Section 5: PHD DISSERTATION

Akin-Aina, S. (2026). Dissent, dissonance, and dis-identification: Acts of citizenship of Burundian refugees in transnational social spaces [Doctoral dissertation] Bielefeld University.

In light of ongoing contestations over the meaning and experiences of citizenship vs subjecthood, the means by which citizenship is mediated, claimed and enacted—specifically in contexts of restricted civil and political spaces- is particularly important. As such, an in-depth investigation into the lived experiences of refugees, their relationship to the state, and the policies and regional dynamics that structure their lives is crucial. In service to this exercise, the core research question is as follows: How do Burundian refugees engage in “acts of citizenship” amidst the shifting refugee policy landscape, strained state-society relations with their country of origin and perceived regional apathy.  Conceptually, this study captures the expression of acts of citizenship in three main categories: dissent, dissonance, and dis-identification.

Mamaiev, D. (2026). Immigration from Ukraine to Lithuania and Poland: Ukrainian youth experiences in pre- and post-2022 migration contexts [Doctoral dissertation] Lithuanian Centre for Social Research.

The dissertation examines the migration experiences of Ukrainians aged 18–30. It also explores their perceptions of integration. The study employs a mixed-methods approach. The theoretical framework encompasses macro- and micro-level theories. Mixed and sequential migration models, as well as Ager and Strang’s integration model, are also utilized.  The study reveals two waves of migration. Until 2022, voluntary labor and study migration prevailed. After the war began, forced displacement dominated. The main challenges to integration are the Lithuanian language barrier, access to healthcare, violations of workers’ rights, and a lack of social ties with locals. Uncertainty prevails in plans for the future. It is linked to a state of “prolonged temporariness.”

Ramsari, A. (2026). Navigating boundaries: Citizenship dynamics and ethnonational politics in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the North and East Syria Region [Doctoral dissertation] Bielefeld University.

This dissertation examines how citizenship is experienced, governed, and negotiated in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Drawing on a qualitative comparative case study based on 32 semi-structured interviews, institutional analysis, and policy documents, it investigates how Kurdish and Arab migrants experience membership, rights, and belonging within two Kurdish-led autonomous political entities shaped by conflict, displacement, and contested sovereignty. Moving beyond legal definitions, the study conceptualizes citizenship as a lived and negotiated process produced through the interaction of legal status, ethnonational identity, political institutions, and everyday practices. It demonstrates that while the KRI relies primarily on state-like administrative structures and party-based governance, AANES promotes a participatory model grounded in the Democratic Nation framework. Despite these differences, both cases reveal that access to rights, recognition, and political participation extends beyond formal citizenship and is shaped by multiple institutional and social boundaries. The dissertation contributes to comparative citizenship and migration studies by offering new insights into political membership in contested autonomous regions.

Yilkin, A. (2025). To vote or not to vote: (Dis-)engagement of grandchildren of “guest workers” in Turkish elections (2014–2023): A case study on political (non-)participation of Turkish youth in Germany [Doctoral dissertation] Bielefeld University.

This thesis investigates the political participation and non-participation of young Turkish citizens residing in Germany in Turkish elections. Unlike conventional studies of migrant electoral behavior, which focus on partisan preferences or integration in the host or receiving country, this study examines why young individuals choose to vote, or abstain, abroad, considering the social, emotional, and symbolic dimensions of this decision. The research emphasizes transnational political engagement, exploring how identity, belonging, and political socialization across borders shape electoral behavior. The study fills a significant gap in the literature by focusing on third-generation migrants or post-migrants, in Germany, a group often overlooked in both migration and political sociology research. By examining patterns of voting and abstention, the book contributes to a more nuanced understanding of diasporic political agency, demonstrating that non-voting can be as politically meaningful as participation. It also situates these behaviours within broader transnational social spaces, legal frameworks, and societal contexts, analysing both individual motivations and structural influences. The process of publishing the aforementioned thesis as a book is currently ongoing, and the work is projected to be published in early 2027 as part of Brill’s Youth in a Globalizing World series.