2009-2010 University Scholar Profile
Jonathan Andrew Bull
Mentor: Dr. Sinan Ciddi
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
"I applied to the University Scholars Program because I see it as one of the best opportunities at the University of Florida for undergraduate students to be able to plan and complete their own research from beginning to end. As an undergraduate, it is generally difficult to be able to plan and implement one's own project, as students typically have tight budgets and funding is limited. I decided that I would complete an Honors Thesis my senior year, and having known past University Scholars, believed that perhaps the USP would allow me to design a more hands-on project and produce more insightful research. As my project involves Islamist Politics and Turkey, I hope the interviews I conduct in Turkey and the first-hand cultural experience I gain during my visit will allow me to understand the complex dynamics of Turkish politics, especially the sometimes paradoxical interactions between civil society groups and the state."
Courses of Study
Major
Political Science
Minors
Arabic Language and Literature, Religion
Research Interests
Political Islam, Turkish Culture and Politics, Islamic Reform Movements, Middle Eastern Cultures and Politics, European Integration European Politics
Academic Awards
- National Merit Scholar
- Fadel Educational Foundation Scholar
- Wentworth Scholar
- Florida Association of Educational Data Systems (FAEDS) Scholar Flori
Non-Academic Awards
- Active Member Award - Islam On Campus
Organizations
- Islam On Campus, Vice President of External Relations
- Arabic Cultural Association, Treasurer
- Pakistani Students Association
- Persian Student Society
- Project Downtown Gainesville, Elections Committee
- Progress Party UF, Member and Former CLAS Senate Candidate
- Religious and Spiritual Diversity Week 2008, Assistant Director
- Project M.A.S.C.O.T. 2008
- Volunteers for International Student Affairs (V.I.S.A.)
Volunteer
- UF English Language Institute - English Language Partner
- Project Downtown Gainesville - Volunteer
- Preparing and serving meals to the homeless community of Gainesville every week
- Project M.A.S.C.O.T. 2008 - Mentoring an elementary school student
Hobbies/Activities
Swimming, Acting, Film, Music, Traveling
Research Description
Towards a "Secular Islamism" in Turkey
Exactly what constraints prevent so-called ‘Islamist’ political parties and civil society organizations, which have a degree of popular support, from implementing a broad-reaching ‘Islamist’ agenda? In the Post-Colonial era in general and in the years following the 9/11 attacks in particular, the rise of so-called “Political Islam” in Muslim-majority countries and whether Islam is compatible with democracy have become concerns of the international community, especially the United States. However, so-called Islamist parties and movements have been largely unsuccessful in instituting any kind of Shariah-style government in the greater Muslim world, with the notable exception of Iran.
My research will focus on the case of Turkey, the a parliamentary democracy and republic negotiating accession to the EU. Though the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is currently controlled by a party with Islamist roots, it has also attracted members and voters from among Turkey´s "liberals", ! and has passed a large amount of legislation aimed at liberalizing a country with a long history of control by statist ultra-secular elites and the military. It is also responsible for opening accession negotiations with the European Union. In order to answer this question, I intend to closely examine party literature, including platforms and manifestos, of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Felicity Party (SP) of Turkey, as well as the legislative and structural impediments placed on the parties by their government and political culture. In addition, I intend to discover the influence of what can loosely be called a civil society organization, the Gulen Movement, on the political situation in Turkey. The Gulen movement is religious but markedly secular in nature, and has an estimated 2-3 million adherents throughout Turkey.
In order to aid my research, I will travel to Turkey in order to better understand the current political situation, take relevant coursework, make relevant contacts, and conduct interviews with experts, party members, journalists, and government officials if possible. Within the United States, I plan to utilize the extensive expert resources in Washington, D.C., including the Turkish Studies Institute at Georgetown University and the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. My adviser, Dr. Sinan Ciddi, will be of great assistance in my research, as his area of expertise is Political Science with emphasis on the Republic of Turkey, and he is fluent in the Turkish language.
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