Danielle V. Schoon

Danielle V. Schoon is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures at The Ohio State University, specializing in cultural anthropology with a focus on identity politics in contemporary Turkey. She was a guest affiliate at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity (MPI-MMG) from February to May 2023.

Dr. Schoon holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, with doctoral research examining urban development and rights regimes in Istanbul's Sulukule Romani neighborhood. Her primary research areas include identity politics, Romani studies, Hip Hop as community-building tool among migrants, migration studies, and the Science of Teaching and Learning.

She has published book chapters and a journal special issue on Romani identity politics in Turkey, and is currently expanding her research on Turkish Hip Hop to compare identity expression (Turkish, Kurdish, Roma, Alevi, migrant) in Istanbul versus Berlin contexts. Her work analyzes how shifting identity markers and local socio-political issues are engaged through music and dance.

As an educator, Dr. Schoon actively implements engaged pedagogy and active learning strategies to enhance teaching methods in Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures, reflecting her commitment to evidence-based educational practices.