Ayca Zayim

Ayca Zayim is a sociologist whose research interests lie in economic and political sociology, and the sociology of globalization and development. Her broad research program focuses on how the rise of finance in the last few decades contributes to social and global inequalities. In particular, she is interested in the workings of financial power under globalization, with a focus on the Global South. Based on extensive field research in five different cities across three countries (South Africa, Turkey and the U.K.), her doctoral work unpacked the power dynamics between global finance and the central banks of South Africa and Turkey. Her research contributes to policy debates about global inequality and developing economies’ room to maneuver under financial globalization. She employs both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Zayim’s research has been supported by the Center for Engaged Scholarship, the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, and the Mellon-Wisconsin Fellowship, among others. Her previous research explored a range of topics, including worker cooperatives in the U.S., the role of the state in economic development in India, and displacement and housing rights in Turkey.

Zayim has taught courses on introductory statistics and research methods. She is dedicated to helping students develop their skillsets and ultimately apply this knowledge to real-world problems. She believes that the tools they learn in her classroom empower them to critically assess what is often taken-for-granted.