iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 22/08/2026

New article: My new #openaccess article in Cultural Sociology traces how authoritarian power evolves and shows how #democracy can be hollowed out by actors who capture institutions, flood the public sphere, and weaken our capacity to act together. #AcademicSky journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 19/08/2026

A wonderful new endorsement for The Autocrat’s Playbook from David Cunningham: “A counter-playbook for alarmingly autocratic times.” Very grateful for his generous reading of the book. Coming from @ucpress.bsky.social in 2027.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 18/08/2026

My new article in Sociological Theory has been published now #OpenAccess. I argue that #authoritarian #politics thrives through hegemonic fragmentation by transforming resentment into belonging, enemies into political necessities, and cruelty into common sense. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 10/08/2026

Delighted to have Ruth Ben-Ghiat's blurb for the Autocrat's Playbook. I have long admired her scholarship and writing, so her words mean a great deal to me.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 22/07/2026

UC Press recently shared this generous endorsement from Didier Fassin whose research has long been a major intellectual inspiration for me, so this means a great deal. Out in March 2027 with @ucpress.bsky.social #TheAutocrat'sPlaybook #BookSky #Authoritarianism #NewBook

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 26/06/2026

Delighted to share that I've recently joined the Editorial Board of Cultural Sociology, of the British Sociological Association. I look forward to supporting constructive feedback and reading exciting new work in the field. Please send your best work our way. journals.sagepub.com/home/CUS

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 15/06/2026

My editor has just shared the cover of my forthcoming book, The Autocrat's Playbook: How Authoritarians Weaponize Morality to Destroy Societies @ucpress.bsky.social (April 2027) l really liked the cover. The striking typography and crowd imagery capture the book's central argument well! #NewBook

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 11/06/2026

The final copy of A Slow Revolution from @cornellupress.bsky.social has arrived. The next 30 days I will be spending on the most meticulous stage of the proces as I will be checking every word and punctuation mark second time. One final push before the book meets its readers hopefully. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 01/06/2026

As a gay academic, #PrideMonth has a personal meaning for me. I stand with queer scholars worldwide whose honesty can still cost them safety, freedom, or careers. Pride means solidarity, memory, and courage. It exists because #queer people before us rebelled and refused to disappear. #LoveisLove

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 22/05/2026

After more than a decade of research, it is moving to see A Slow Revolution read, reviewed, and endorsed by scholars whose work I have long admired. Forthcoming with Cornell University Press in 6 months and can't wait to see the book cover. #AcademicSky #BookSky www.waterstones.com/book/a-slow-...

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 21/05/2026

Wonderful news to wake up to this morning as my paper “The Consent to Destroy: Imperial Melancholia and the Hegemony of Fragmentation” has been accepted by Sociological Theory. It also reminds me why 15,000-word limit like in #SociologicalTheory still matters for theory-driven work. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 20/05/2026

Proof that sociologists occasionally leave the writing, pause the marking, and see daylight while trying to pose.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 07/05/2026

Voting done for the Greens. 🌿 I voted for a politics that takes the climate, public life, and social justice seriously. Democracy still breathes in these little queues, please go and vote!

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 25/04/2026

25 April marks the end of fascist rule in Italy. Today it matters to remember because power still flirts with fear. It sells order by dividing people and it still tests how much silence it can buy. Ordinary Italian people refused to kneel fascism and that refusal matters today again. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 08/04/2026

Thrilled and deeply honoured to receive Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award. My sincere thanks to the jury for their generosity and recognition. And congratulations to Peter Katzenstein for the jury award; his speech was powerful, sharp, and truly memorable. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 04/04/2026

Messina by name, Messina by choice. Pure academic rigour in beer selection. Crisp, honest, no peer review needed. 🍺

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 30/03/2026

Big moment. After a decade of writing, the manuscript has been edited and now I step in for the first of two-round checks. Over 300 pages. Line by line page by page reviewing the edits making sure every argument holds and every sentence carries its weight. Wish me luck! #AcademicSky #BookSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 05/03/2026

