Our Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Yasemin Özer Presented at The Brown Bag Seminars

Dr. Yasemin Özer, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Sociology at Ibn Haldun University, delivered a presentation within the scope of the Brown Bag Seminars on Tuesday, December 16. Drawing on her doctoral research completed at the CUNY Graduate Center, she presented the book manuscript and ethnographic research findings titled “Ordinary Care: Affective Politics of Migration and Everyday Lives of Syrian Refugees in Istanbul.”

Beginning with the question of what kinds of reciprocal relationships, ethical commitments, and emotional bonds are developed while attempting to (re)build a stable and dignified everyday life, Dr. Özer noted that she conducted extensive fieldwork in 2019 in the neighborhoods of Fatih, Esenler, and Esenyurt in Istanbul—areas often referred to as “Little Syria.”

Dr. Özer also focused on the informal solidarity practices observed among refugees, which she conceptualizes as “ordinary care.” This concept encompasses not only the sharing of resources, information, and advice, but also the emotional ties and forms of mutual assistance established among neighbors, relatives, and friends. She argues that these non-institutionalized forms of care function as mechanisms of resilience in the lives of Syrian refugees as they navigate legal uncertainty, social precarity, and rising anti-refugee sentiment.

The research compellingly demonstrates how everyday practices support refugees’ pursuit of autonomy and security. We congratulate our colleague and wish her continued success in her future work.