US response to it, have put these issues back on the international agenda. The lecture will discuss how states, although still maintaining their power, will have to develop a perspective in line with the globalizing world.

May 4, 2005 - Prof. Nurhan Yentürk
Globalization and the Turkish Economy: What Can Be Done?
Is it necessary to wait for internationally coordinated economic policies to reduce the turbulence and instability generated by the flow of international funds, or are local governments capable of implementing well-designed and effective policies to deal with these issues? At this stage of globalization, what instruments and policies can governments apply in order to support the accumulation of capital and a balanced allocation of income?

June 1, 2005 - Assoc. Prof. Izak Atiyas
Globalization and the Reform of Public Administration
Over the past 10-15 years, the reform of public administration has figured prominently on the agenda of both developed and developing countries. One of the reasons for this is the spreading conviction that the state's traditional organizational structure and modus operandi are inadequate and the other stems from the belief that superior forms of organizational structure are possible. This lecture will examine what public administration reform implies, the weaknesses of public administration in Turkey, the relationship between public administration and politics, recent public administration issues, and suggestions for reform.

B. ISTANBUL LECTURES

Second Wednesday of each month 6:30-8:30 p.m.

A fresh look at the city we've lived in for years but perhaps still know so little about...

October 13, 2004 - Mario Levi
Reflections of Istanbul in a Writer's Eye
Is it possible to really describe a city? To see its colors and hear its sounds? How would you like to follow on the trail of countless old stories to discover a very different Istanbul? Join author Mario Levi, for a tour around the city he has written so much about. This might be an occasion for you to meet people you have never seen before or look at familiar streets through a new eye.

November 10, 2004 - Fatih Özgüven
Films in Istanbul / Istanbul in Films
In the late Ottoman period, Istanbul became the first city of the Empire to witness the birth of a new art form: the cinema. What place did Istanbul come to occupy in the historical process of Turkish film-making? What image of Istanbul was reflected in the growing film industry of the Republic? Presented with original film clips...

December 8, 2004 - Engin Özendes
Early Istanbul Photographers
In the mid - 19th century, with the benevolent support of Ottoman rulers and of Abdülhamid II in particular, photographers of the Empire found a niche for themselves in Istanbul. This lecture will examine the lives of these early photographers and view, through some of their photographs, their depictions of the city.

January 12, 2005 - Hilmi Yavuz
Can the Modern Metropolis Istanbul Still Be a Source of Poetic Inspiration?
Based on Baudelaire's writings about Paris and those of Yahya Kemal about Istanbul, the lecture considers, referring itself to present day Istanbul, whether traditional cities more than modern ones spark off lyrical imagination.

March 9, 2005 - Prof. Baha Tanman
The Loss of Historic Buildings in Istanbul
The loss of historic buildings that has taken place in Istanbul over the centuries and an examination of its causes ranging from natural catastrophes like earthquakes and fires to aggressive urbanization and changing life styles and values. The lecture will focus in particular on the attempts to "modernize" the city initiated under Mahmud II and carried on into the present which have resulted in the destruction of Istanbul 's unique historic fabric.

April 13, 2005 - Turgay Tuna
Once Upon a Time, Bakirköy...
The Hebdomon of Byzantium, also known as Makri Khora or Makro Khori. The famous Church of John the Baptist, where several emperors were crowned upon their accession to the throne. The Armenian Church of Surp Asdvazadzin built in the village of Makriköy centuries later, the Market Mosque, the Mosque of Amine Hatun built by the architect Kemaleddin Bey, the French Church, Istanbul Avenue, the Resadiye Barracks, which were later turned into the Hospital for Mental and Nervous Disorders... This lecture takes us around the old Bakirköy once home to such well-known personalities as Cenap Sehabettin, Ahmet Rasim, Tamburaci Osman and Halit Hakki Bakir.

May 11, 2005 - Dr. Deniz Esemenli
The "Bosphorus Civilization" and its Architecture
From the 18th century on, the Ottoman Empire, last heir to the Mediterranean world and the creator of a magnificent civilization, left its traditional area of settlement within the city walls of Istanbul to develop a distinctive residential architecture along the shores of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. This new Ottoman architecture constitutes one of the richest and most durable adaptations of the waterfront architecture seen especially in European cities built along canals and rivers, as well as in Byzantine residences and palaces. Numerous waterfront palaces and gardens, belonging to members of the Ottoman dynasty, made up a superior civilian architecture which, paving the way to a modern city fabric, developed parallel to the Enlightment in the western world. This baroque and fragile aristocratic lifestyle, perfectly harmonious with its environment, was to become one of the most original and aesthetic additions of the Ottoman civilization - whose impressive domination in every field was also felt in western monarchic society - to the history of civilization.

June 8, 2005 - Mert Sandalci
Dream Stations
The story of the Kagithane-Kemerburgaz-Agaçli-Çiftalan narrow gauge railway line, commissioned from 1914-1916 to carry coal to Istanbul from the lignite mines on the Black Sea coast. A film screening illustrates this lecture about the railway line which was laid out to meet the coal requirements of the Ottoman fleet and the Silahtaraga power plant during World War I and which, rendered unusable after the war, was subsequently dismantled.

C. MUSIC AND POLITICS

Third Wednesday of each month 6:30-8:30 p.m.

A new series exploring the interaction of music and politics across the generations.

October 20, 2004 - Ilke Boran
The Politics of Beethoven
Repercussions of the French Revolution and Beethoven's admiration for Bonaparte are clearly felt in the great composer's "heroic" works from his 1801-1812 Napoleonic years.

November 17, 2004 - Dr. Esin Ulu
The Nationalist Music of Saygun
This lecture tracks the music politics of the early Republic through the techniques and aesthetics displayed in the compositions of one of the founders of Turkish nationalist music.

