Sosyologca, Year 2025 Issue 30

The Uncanny New World and the Modified Hybrid New Human

Ertan EğribelGülistan Arslan — 2025-12-31

This study analyzes the transformation of the post-modern "uncanny new world" and the "hybrid new human," primarily as they are manifested in contemporary cinema, from a sociological perspective. As the explanations offered by modern Western sociology—shaped by the dominance and superiority of the Western world—reach their limit, social reality and the future have become increasingly uncertain. The primary aim of this paper is to analyze the current situation, based on the necessity of sociology to address the problems and models of this new society, rather than engaging in a philosophical debate. The essential characteristic of postmodernism and the posthuman new world is the emergence of an uncanny world surrounding humanity, driven by the invalidation of modern Western principles and values due to US globalization. This new/transitional order perpetuates the contradictions of an unresolvable world dominance and is perceived not as a leap forward for humanity, but as an intervention against its very existence. The article emphasizes that this uncanny hybridization often transforms critiques of Western modernity into an acceptance of absolute hegemony rather than enabling a transition to a new stage.

The Uncanny World and the Novels of Emrah Serbes

Ezgi Dalkopan — 2025-12-31

This study, analyzes Emrah Serbes’s novels through a sociological perspective, focusing on the concept of the "uncanny" (unheimlich) and underground literature. The text explores how the uncanny became prominent in the post-industrial modern world, characterized by uncertainty, fear, and alienation. It argues that in today's post-modern society, individuals face increasing loneliness, erosion of values, and dysfunctional institutions. Works such as Her Temas İz Bırakır, Son Hafriyat, and Müptezeller highlight "non-ideal" characters—marginalized, melancholic, and rebellious individuals—born from this social transformation. By portraying settings like Ankara with raw gloom rather than aestheticization, Serbes provides a social anatomy of the "unseen". Ultimately, Serbes's narratives are identified as significant examples of underground literature, acting as a political action and a rebellion against the established order.

The Uncanniness of Public Openness and Social Networks in Turkey

Yılmaz Yıldırım — 2025-12-31

Abstract: This study examines the cultural and historical foundations of the public sphere in Turkey, relating them to the new challenges arising from the crisis conditions specific to the contemporary techno-capitalist era. The work attempts to explain the transformation of Turkey's public sphere into a risky and uncanny domain, not only through significant and current factors such as centralism, authoritarianism, or surveillance technologies, but also by linking it to a cultural and communicative background that constitutes an important aspect of ethical life. The dominance and determining nature of the norm over value in the style of interaction within Turkey’s public life damages the public sphere's quality as a common field where moral values are produced. Thus, rules and formality replace trust, and the style of communication belonging to closed and introverted socialities replaces public openness. Social networks, as one such form of sociality, appear as a kind of public-less sphere where public and productive sharing cannot develop. These micro-communities, which possess a closed and exclusive mechanism, deepen social fragmentation. On the other hand, when phenomena that have become a global issue—such as digital authoritarianism, techno-fascism, and surveillance capitalism—combine with the continuous exclusive nature of ordinary social networks, the public sphere becomes an even more uncanny/unsettling region.

NEW FAMİLY LİFE AND SURVİVAL OF CULTURE İN A DİGİTALİZED WORLD

Arif Akbaş — 2025-12-31

This study examines the dissolution of family communication and traditional family culture in today's rapidly digitalizing world from a sociological perspective. With the proliferation of technological devices, face-to-face interaction and physical intimacy within households have diminished, leading parents and children to become isolated and emotionally distant even while sharing the same space. Family members often disclose their private issues and concerns to the outside world via digital platforms rather than to their close relatives , suggesting a deep erosion of traditional familial values. The paper frames this situation as the "technological apocalypse experience within the family" , discussing how increased surveillance from both the state and technology corporations (Digital Capitalism) threatens familial bonds and violates privacy. The analysis emphasizes that while technology offers benefits like information access , its excessive use leads to addiction and loss of attention, weakening family affection and communication. The recommended solution is to reinforce family ties by re-adopting traditional cultural dynamics and a simple, genuine way of life. This approach is seen as essential for mitigating digital risks and ensuring cultural continuity..

