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On Air: Talking Bodies, Aesthetics, and Masculinities

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being a guest on the program #GündelikHayatınSosyolojisi on Apaçık Radyo, where I spoke about Hair:y_less Masculinities and my current research at Orient-Institut Istanbul as Head of the Science, Technology and Society research field.

In this episode, we explored how aesthetic interventions are not merely individual choices but are increasingly shaped by social expectations, technological affordances, and gendered norms. Drawing from my ethnographic research in Turkey and Iran, I discussed how beauty standards and body modifications are deeply entangled with cultural and political contexts, especially in the case of masculinities.

Three women are seated in a radio studio behind large microphones, with visible reflection on the glass. From left to right: Melike Şahinol is speaking into a microphone; Gülşah Başkavak is looking down at her notes; Ayşe Berna Uçarol is holding a pen and smiling while listening. The studio background displays the logo of Apaçık Radyo.

Live in the studio at Apaçık Radyo. From left to right: Melike Şahinol, Gülşah Başkavak, and Ayşe Berna Uçarol during a recorded conversation on bodies, care, and technology.

We touched on themes such as:
— How aesthetic practices shape and are shaped by male identities
— The political significance of facial hair in Turkey and hairstyle norms in Iran
— Why interventions like hair/beard transplants procedures should be viewed as socio-(bio-)technical practices, shaped by cultural norms, corporeal situatedness, and technological infrastructures.

These reflections emerge from my broader interest in how digital and medical technologies co-produce social orders and bodily practices, a topic I approach from the perspective of body sociology and STS.

The full interview is available here:
https://apacikradyo.com.tr/program/244063/kayit-arsivi

A transcript of the conversation will be uploaded soon, which will allow for English translation and broader accessibility.

Thanks to Açık Radyo and Dr. Ayşe Berna Uçarol for the invitation and to everyone who tuned in!

Three women are sitting closely together on a step in front of the Açık Radyo building in Istanbul. From left to right: Gülşah Başkavak is wearing a blue shirt, Ayşe Berna Uçarol a light cardigan, and Melike Şahinol a black blazer. Behind them is a large window with plants and the Apaçık Radyo logo, as well as a sign and the building number 7.

Post-recording reflections at Apaçık Radyo. From left to right: Gülşah Başkavak, Ayşe Berna Uçarol, and Melike Şahinol in front of the iconic Açık Radyo studio in Istanbul. After an engaging conversation on care, technology, and the body on air, we took a moment to enjoy the spring light and share a smile. A big thank you to Açık Radyo for the invitation and hospitality!

#BodySociology #Masculinities #Aesthetics #ScienceAndSociety #STS #MelikeSahinol #AcikRadyo #DigitalBodies #CulturalTechnologies #MedicalAesthetics #GündelikHayatınSosyolojisi

“The Medicalization of Bodies Is a Gendered Practice” Interview with Burak Taşdizen

Burak Taşdizen talked to Max Weber Stiftung on his previous and current research projects, and his research practice in general, including the research project “Cartography of Hair:y_less Masculinities”.

In our research on the re-mapping of hair in men’s bodies by (non)medical practices, it was surprising to see how medicalization of bodies is a gendered practice, yet the literature was mostly focusing on medicalization of women’s bodies such as the post-natal or menopausal female body. Although there are historical accounts on men and their hair practices, medicalization of these practices via current technologies remains relatively unexplored in the social sciences. In the past years, more and more men have started to consult medical expertise to (re)shape their bodies, examples of which are hair/beard/moustache transplants. These procedures, for which Istanbul has become a global hub attracting patients from not only Europe and the Middle East but also from overseas countries such as Brazil, help men regain a more accepted look in society so long as they subscribe to societal norms. Such interventions on men’s bodies become especially interesting when considering the plurality of masculinities, in which only some of them are desired and others are not, and how technologies take active part in the negotiation and (re)shaping of bodies and thus gender.

Read the rest of the interview here.