Biography
Fadime Gokce Karaaslan is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology, specializing in the Crime and Deviance track. She received a B.A. in Sociology from Pamukkale University and an M.S. in Political Science from Hacettepe University in Türkiye, where she developed a deep understanding of social dynamics, social inequalities, social theory, and political, legal, and economic practices.
Her curiosity about the impact of social inequalities on criminal behavior led her to pursue doctoral research in criminology. She extended her academic success internationally by earning the opportunity to pursue a doctorate in the United States through a prestigious scholarship program offered by the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye.
Her research interests encompass criminological theories, juvenile delinquency, substance misuse, child abuse, experiences within the criminal justice system, including incarceration and reintegration, and social and structural inequalities. She employs qualitative and quantitative research methods to examine complex social phenomena, focusing on how criminal justice involvement intersects with family dynamics, individual well-being, and structural inequalities. Her dissertation investigates how parental justice involvement (e.g., incarceration, probation, and parole) affects children’s health outcomes, risk of substance misuse, involvement in crime, and exposure to structural inequalities such as racial disparities.
Her academic contributions have been showcased at prominent conferences, including the American Society of Criminology (ASC), and she currently has a manuscript under review in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence on the association between criminal justice involvement and substance use.
She aspires to contribute to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of criminology, public health, and policy and to pursue a career in academia where she can engage in teaching, mentorship, and scholarship focused on advancing equity and social justice.