Nomad Diaries: The Texture of Digital Travelers' Experiences

Okan TürkanHüseyin Mert Arslan — 2025-12-31

This study explores the lifestyles and motivations of digital nomads in the most visited Mediterranean cities. Based on NomadList comments, natural language processing techniques were applied to analyze word frequencies and capture user sentiments. Data processing relied on Python, Jupyter Notebook, NLTK, and Pandas. A SWOT analysis was conducted for Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, and Istanbul, identifying each city’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Findings reveal that digital nomads value these destinations for their cultural richness and historical heritage, while concerns such as safety issues and high living costs remain significant challenges. The study highlights the novelty of its approach by integrating sentiment analysis with SWOT evaluation, filling a gap in the existing literature. It further recommends strategies to mitigate negative perceptions and enhance overall quality of life for both residents and visitors, thereby supporting sustainable attractiveness of these cities for the global nomadic community.

A Review on Sociology Research in Erzurum Province by Sociologists Working at Atatürk University Before 1988

Hacı Bayram Kaçmazoğlu — 2025-12-31

This article examines sociological research conducted in Erzurum and its surroundings from the establishment of Atatürk University until 1988. Before 1988, sociologists working at the university included Orhan Türkdoğan, Altan Eserpek, Eyüp Kemerlioğlu, and Beşir Atalay. Türkdoğan carried out four studies focusing on attitudes toward birth control, approaches to traditional and modern medicine, causes of squatter settlements and subculture characteristics, and the relationship between social strata and political awareness. Eserpek conducted two studies on the dimensions of social change in mountain and plain villages and the phenomenon of polygamy, exploring its socio-cultural causes. Kemerlioğlu investigated Erzurum’s social stratification and the role of occupation in shaping this structure. Atalay examined the impact of social change on rural youth and the cultural conflict between generations. These studies provide significant insights into the sociological structure of Erzurum.

Data, Energy and Space – The Geopolitical Codes of the Uncanny New World

Fatih Sünbül — 2025-12-31

This study explores the “uncanny new world” emerging from the interaction of data, energy, and space in an era defined by digitalization and reconfigured energy infrastructures. Satellite imagery, AI-assisted spatial models, and data flows increasingly transform geography into a representational and fragile domain, blurring the boundaries between security and uncertainty. Integrating critical geopolitics, theories of spatial production, and the uncanny, the research employs a multi-layered framework encompassing physical, cognitive, and social dimensions of space. Case studies from the Eastern Mediterranean, the Arctic, and the Euphrates–Tigris basin illustrate how data-driven representations reshape geopolitical power and territorial imaginaries. Findings reveal three forms of spatial uncanniness—physical, data-driven, and representational—that collectively define contemporary geopolitical landscapes.

Geopolitical Developments in Near Sea Basins and Türkiye

Fahrettin Tepealtı — 2025-12-31

Throughout history, interstate power struggles have occurred in maritime domains, as in every other area; powers claiming regional or global power have sought to establish dominance in these areas. States seeking dominance, particularly in coastal seas, have gradually expanded their dominance by including landlocked seas in their pursuits. Within this framework, Türkiye, with coastlines on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, closely monitors geopolitical competition in nearby coastal basins and intervenes in developments to protect its interests.
Given their geographical locations, the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea basins can be considered near-sea basins within Türkiye's natural and historical hinterland. This study examines the geopolitical developments in these areas, which have accelerated particularly recently, with a focus on Türkiye, and presents an assessment of opportunities and threats for Türkiye.

Syrian Refugees in Turkey and Their Presence in the Public Sphere

Hatice Kübra CanpolatYücel Karadaş — 2025-12-31
One of the most significant indicators through which the social distance and forms of interaction between Syrian refugees and the local population in Turkey can be observed is the way public spaces are used. These spaces—where public opinion is shaped—include not only city squares and parks but also cafés, coffeehouses, civil society organizations, municipal councils, city assemblies, digital media platforms, and even mosque congregations with stable community structures. Therefore, the ways in which Syrians are accepted or excluded by the local society, as well as the alternative public space strategies they develop in response to such exclusion, provide important insights into the dynamics of coexistence and segregation between the two communities. This study analyzes the visibility, interaction, and representation practices of Syrians in public spaces, examining how processes of social acceptance and exclusion manifest spatially. Furthermore, it emphasizes that this presence represents not only the sharing of physical spaces but also a multilayered process encompassing social distance, power relations, cultural negotiation, and the formation of new urban lifestyles.

