Talal Asad Award Presented at the 5th Sociology Days Student Research Symposium

The 5th Sociology Days Student Research Symposium, organized by the Department of Sociology at Ibn Haldun University, was held at the University between 8–10 May 2026. The symposium, which attracted broad participation, also hosted the presentation of the Talal Asad Award, granted to encourage outstanding master’s theses written within the Department of Sociology at Ibn Haldun University. The award was presented during a ceremony held at the closing of the symposium on Sunday, 10 May.

Talal Asad Award Goes to Dima Faress is

The Talal Asad Award, presented in the category of best graduate thesis, was awarded to Dima Faress for her master’s thesis completed under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Tesnim Khriji. Selected among the master’s theses submitted in 2025, Faress received the award for her thesis titled “Coping Strategies of Aleppian Elder Parents from an Intergenerational Perspective: Aleppo and Istanbul”. The award was presented to Faress by Prof. Dr. Syed Farid Alatas from the National University of Singapore.

The evaluation committee consisted of Prof. Dr. Mücahit Bilici (CUNY John Jay College & Ibn Haldun University), Assoc. Prof. Ayşe Güç (Social Sciences University of Ankara), and Asst. Prof. Muhammet Veysel Bilici (Kırklareli University). Within the scope of the Talal Asad Award, the recipient of the best graduate thesis was granted a prize of 30,000 TL.

Thesis Abstract

Studies in the field of sociology have extensively examined the consequences of deteriorating familial bonds, particularly the decline of collective consciousness associated with paternal or ancestral authority, on the psyche of the standardized Western individual. However, elderly individuals became visible as a subject of sociological research only after a prolonged process of self-reflection within the discipline. Migration studies, on the other hand, have often further marginalized old age, particularly in relation to elderly individuals who are left behind.

This thesis aims to address a gap in gerontology and migration studies concerning the treatment of “non-normative” elderly individuals, while also offering a critical perspective on the positivist methodologies employed in contemporary gerontology and transnational studies. The study explores the coping strategies of elderly Aleppian parents who remained in Aleppo, alongside selected comparative examples of those residing in Istanbul with their children.

By bringing together the theories of intergenerational solidarity and ambivalence with phenomenological insights, the thesis demonstrates how intergenerational relationships and the desire to maintain familial cohesion in later life shape the coping strategies of elderly parents. These strategies include technological mediation, religious engagement, and personal perceptions of place and belonging.