The present dissertation aims to investigate cognitive and motivational underpinnings of stereotype contents in differing contexts. This dissertation consisted of two related sections. In the first section, comparison was suggested as the cognitive process underlying the implicit competence and warmth attributions toward businesswomen and homemakers. Four studies using Go/No Go Association Task were conducted to investigate the comparison process. Findings of the studies indicated that comparison has a significant impact on implicit mixed stereotypes. Implicit mixed stereotypes were not observed when target groups and attributes were presented in non-comparative context (Study 1). However, implicit stereotype contents were obvious in comparative context (Study 2). Finally, implicit stereotype contents of homemakers and businesswomen were shaped in accordance to the part of the context that was comparative (i.e. group comparison in Study 3 and attribute comparison in Study4). In the second section of the dissertation, comparison process was related to individuals&rsquo / compensation tendency. Two studies were conducted to examine the compensation tendency in the framework of System Justification Theory. In the first study (Study 5), presentation order of the target groups was manipulated. By this way, participants were not aware of the second group. Findings indicated that participants tended to compensate their first ratings toward homemakers and businesswomen. Furthermore, ambivalent sexism moderated the compensation tendency. In the second study (Study 6), both groups were presented together. Neither order of presentation nor its interactions were significant. Findings of the studies were discussed in the light of relevant literature.

The present study examines how political party leaders in Turkey strategically construct boundaries of the Turkish nation, which norms they attribute to it, and the prototypicality claims of these party leaders regarding the nation. Leaders&rsquo / national identity constructions are expected to be in line with their parties&rsquo / collective projects and serve to increase their claims of representativeness in the eyes of the electorate. A secod aim of the study is to inquire leaders&rsquo / attempts in rhetorically including the Kurdish population to the Turkish nation construction. The particular context was 2011 General Elections and the data was composed of campaign speeches of AK Parti, MHP and CHP. The campaign speeches given at Eastern and Southeastern regions of Turkey prior to the elections constituted the data. The analysis revealed that three leaders consensualized on the national flag, the official language, the unity of the land and the state as the claimed commonalities of the Turkish nation. Differences emerge when elaborating on the nature of the binding relationship between nationals. Erdogan (AK Parti) puts more emphasis on religion, Bah&ccedil / eli (MHP) underlines shared history and culture and Kili&ccedil / daroglu (CHP) depicts a nation based on citizenship. Nation constructions also involve attribution of national norms that also differ among parties and coincide with the topics over which leaders claim prototypicality. Apart from invoking national categories, party leaders argued over universal and other social categories (in this study / politician category) when constructing their rhetoric. Taking social categories for granted impairs the possibility of social change. Therefore, examining strategic purposes these categories serve, as in this study, is intended to empower those who struggle through their effects.

The main question of this study is the insufficient developed character of sociology in Turkey. In this study it is assumed that there are few factors that lead to this situation. Official ideology and its effects on sociology and university, the problems arisen from the discipline itself, the developing character of Turkey, and the conflict among sociologist academicians can be accepted as the factors that affect the sociology in Turkey. Related to this problem, in this study the opinions of academics sociologists in Turkey are examined. By using the techniques such as questionnaire and depth-interview, academicians&rsquo / evaluations are gathered.