Tuğçe Ellialtı-Köse

Programs

Sociology 
Social Practice and Transformational Change 
Collaborative Specialization in Sexualities, Genders and Bodies*

Research 

My research interests lie at the intersections of law, medicine, and science in institutional responses to gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, bridging sociology of law and criminal justice with socio-legal studies on gender and medicine. More specifically, my research examines socio-legal processes with respect to the ‘management’ of gender-based violence and the production and circulation of expert and scientific knowledges that shape these processes, and state systems more generally. In my work, I draw from sociological, feminist, and anthropological frameworks theories and perspectives that account for norms and practices of violence, inequalities, and injustices; employ research designs utilizing in-depth and involved qualitative methods to understand interactions and processes; and engage with broad theoretical questions about feminist politics, the state, scientific expertise, and governance of law. My most recent project analyses the impact of #MeToo on Canadian news depictions of sexual violence.

How can your research help to "Improve Life"

I am interested in understanding the complex ways that the law can help relieve or reinforce inequalities based on different social statuses such as gender, class, and immigration status, with a focus on processes of, and institutional responses, to gender-based violence including sexual violence. I believe rigorous research in this field has a lot of potential to “improve life” by providing us with key insights into what works, what needs to change, and how, by informing practice and policy in this particular area (and beyond), and by eventually creating meaningful and sustainable institutional and social change that emphasizes accountability, responsiveness, and inclusivity.