Mehmet Doğan Cüceloğlu (9 February 1938 – 16 February 2021) was a Turkish academic in
media psychology
Media psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the interactions between human behavior, media, and technology. Media psychology is not limited to mass media or media content; it includes all forms of mediated communication and media t ...
and writer of several non-fiction books.
Early years
Mehmet Doğan Cüceloğlu was born as the youngest of eleven children in the Mukaddime neighborhood of
Silifke
Silifke is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Mersin Province, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,692 km2, and its population is 132,665 (2022). It is west of the city of Mersin, on the west end of the Çukurova plain.
...
district in
Mersin
Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of Mediterranean Region, Turkey, southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates ...
, southern Turkey on 9 February 1938. Five of his siblings were from his father's first marriage.
Cüceloğlu recalled that "As I was schooled, I was surprised to learn from my teacher that I had two given names, and my surname was "Cüceloğlu", and not 'Cüceler' ('Dwarfs') as my friends called me." He felt unnoticed in elementary school. He lost interest in going to school and then fell ill. An injection by an untrained nurse from the neighborhood led to a lifelong handicap of his one leg. At first unable to walk, he was cured by his mother's old-fashioned treatment. The next year, he resumed going to the school with enthusiasm thanks to his new teacher.
Cüceloğlu's mother died when he was ten years old. After graduating from middle school in Silifke, he went to school in
Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
and
Kırklareli
Kırklareli () is a city in the East Thrace, European part of Turkey. It is the seat of Kırklareli Province and Kırklareli District.
Influenced by a nationalist literature teacher during his high school years in Ankara, Cüceloğlu enrolled in
Istanbul University
Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...
to study psychology. He earned a Bachelor of Psychology degree. After graduation, he went to the United States for his doctoral studies. In the first year, he contemplated suicide due to his poor command of English. He improved his English knowledge, and earned his
Doctor of Psychology
The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D. or D.Psych.) is a professional doctoral degree intended to prepare graduates for careers that apply scientific knowledge of psychology and deliver empirically based service to individuals, groups and organization ...
degree in the field of
media psychology
Media psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the interactions between human behavior, media, and technology. Media psychology is not limited to mass media or media content; it includes all forms of mediated communication and media t ...
from the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
in 1967.
Private life
During his doctoral studies, Cüceloğlu married Emily, a feminist Californian, who was also a doctoral student. They had two daughters, Ayşen and Elif, and a son, Timur. The family moved to Turkey and lived there for more than ten years while Cüceloğlu served as an academic. In 1975, the family moved back to the U.S. The couple divorced after eleven years of marriage.
After returning to Turkey, Cüceloğlu married Yıldız Hacıevliyagil (born 1966), who is a writer on human, societal, and personal development.
Career
After receiving his Ph.D., Cüceloğlu returned home to Turkey. He taught psychology at
Hacettepe University
Hacettepe University () is a public research university in Ankara, Turkey. It was established on 8 July 1967. It is ranked first among the Turkish universities by University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2021.
The university has two main c ...
in Ankara and
Boğaziçi University
Boğaziçi University (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Boğaziçi Üniversitesi''), also known as Bosphorus University, is a Public university, public research university in Istanbul, Turkey, historically tied to a former American educational insti ...
in Istanbul. In 1975, Cüceloğlu received a
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...
scholarship to conduct scientific research at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
as a visiting professor. After one year, he returned home.
Between 1980 and 1996, Cüceloğlu was based in the U.S. again, working at
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public research university in Fullerton, California, United States. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the California State ...
. During this time, he published his first book ''İnsan İnsana'' ("Human To Human").
After returning from the U.S., Cüceloğlu's works were focused on university students, educators, parents, and business people. He continued to write books. In addition, he gave conferences and seminars and made television programmes. He published more than forty scientific articles and wrote numerous books on personal development.
Cüceloğlu's inspirational life story was chronicled in his book titled ''İnsanı Ararken'' ("Searching For Human").
Death
Cüceloğlu was found dead in his home on 16 February 2021, seven days after his 83rd birthday. An official investigation revealed the cause of death as an
aortic dissection
Aortic dissection (AD) occurs when an injury to the innermost layer of the aorta allows blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall, forcing the layers apart. In most cases, this is associated with a sudden onset of agonizing ches ...
. He had undergone heart surgery two years before. He was interred at Aşiyan Asri Cemetery following a religious funeral service held at Levent Afet Yolal Mosque.
Bibliography
Some of Cüceloğlu's books include:
*''Derviş'in Aklı'' ("Dervish's Mind") (ISBN 9789751417213)
*''Prof. Ahmet Dervişoğlu ile Sohbetler'' ("Talks with Prof. Ahmet Dervişoğlu") (ISBN 9789751417213)
*''İçimizdeki Çocuk'' ("The Child Inside Us") (ISBN 9789751403643)
*''İnsan İnsana'' ("Human to Human") (ISBN 9786257631525)
*''Korku Kültürü Niçin 'Mış Gibi' Yaşıyoruz?'' ("Culture of Fear: Why Do We Live 'As It Is'?") (ISBN 9789751412430)
*''Bir Kadın Bir Ses / Türkiye'de Bir Kadının Varolma Savaşı'' ("One Woman One Voice / A Woman's War Existence in Turkey") (ISBN 9789751411631)
*''Mış Gibi Yaşamlar'' ("Lives As If They Were") (ISBN 9789751410702)
*''Başarıya Götüren Aile'' ("The Family That Leads to Success") (ISBN 9789751411075)
*''Savaşçı'' ("The Warrior") (ISBN 9789751408259)
*''Onlar Benim Kahramanım'' ("They Are My Hero") (ISBN 9789751413642)
*''Var Mısın? Güçlü Bir Yaşam İçin Öneriler'' ("Are You In? Suggestions For a Strong Life") (ISBN 9786057635839)
*''Öğretmen Olmak'' ("To Be A Teacher") (ISBN 9786053743774)
*''İçimizdeki Biz'' ("We Inside Us") (ISBN 9789753220002)
*''Geliştiren Anne Baba'' ("Developing Parents") (ISBN 9786257631532)
*''İnsan ve Davranışı'' ("Human Behavior") (ISBN 9789751418692)
*''İletişim Donanımları'' ("Media Gear") (ISBN 9789751408860)
*''Mış Gibi' Yetişkinler Yetişkin Çocuklar'' ("People As If They Were Adults, Grown Up Children") (ISBN 9789751416391)
*''Doğan Cüceloğlu / Damdan Düşen Psikolog'' ("Doğan Cüceloğlu / The Psychologist, Who Fell From Rooftop") (ISBN 9789751416803)
*''Gerçek Özgürlük'' ("True Freedom") (ISBN 9789751416483)
*''İnsan İnsana Sohbetler'' ("Talks From Person To Person") (ISBN 9786053741978)
*''İyi Düşün Doğru Karar Ver'' ("Think Well, Make Right Decisions") (ISBN 9789757397106)
*''İnsanı Ararken Damdan Düşen Psikolog'' ("The Psychologist, Who Fell From Rooftop As He Was Searching For Human")
*''Yetişkin Çocuklar'' ("Grown Up Children") (ISBN 9789751416391)
*''Öğretmenim Bir Bakar Mısın? '' ("Teacher! Will You Take a Look?") (ISBN 9786053748830)
*''Evlenmeden Önce'' ("Before Marriage") (ISBN 9786257631600)