Nathan uses theories of nostalgia to analyze social-cultural phenomena in contemporary Turkey. Specifically, he examines the ongoing significance of village and villager within Turkish imaginaries, considering how nostalgia for small-scale, rural ways lifeways is cultivated through familial narratives, popular media, and state efforts. His current project tracks how nostalgic sentiments expressed during Turkey’s centennial celebrations are used to support agendas of the present and visions of the future. He is a lecturer at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A., and a visiting researcher at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.