The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Service Quality Assessment Scale (SQAS). The participants of this study constituted of 338 male (53.1%) and 298 female (46.9%) health-fitness club&rsquo / s members. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structure of the SQAS instrument, which assess the service quality of health-fitness clubs. Six-factor model of SQAS was analyzed based on the Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation method. The goodness-of-fit indices of the model were admissible: for the expectation model Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) was = .067, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) was = .056, and both the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), the Incremental Fit Index (IFI), besides the Non-Normed Fit Index (NNFI) was = .95. For the perception model RMSEA was = .059, SRMR was = .054, and both the CFI, the IFI, as well as the NNFI was = .96. It was concluded that all of the goodness-of-fit indices of both the expectation and perception model were admissible, with the perception model slight better than the expectation model. The composite reliability and variance extracted was also calculated for expectation and perception model. Analysis indicated that CR values were all above .70 for both expectation model (.74 to 1.00) and perception model (.73 to 1.00). The variance extracted values with the exception of Child Care were comparatively lower than the .50 standard. The present study demonstrated that the SQAS with six-factor model appears to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure the service quality of health-fitness clubs.

ABSTRACT THE EUROPEAN UNION FACTOR IN THE UNITED STATES-TURKEY RELATIONS: 1995-1999 &Ccedil / ankaya, Mine M.Sc., Department of International Relations Supervisor: Dr. Fulya Kip Barnard September 2003, 188 pages This study seeks to analyze the imperatives underlying the United States policy of supporting Turkey&amp / #8217 / s full membership to the European Union from 1995 to 1999. It is basically composed of four parts. The first part discusses the US security policy in the regions surrounding Turkey following the demise of the Soviet Union. Accordingly, the US security policies towards Russia, the Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East, the Central Asia and the Caucasus are examined. The second part is devoted to the examination of American-Turkish relations in the post-Cold War era. The third part deals with the role of the EU in Turkish domestic politics in the post- Cold War era. The last chapter serves as the essence of the study. It aims to focus on the implications of Turkey&amp / #8217 / s relations with the EU for the US security policy. Within this framework thedomestic changes in Turkish politics especially the rise of Islam and nationalism in the mid 90s and their implications for the US security policy are explained. Second, Turkey&amp / #8217 / s role in the emerging European security framework and its implications for the US security policy are scrutnized. Having elaborated these factors, this study concludes with a brief analysis of the basic points of the study. Keywords: The US security policy, American-Turkish relations, Turkey-EU relations.

Owing to the unfortunate accidents happened in Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan on 11th March 2011, renewable energy has again become one of the mostly referred issues in energy related discussions all around the world. Generally, the states are expected to give incentives to the renewable energy sources in order to help the development and spread of those clean energy technologies against the fossil based energy sources. However, the levels of state subsidy to renewable energy sources in Turkey which was announced in 2010 with an Amendment Law was not possible to understand by following the mentioned way of thinking. Unlike other studies in the field of renewable energy policies, the thesis problematizes the role of the states in the formation of renewable energy markets and prefers to use the critical theory while trying to understand how the renewable energy policies in Turkey are formed. The state policies are tried to be understood as a result of historical state and society relations rather than looking for linear reason and result relationships. State is seen not a unified actor but rather a battleground of competing projects each of which arise from a certain way of thinking or in other words, rationalities of government. Consequently, the traces of developmentalism, neoliberalism and neomercantilism are followed starting from the formation of the Turkish electricity market in the late 1990s and the preparation of Renewable Energy Law in 2005 until the aftermath of the recent Amendment to the Renewable Energy Law in 2010.

This dissertation aims at exploring and analysing the effects of Japan&rsquo / s trust-based relations in the region of East Asia in the post-Cold War period within the framework of its anti-militaristic state identity and outlook. The main research question is based on how the Japanese policy makers constructed the meaning of the post-Cold War period, opening the ways and ideas to solidify the anti-militaristic state identity and posture. In this sense, Japan provides a significant case study for examining ontological security. The main argument of dissertation is based on building up Japan&rsquo / s ontological security structure in the regional context. Since the end of the Second World War, Japan has pursued an anti-militaristic state identity and posture. This attitude has been the guiding principle of Tokyo&rsquo / s foreign and security policy. In this dissertation, for the continuance of anti-militaristic identity successfully in the post-Cold War period, Japanese policy decision-makers have both configured and further sustained the country&rsquo / s trust-based relations with neighbouring countries in the region. This dissertation was analysed under the five main headings except the introduction chapter: (1) The historical background telling the story of anti-militaristic identity and posture of Japan, (2) Japan&rsquo / s emerging human security agenda in the Post-Cold War period, (3) Japan&rsquo / s cooperative initiatives at the regional level by focusing in particular on APEC and ARF. (4) Japan&rsquo / s relations with the significant others for its identity preservation. (5) The conclusions.