Evaluation of the BRICS Organization in the Context of Samir Amin's

Emine Yıldırım — 2025-12-31
Dependency theorists have shared the view that the underdevelopment of less-developed countries lies beneath the power inequalities that arose between the center and the periphery with the capitalist mode of production beginning to dominate global economic activities. Samir Amin, one of the leading representatives of the Dependency School, adopted the critiques of the Dependency School, but at the same time, he also put forward solution proposals for how the peripheral regions could free themselves from the imperialist exploitation caused by the capitalist mode of production. In this study, the focus is on Samir Amin’s ideas about the regions polarized as center and periphery, who examined the colonization of Third World peoples in his works from a historical perspective. Within the framework of the founding purposes of BRICS and its effects on the international global economic system, the questions of whether the aims of BRICS overlap with Amin’s solution proposals and what conditions BRICS countries should meet for full independence in Amin’s perspective have been addressed. Thus, with this study, it is aimed to understand, through the example of BRICS, the reasons for the power inequalities between the center and the periphery regions and under what conditions the periphery could change this situation in its favor within the framework of Amin’s ideas.

The Surveilled Society: Trust, Fear, and Uneasiness In Cyber Security Discurses

Aynur Tekke — 2025-12-31

With the rapid advancement of digitalization, trust has evolved from a technical phenomenon into a social and emotional experience. While individuals take various measures to ensure their security on digital platforms, they also experience feelings of fear and unease through surveillance, data control, and digital threats. This study examines, from a sociological perspective, how digital security discourses shape feelings of trust, fear, and unease in individuals. The compilation, based on academic studies published between 2015 and 2025, draws on the approaches of Giddens, Bauman, Lyon, and Zuboff. The findings reveal that digital security discourses not only increase feelings of trust but also reinforce collective fear, unease, and paranoid behavior in individuals. Consequently, it is emphasized that cybersecurity has transcended the realm of a technical field and has become an emotional and cultural issue of the digital age.

The Legacy Reflected From Dostoyevsky’s Pen to Zeki Demirkubuz’s Screen: The Underground

Hasan GökBarış Çokaz , , — 2025-12-31

Cinema consistently emerges as an art form that encompasses elements from various disciplines. Among these, literature stands out as a prominent field that offers a wealth of material to cinema through its narratives. Today, cinema and literature appear as two closely intertwined domains, and the number of films adapted from literary works is considerable. Russian literature has long been recognized in world literature for its works with a strong psychological dimension. One of its most prominent authors, Dostoyevsky, stands out with his writings that reflect psychological, sociological, and the socio-political structure of his era. Notes from Underground is one of the rare works that not only sheds light on the author’s inner world but also allows the modern reader to find aspects of themselves within the text. This study analyzes Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground alongside its loose cinematic adaptation, Inside, directed by Zeki Demirkubuz. The analysis addresses the philosophical, psychological, sociological, and socio-political dimensions of both works. In doing so, the study aims to demonstrate the extent to which cinema and literature are intertwined, while shedding light on the world of the underground man.

The Reconstruction of the Family Amid Changing Socio-Economic Paradigms: A Critical Sociological Analysis

Ayhan Vergili — 2025-12-31

In this study, considering the anthropological, sociological and bio-psychological connections between the nature of human being and the family institution, the process of building an organization as a social entity is evaluated with regard to the family institution. Ever since the human being has taken its place in nature, the family has existed as a unique form in every place and every society, with its positive and negativ e aspects. Reconstruction of the family in the 21st century faces serious challenges, both structurally and functionally. Depending on the changing production relations, the change in the function and organizational structure of the family has inevitably assumed a new meaning. In the last two centuries, science and technological development, artificial intelligence, digital revolution, rapidly changing economic model, overly individualized lifestyles have brought the need for the family institution into discussion. Projections that many functions of the family are met and that, with the help of technology, there will be no need for male and female in the reproduction of the species threatens the existence of the family institution both structurally and functionally. This article focuses on the question, 'Will there be a need for the family institution in the near future?’ from a structuralist and functionalist perspective.

SPORTS DIPLOMACY AND GLOBAL WORLD ORDER

Mert Kerem Zelyurt — 2025-12-31
This study examines various forms of "sports diplomacy" strategies employed by states through mega sports organizations. Hosting global sporting events, participating in such competitions with high-performing athletes, representing nations through flags and national symbols, and attempting to create a positive global image have transformed these events into instruments of foreign policy. In other words, global sporting events constitute an effective diplomatic tool. As seen during the Cold War, when rival ideological blocs sought to shape the world order, and continuing in recent times, sports events have emerged as a prominent diplomatic arena. Conversely, countries facing issues such as corruption or human rights violations may employ sporting events as tools for image rehabilitation and agenda-setting. Russia’s exclusion from the Olympic Games and other global sporting events illustrates how these events can serve as a stage for the “hard power” diplomacy of countries aligned against it. Being isolated from competitions undermined Russia’s global power image and curtailed its sports diplomacy opportunities. Furthermore, state-supported doping, from the Cold War to the present, has functioned as a systematic biopolitical strategy and, beyond that, as an instrument of foreign policy grounded in international sporting success.

