Tribune News Network
Doha
Northwestern University in Qatar Professor Miriam Berg is the author of a new book examining the ground-breaking global success of Turkish drama serials.
Published by the University of Exeter Press, the book, “Turkish Drama Serials: The Importance and Influence of a Globally Popular Television Phenomenon”, reveals how Turkish dramas have transformed Turkey into a major player in the world of television production and enticed audiences from around the globe.
The book takes an audience-cantered approach to investigate the reasons for the allure of Turkish dramas to Arab, Latin American, and Israeli audiences while examining Turkey’s changing foreign policy, economic, and trade relationships since the turn of the millennium.
With comparative audience data from three different regions, the book offers a comprehensive study and a unique perspective on the impact of the global success of Turkish drama serials on popular culture and explores its ramifications across the Global South. It also analyses the role and importance of Turkish dramas as a soft-power tool by scrutinising how they have influenced viewers’ perceptions of Turkey, its people, and its culture.
“The popularity of Turkish TV dramas shows how content can transcend borders and find global audiences. The phenomenon of travelling content is not new. Still, Turkish dramas are the first from a Muslim-majority country to achieve worldwide success,” said Berg, assistant professor in residence in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program at Northwestern Qatar.
“Turkish Drama Serials: The Importance and Influence of a Globally Popular Television Phenomenon” is the latest addition to Berg’s scholarly work. A scholar who specialises in media and communication studies, cultural studies, and gender perspectives, Berg’s work examines the role of Turkish drama serials in transnational contexts, particularly their utilisation as instruments of cultural diplomacy and soft power in her research, and investigates the media consumption habits of refugee, migrant, and diasporic audiences, emphasising the influence of cultural proximity in media reception.
“Professor Berg’s book offers a unique perspective on the global success of Turkish drama serials and its significance in the context of contemporary popular culture development. I congratulate her on this accomplishment,” said Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar. “This book underscores the global impact of Northwestern Qatar in shaping the discourse on media and culture.”
Turkish Drama Serials: The Importance and Influence of a Globally Popular Television Phenomenon is now available for purchase and online access. For more information about the handbook, click here to access its website.
