Associate Prof. Susan Beth Rottmann to Lead Türkiye Arm of ERC-Funded MenBelong Project

One of the most widespread yet underexplored populations in global migration—single migrant men and the ways they construct belonging in new societies— takes center stage in the international MenBelong project. In Türkiye, the project is led by Associate Prof. Susan Beth Rottmann from the Department of Anthropology at Özyeğin University, together with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Dilek Üstünalan.

Funded under the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant, the project “MENBELONG – Belonging for Single Migrant Men: A Cross-Country Comparative Perspective” officially commenced on February 1, 2026, with Özyeğin University serving as a key project partner. Conducted concurrently across five countries by Principal Investigator Prof. Gökçe Yurdakul from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the project aims to offer a transformative new perspective on migration studies.

Moving beyond conventional approaches to integration centered on legal status or labor market participation, MenBelong examines how single migrant men navigate stigma, including stereotypes that portray them as hypersexual and criminalized, while simultaneously constructing unique and often overlooked forms of belonging. The project conducts a comparative analysis on Syrians in Türkiye, Mexicans in Canada, Turks in Germany, Burmese in Thailand, and Venezuelans in Chile.

Drawing on a rich combination of quantitative and qualitative methods including archival research, experimental surveys, in-depth interviews, and “photovoice”, this interdisciplinary study is poised to make significant theoretical contributions to anthropology, sociology, and gender studies. By rethinking dominant theories of belonging through empirical evidence from beyond the Global North, the project stands as one of the most comprehensive studies on migrant masculinities to date.

The MenBelong ERC Advanced Grant Kick-off Meeting, was held at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin from March 16–18, 2026, bringing together the full international research team.

For more information about the project, please visit: https://menbelong.net