Thrilled to announce I've signed my contract with Temple University Press for Queer Under Siege: How Societies Threaten Queer Life. As a gay academic, this book is deeply personal. A celebration of queer resistance, and the beauty of queer life in the face of siege and repression. 🏳️‍🌈📖 #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 24/02/2026

Sanremo 2026 is ON 🇮🇹🎶 Fire crackling, wine poured, popcorn ready because some traditions are non-negotiable ✨ #Sanremo2026 #SanremoLive

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 24/02/2026

"For MAGA, 'freedom of speech' is the prerogative of the powerful to offend and humiliate the weak (immigrants, non-whites, and sexual minorities), not the power of the oppressed and exploited to have their voices heard. www.socialeurope.eu/author/slavo...

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 27/01/2026

Holocaust Remembrance Day. When we say #NeverAgain, it was a vow made over ashes. For Jews then. For Palestinians, Iranians, and Ukrainians now. For refugees caged and criminalised in America today. Grief doesn't check passports. Neither should our solidarity.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 19/12/2025

After more than a decade in archives, streets, kitchens, funerals. Years of listening, waiting, rewriting history from below. A Slow Revolution is now under contract with Cornell University Press. A book about #Sicily, the #mafia, betrayal, and the long, unfinished work of #justice. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 09/12/2025

My DNA results. I have apparently got Inuit ancestry. 😊 Didn't see that coming. From the Mediterranean to the Arctic in one chromosome set. Kind of amazing how far histories can take you. We all share far more roots and similarities than we admit. Humanity really is one long migration.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 05/12/2025

I’ve just signed with University of California Press for The Moral Trap: How Autocrats Criminalize and Divide Societies. This book grew from years of research, hard lessons, persistence, and great support from many many people. Grateful and energised to bring it into the world. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 14/11/2025

Please visit @templeunivpress.bsky.social if you’re at #ASCinDC25 for the American Society of Criminology conf. Our acquisitions editor, Ryan, is there representing our book series @templestudieschs.com. If you have got a project that bridges #history & #criminology, drop by for a chat. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 09/11/2025

“L’arte è morta, Venezia è la sua tomba.” Art is dead, Venice is its tomb. I saw it on the wall this morning. This mirrors the global condition of culture under neoliberalism. Commercialisation and the fast-consumption “Insta-pic” generation have hollowed art into performance for visibility.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 07/11/2025

At the @eui-eu.bsky.social today as jury member for a brilliant PhD viva! Brian O’Connor presented an outstanding dissertation on queer activism against the mafia. Congratulations, Dr. O’Connor! #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 25/10/2025

My husband, a true Palermitan, somehow manages to outshine his own city. Walking through Palermo with him means stopping every five minutes because he knows everyone, everywhere. He swears he is showing me around when I took this pic., but I'm sure the city lights up because he is home. #HomeisHe

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 19/10/2025

October in Lincoln is pure magic! I took some photos this morning. Golden leaves have carpeted the parks. The sunlight was filtering through the old trees, and the cathedral watching over it. #Lincoln #October

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 22/09/2025

I enter Rosh Hashanah with a heavy heart. I believe in Palestinian freedom and dignity, yet watching children and families buried under rubble is unbearable. Justice can’t be built on mass graves. This new year must begin with life, not endless death.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 08/08/2025

I popped to the loo this afternoon and Gino (my cat) had nicked my chair. He snoozed like he owned the place, slept like royalty so I waited an hour until he woke up for his dinner. Then I finally got my seat back to continue writing the book. He is clearly the real author here. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 16/05/2025

I am a gay man, married. My husband is Catholic. We are a family built on love, not gender. The Pope doesn't get to define our dignity. Love makes a family, not dogma. #LoveIsLove

