Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Emre Balikci has recently had a paper published in one of the best heterodox publications in economics.
The paper, titled “Perceiving Urban Transformation from the Perspective of Evolutionary Economics: Renewal of Houses in Bağdat Street, Istanbul,” analyzes urban transformation in Istanbul using the concepts of evolutionary economics. It demonstrates that it is a process driven by people’s desire to climb the social hierarchy through “costly signaling,” or conspicuous consumption, rather than by a desire to improve the functional quality of their living spaces. Balikci co-authored the paper with Dicle Koylan.
Balikci received his Ph.D. from the Development Economics program at Marmara University, known as one of the best heterodox and interdisciplinary programs in Turkey.
Before teaching at St. Lawrence, Balikci gave lectures at various European universities as an Erasmus scholar and worked at two well-known universities in Turkey. In addition to his academic career, Balikci worked for three years as a foreign news editor at Milliyet Daily, one of the most prestigious newspapers in Turkey, preparing news about the Middle East.
His main interest areas include the economic history of Turkey and the Middle East, the global political economy, and institutional economics.
Learn more about Balikci and other professors teaching in St. Lawrence's Department of Economics.
