The “Problematics of Culture and Theory” Seminar, held by the School of English at Aristotle University, will be hosting an online talk by Dr. Sinem Türkel on Thursday, 20th March, 2025, at 13.00 (13.00-14.15)
The title of the online talk is:
“The social construction of reality and its manifestation in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Blind Assassin”
The talk will take place via the Zoom platform. All those interested in attending via zoom, please submit the relevant registration form. The zoom link details for the event will be sent by email on the eve of the talk to all those who have registered for online participation.
In person attendance of the talk will be possible, but only a limited number of participants will be able to attend in person. If you are interested in attending the talk in person, please email Dr. Roupakia at roupakia@enl.auth.gr.
The particular event is organized as part of the Erasmus+ International Mobility Programme.
Problematics Seminar Coordinators
Dr L.E. Roupakia (roupakia@enl.auth.gr) and Dr Ε. Botonaki (botonaki@enl.auth.gr)
EVENT ABSTRACT
This talk will explore the concept of social construction of reality and its manifestation in Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Blind Assassin. Drawing on sociological and literary perspectives, we will examine how reality is shaped through dominant ideologies particularly patriarchal discourse, and how Atwood's novel critiques these structures. Through an analysis of narrative form, power dynamics and gender roles, we will discuss how the protagonists’, Iris and Laura’s, experiences reflect and challenge the societal expectations imposed on women.
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Sinem Türkel completed her PhD “Linguistically Constructed Worlds: A Comparative Analysis” in 2015. Her doctoral research compared the works of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin and Turkish writer Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar’s The Time Regulating Institute within the framework of social construction of reality and storytelling. Holding a PhD from Dokuz Eylül University American Culture and Literature Department, Türkel has publications about the works of some world-renowed contemporary fiction writers examined within the themes of environmental studies, storytelling and cultural studies. Her area of interest includes social construction, metanarrative, storytelling and nostalgia. Recently her areas of research has turned towards environmental literature with particular emphasis on animal studies.