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 21/02/2025

They have come for the Humanities! NEH grants are now barred from supporting #DEI, gender, or environmental justice work. This is a direct assault on scholars, educators, and communities striving for #justice. A step backward. Shameful. Outrageous. Dangerous. #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 05/02/2025

Excited to join the editorial board of the Journal of Sociology @sociologyjnl.bsky.social of the @britsoci.bsky.social It has always been one of my top journals, shaping the discipline with cutting-edge research. Looking forward to contributing to its continued success! #sociology #BSA

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 04/02/2025

Tomorrow off to Palermo. Honoured to be invited as a keynote speaker at the GLITTS Workshop on #civilsociety's response to #illicittrade at LUMSA, #Palermo. Excited to explore how civil society challenges #illicitmarkets and #organisedcrime.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 04/01/2025

Here, we have one at the moment Andy and observing everything from the table: a real guardian😊

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 31/12/2024

Happy New Year 2025! As we celebrate, let’s remember those still facing injustice & inequality. May this year inspire us to act with solidarity, uplifting those who need help most. Dignity, justice, and support for all.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 30/12/2024

Arrivederci, Palermo. Your beauty always remains with me until we meet again. See you soon, my beloved city

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 27/12/2024

Hanukkah is about liberation, miracles, and human resistance. As we remember the eternal light in these days, I extend my pray for those living under oppressive regimes, like those in Gaza, who lack basic needs like clean water and food. May the spirit of hope and justice guide us all. #Hanukkah

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 20/12/2024

My research assistant is giving me a very dramatic side-eye and meowing, clearly saying: "Enough with the writing, it is time for some cuddles!" #AcademicSky

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 19/12/2024

It has been a great experience staying at the @mpimmg.bsky.social Today is my last day and I thank colleagues, all admin staff who have been very supportive. I'm leaving here my room and inspiring window that accompanied me. Check out the website of the Max Planck Institute for excellent projects!

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 13/12/2024

We had breakfast with these amazing sweets!

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 13/12/2024

#Palermo today honourpps #SantaLucia referring to miracle on 13 December 1646, ending the famine in the city as Palermitans found grains at the gates of old town. Bread, pasta are skipped in favor of #arancine today. With sweet treats like cuccia, Sicilians celebrate the light of resilience.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 12/12/2024

Getting a haircut in Palermo feels like stepping into a Christmas wonderland. It is warm, stylish, and full of charm. Why is it so hard to find male hairdressers in the UK with this kind of chic vibe?

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 01/12/2024

On this #WorldAIDSDay, we remember the countless souls that were stolen by AIDS and the cruel stigma that shadowed our community in the 80s and 90s. We carry their memory like a fire and we refuse to let the world forget their struggles and courage.

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 30/11/2024

It’s #Caturday, a perfect excuse to share this tender moment I captured this summer: Gioacchino, my husband, and a charming feline companion basking in the golden glow of a late summer afternoon. May it bring a smile to your day.🐈 #Buonweekend ##AcademicsWithCats

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 26/11/2024

The holiday season is just around the corner, so don’t miss the boat! Snag the paperback of our book, #EnvironmentalInjustice & #Catastrophe, for just $16.99 It is a deal that’s the cherry on top for any book lover. #AcademicSky #BookSky www.barnesandnoble.com/w/environmen...

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 24/11/2024

#SociologicalInquiry released a video about my recent article: "The Dual-Edged State Paradox: Fighting for Justice When the State is Unreliable' It is so tempting to read the article now thanks to this video. It is #OpenAccess. I'm leaving the link here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 23/11/2024

I hope it is still permissible to share cat photos on #Caturdays for a good wibe! Here we are, a lucky one!

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Baris Cayli Messina @bariscaylimessina.com · 20/11/2024

Let me introduce Tina. I hired her as my RA, but she took over as my supervisor. She enforces a strict no-slacking policy. If my breaks run too long, she parks herself by my desk, staring me down with disapproval. Productivity doesn’t stand a chance under her watch! #AcademicsWithCats

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