This thesis examines the main domestic security issues of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the impact of their securitization processes on the domestic and regional security policies of these countries in the post-Soviet era. Two outstanding issues that have been securitized in these countries, separatism and ethnic conflict for Kazakhstan and radical Islam for Uzbekistan, are scrutinized in detail with a comparative analysis. This thesis argues that Kazakh and Uzbek leaders, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Islam Karimov, as the main securitizing actors in their countries have securitized the above-mentioned issues for certain political objectives in the chaotic order of the post-Cold War era. However, these securitization processes for both of these countries have become an obstacle to find permanent solutions to their domestic security problems and develop more effective security policies at the regional level. Kazakh and Uzbek leaders should renounce manipulating these problems and produce more comprehensive policies by paying equal attention to all other problems of their countries. In addition, Astana and Tashkent should try to ensure regional security rather than overemphasizing domestic one(s) if the aim is to benefit from an effective regional integration on Central Asian security. Contrary to the most of existing studies on the subject, the thesis argues that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are accepted as the active players that could contribute to the solution of their own security problems to a great extent, rather than being passive subjects of the &ldquo / New Great Game&rdquo / played among major actors.

This research examines how Turkish newspapers approached the Armenian terrorism which emerged in the years between 1973 and 1984 as the third wave since the late 19th century. The Armenian terrorist organizations officially emerged in 1975 in order to show the world their rightfulness in terms of the so-called Armenian genocide, assassinating Turkish diplomats, including ambassadors and their families, in a planned and systematic fashion within these 11 years. These terrorist activities accelerated from time to time. Along with the accelerated Armenian terror, domestic terrorism and political disorder were the other developments in Turkey. Within the context of such difficulties, the extent of Armenian terrorist activities and the changes in the politically varied Turkish newspapers&#039 / regarding Armenian terrorism within these 11 years are examined thoroughly.

This thesis explores the autonomy of the Crimean region in Ukraine in terms of its impact on Ukraine&rsquo / s relations with Russia in the post-Soviet era. Thesis analyzes also the impact of the relations between Ukraine and Russia on the autonomy of the Crimean region. Contrary to the views that consider the Crimean autonomy as a product of the ethno-territorial relations between the Crimea which is populated by mainly ethnic Russians and Kiev, thesis argues that the interstate relations between Ukraine and Russia have played a crucial role in the evolution of the autonomy of the Crimean region within Ukraine. Thesis is composed of six chapters. Following the introductory First Chapter, the Second Chapter examines the origins of the Crimean autonomy. The Third Chapter examines the Crimean Autonomous Region during the post-Soviet period until the signing of the Friendship Treaty between Ukraine and Russia in 1997. The Fourth Chapter explores the period between 1997 and 2004. The Fifth Chapter analyses the period in the aftermath of the Orange revolution in 2004. The Last Chapter is the Conclusion.

Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping is used as an effective tool to grasp complex systems. Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping, which is based on quantification of qualitative data, can be considered as a hybrid mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, and its roots can be traced back to graph theory. The basic purpose of this study is to discuss Fuzzy Cognitive Maps in methodological terms and develop suggestions for using maps drawn within two different frameworks. By this, Fuzzy Cognitive Maps applied in similar fields will be evaluated at one level. For this purpose, the thesis will utilize the data derived from maps drawn by NGO directors in Turkey. In the case study, cognitive maps are drawn around two concepts: the reputation of civil society in Turkey and its influence power. Due to their qualitative character, Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping is a research tool suitable for making comparative analysis. Divided into city and activity categories, the database of case study used in this thesis provided comparable data. Categorical differences are evaluated through drawing cognitive maps out of database.

This thesis analyses the hegemonic processes that are maintained by traditions, institutions and formations by discussing over the process of value construction the characters in Kazuo Ishiguro&rsquo / s two novels are engaged in. A Marxist approach is used along the way and the discussions over the novels were taken as an opportunity of underlining the necessity of a Marxist approach towards art in order to make use of its propaedeutic value and extract the hegemonic substance the artwork inheres. This thesis seeks to use the propaedeutic value of Ishiguro&rsquo / s novels to point out to the hegemony that is prevailing over our actual lives. It argues that the person always has to relate himself to a society, and hence that society and &lsquo / the hegemonic&rsquo / forces operant on that society come to shape his values and judgements at the end. In the end, what this study finds are the traces of the hegemonic processes that are hidden behind the individualized experience of Ishiguro&rsquo / s characters. Neither Stevens, nor Kathy can be underestimated to their individual choices. It is the hegemony, and the tradition and the institutions of that hegemony that construct their existence. Also, it is found out that it is again the hegemony that shapes the existence of Ishiguro&rsquo / s value judgements and his works&rsquo / value schemes that are studied here.

This study aims to find out the relationship among marital communication patterns, parental attitudes, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems of children. To elaborate, it is aimed to figure out whether marital communication patterns predict parental attitudes, and children internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Furthermore, it is purposed to investigate the relationship between parental attitudes and children adjustment. Finally, mediator role of parental attitudes between marital communication patterns and children adjustment was investigated. The participants of this study consist of 189 parents of preschool children. In order to measure the variables and characteristics of participants, Demographic Information Form, Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ), Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) are used. The results of the study revealed that higher levels of destructive communication pattern is significantly associated with higher levels of authoritarian parenting attitudes whereas higher levels of constructive communication pattern is related to lower levels of permissive parenting style. Moreover, there is positive significant relationship was found between mother reported constructive communication pattern and authoritative style. Furthermore, it was shown that mother reported authoritarian and authoritative parenting attitudes are linked to emotional problems of children. Another finding of the current study revealed that constructive communication pattern is related to prosocial behavior of children. Besides inattention problems of children was found to be associated with aggressive communication pattern and mother reported permissive parenting style. However, no significant mediation effect was found. The significance, limitations, and clinical implications were discussed in the light of related literature.