December 15, 2004 - Sarper Özsan
Contemporary Music and Politics after 1945
In the second half of the 20 th century, contemporary music, alternating between the two hubs of Europe and America, considerably pushed its boundaries. The fusion of the diverse values and opinions of the Old World with the New, constitutes one of the most fascinating aspects of post-World War II contemporary music.

February 16, 2005 - Kivilcim Yildiz Senürkmez
Twelve-Tone Music and Alienation within the Framework of Adorno's Socio-Political "Critical Thought" Theory
Sociologist and philosopher Theodor W. Adorno, one of the major representatives of the "Critical Thought" theory developed by the members of the Frankfurt School, wrote exhaustively on music and its social purpose. This lecture will examine Adorno's musical aesthetics and his commitment to twelve-tone music, within the concepts of alienation, modernism and rationalization, central to his theory of music.

March 16, 2005 - Vieri Bottazzini
Music and Politics in Italy during the Period of Giuseppe Verdi
Starting with the Renaissance, the patronage of music and the fine arts in Italy became a significant factor of political rivalry symbolizing the power and wealth of regional governments. In the 19th century, as Italy moved towards unification and a strong central monarchy, the change in its political structure was also reflected in its music and art. The operas written by Giuseppe Verdi are one of the most concrete expressions of this change in the country's political organization. The lecture is illustrated with recorded excerpts of Verdi's variations for flute solos and flute ensembles.

April 20, 2005 - Aykut Köksal
The 1950 Transformation in Turkey and its Impact on Music Production
The 1950s transformation represents an important breaking point in Turkey, not only in its political history but also where the production of art is concerned. With this transformation, the nationalist culture policy of the center would lose its hold and an atmosphere of freedom would come to be reflected on all cultural production. In this period, where 1950s Modernism appeared with a common rhetoric in all art disciplines, the two main exponents of music in Turkey were Ilhan Usmanbas and Bülent Arel. Their music simultaneously shows a break from the nationalism of the first generation composers of the Republic and achieves synchronization with the west.

May 18, 2005 - Hasan Uçarsu
Stalin and Music: The Shostakovich Phenomenon
This lecture will consider the music policies applied in the Soviet Union during the Stalin period together with the life and work of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Hasan Uçarsu examines how much a controlled aesthetic understanding - one where the leader and his party's expectations shape and direct art so that the government controls and applies its own guidelines to it - can be determining of a country's music. The lecture will discuss whether/and to what extent a highly creative composer like Shostakovich had to compromise his artistic identity under such limiting conditions and how he created himself.

D. OBJECTS AND RITUALS

Fourth Wednesday of each month 6:30-8:30 p.m.

A series focusing on the involvement of art in everyday life and on the interaction of culture with perceived reality.

November 24, 2004 - Assist. Prof. Wendy Shaw
Why Museums? Modern Educators of Society.
The historical, universal and local dimensions of the changing and evolving functions of museums as socio-educational institutions.

December 22, 2004 - Prof. Gül Irepoglu
From the Renaissance to the Present: The Significance of Jewels
Jewels are the most sophisticated objects reflecting the lifestyle and aesthetics of a society at a given point in time. One way to " feel" a certain socio-historical epoch is through the study of precious gems and ornaments, their design, the choice of materials used and the relative value attached to jewelry in that society.

January 26, 2005 - Prof. Aysen Savas
Objects of Desire: Museums, Caught between Objects and Memory
Our topic is pleasure, the object of that pleasure, the written word, its location, the museum... A discussion on seeing, visual information and visual culture within its relevant framework of conventions.

February 23, 2005 - Prof. Nurhan Atasoy
Ottoman Imperial Tents
A glimpse into the collection of Ottoman tents of the Topkapi Palace Museum and the Military Museum and a description of the structure, decorations and furnishings of these imperial tents based on information from the Ottoman archives and visual representations from bothTurkish and foreign sources.

March 23, 2005 - Assoc. Prof. Hülya Tezcan
The Talismanic Shirts of the Ottoman Sultans
This lecture provides a fascinating look at some 80 talismanic shirts, removable collars, caps, banners and cloth coverings from the Imperial Wardrobe collection of the Topkapi Palace Museum, which were believed to ward off all sorts of evil spirits and restore the health of the ailing...

April 27, 2005 - Nezih Başgelen
Anatolia under Roman Rule: Beliefs and Rituals
During Roman rule, apart from the polytheistic state religion, respect and interest were also shown in the religious beliefs of the local cultures of Anatolia. For instance, worship of the "Great Mother" of Anatolia at the temples of Aizonai, Ankara, Antiokheia (Yalvaç) coexisted with the Roman state religion. In fact, mystery religions originating from Anatolia, such as Kybele and Mithras, would influence the whole of the empire as far as the capital Rome. This lecture will examine Roman Anatolia's colorful religious landscape through selected examples and show how all that is strange and unknown in nature around us constituted the mysteries of the spiritual world in Antiquity.

May 25, 2005 - Ersu Pekin
No Wedding Without Music
From the musical instruments at Hitite weddings to those of 15^th century Inner Asia, from the sema of the Mevlevi in the 13^th century to the erotic dances of the 16^th century... A glance from the 21^st century at the musical instruments used in the music and dance performances staged at the circumcision feasts of princes in the 18^th century. The logic of customs calls for music. Whether it is a religious ceremony we join in or entertainment we are offered, the musical instrument used to call on God or to amuse remains the same. Perhaps we would like to believe the sound is different; perhaps it really has made a different sound this time. But a ney is always the same reed flute and even though those two small drums are at times the gypsies' nakkare and at others the mevlevis kudüm-i serif (holy drums), they remain two copper bowls covered with thin leather. Man is the creature who adds a meaning to these objects.