Miniatures About the Prophet Moses in the Copy of the Camıu’t-Tevârîh In the University of Edinburgh Library

Zeynep Tuana ÇirtmaMert Ağaoğlu — 2025-12-31

Beginning at the behest of the Ilkhanid ruler Ghazan Khan and completed during the reign of his successor, Oljaitu, the Jami'u't-Tawārīh is the oldest known, most comprehensive, and unbiased world history. It was prepared in the early 14th century by a committee that included Rashid al-Dīn Fazlullah al-Hamadani, the Ilkhanid vizier of Jewish origin, at Rab al-Rashīdī, designed as a cultural and research center of the period. Written in Mongolian, the work was translated into Arabic and Persian, and numerous copies were produced. Four miniature copies, written contemporary with the author, have survived to the present day. As part of this study, miniatures depicting the Prophet Moses in the copy, housed at Edinburgh University Library in Scotland, were examined using qualitative research methods. The depictions were examined in terms of text-image relationships and iconography.

The Common Value of the Turkic World: The Political and Social Representation Role of Cengiz Aytmatov

Aybüke Güzay — 2025-12-31

Chingiz Aytmatov is one of the important figures Kyrgyzstan has produced and grew up in the atmosphere of the Joseph Stalin era. He served his country and addressed the common problems of the Turkic world by reflecting the difficulties of the Soviet system and the culture of the Kyrgyz people in his works. He also gained worldwide fame by writing about the hardships of that atmosphere. His father, Törekul Aytmatov, was one of the intellectuals executed by firing squad by the Soviet Union, and Aytmatov grew up experiencing the negativity of the Soviet Union. This not only strengthened his writing but also led him to enter politics and serve his nation. Unable to remain indifferent to the problems of the Kyrgyz people and the Turkic world, Aytmatov strived to serve his nation in many areas throughout his life. Quickly gaining recognition both within the Turkic world and globally, Aytmatov has also become a shared value of the Turkic world. This highlights Aytmatov’s unifying and peaceful qualities. This study will examine Chingiz Aytmatov’s life and works in the context of his contribution to the common history and culture of the Turkic world. It will also evaluate Aytmatov's political and social role within the Turkic world.

Pioneering Women in the History of Polyphonic Music and the Issue of Social Representation

Esra Karaol — 2025-12-31

Parallel to broader social developments, the history of music -an inseparable component of human civilization and embedded in the professional and holistic training provided by conservatories- has long been shaped by a structure that preserves centuries-old tradition. However, this seemingly open yet implicitly patriarchal framework still fails to address the persistent issue of women’s absence from dominant narratives. Although many scholars (predominantly women) have previously investigated this issue across various fields, the limited availability of recorded data on women in key sources shaping the history of polyphonic music continues to be normalized without substantial critical inquiry. The major reason for this is the illusion created by historically male-centered musical references. Since the world has yet to approach genuine equality for women -the so-called majority minority- this study aims to explore whether an alternative music history is possible by foregrounding pioneering women and addressing representation through a feminist, interdisciplinary musicological-sociological framework.

Teaching Ancient Turkish History in the Single-Party Years in the Context of Changes in History Textbooks

Can Tankut Esmen — 2025-12-31
This study addresses the question of how high school history textbooks treated ancient Turkish history during the single-party era, the first major phase of Turkish history in its own right. The study's focus is on how and in what contexts the early periods of Turkish history are examined. Furthermore, it examines the similarities and differences between the sub-periods of the single-party era, identified with the two founding figures. A descriptive method was adopted in this analysis. This analysis was conducted by identifying and analyzing the narratives and statements presented to students in the textbooks. In this study, history textbooks from the single-party era are considered a product of the dominant understanding of the era. Books represent a discourse that presents knowledge of the past to new generations as a set of constructed images. They are tools that inscribe the political norms of governments in the minds of young people. Finally, the results of this study aim to provide readers with the opportunity to interpret the validity or injustice of the criticisms they received regarding ancient Turkish history during the humanist period of the 1940s, following the Turkish History Thesis.