HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-07: Societal impact of cultural heritage

I provide targeted sociological research expertise to investigate how cultural heritage can be mobilized to foster social cohesion, democratic resilience, and civic engagement within rapidly changing societies. My work is anchored in the sociology of culture and digital transformation, specifically exploring how identity construction, collective memory, and community habitus adapt to both shifting digital ecosystems and intense intercultural interactions.

My profile delivers a major strategic asset to a Horizon Europe consortium: I am embedded in the UNESCO World Heritage region of Cappadocia, Türkiye. Welcoming millions of international visitors annually, Cappadocia serves as an active, high-density field lab. This unique environment is ideal for empirical research into the tensions between global cultural consumption and the preservation of local community identity, making it a perfect testing ground for both Area A (Cultural Participation) and Area C (Cohesion and Security) of the HERITAGE-07 call.

My research approach targets two critical dimensions of the call:

• Inclusive Cultural Access (Area A): I analyze geography-induced barriers, economic disparities, and social disengagement among youth and marginalized groups, developing participatory models to empower young people to take an active stewardship role in their heritage.

• Digital Resilience & Countering Polarization (Area C): I investigate how cultural symbols and narratives are instrumentalized or manipulated within digital networks. My work focuses on assessing the impact of disinformation and polarizing narratives, aiming to design didactic frameworks that promote collective responsibility and cultural care.

I am fully equipped to manage specific tasks within project work packages through:

• Grounded Fieldwork & Sampling: Designing and executing comprehensive field research—including large-scale surveys, semi-structured interviews, and participatory focus groups—with direct access to diverse tourist and host-community demographics.

• Advanced Data Analytics: Ensuring methodological rigor by applying computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (NVIVO/MAXQDA) alongside quantitative techniques to process complex empirical field inputs.

• Digital Content & Narrative Mapping: Tracking and evaluating how cultural heritage content is framed, consumed, and polarized across digital platforms and media channels.

• Evidence-Based Policy Design: Translating empirical data into actionable policy recommendations, cross-sector toolkits, and educational materials to help policymakers, museums, and civil society actors build resilient, inclusive societies.