Üsküdar University Sociology Club organized the event titled “Sociology Internship Seminars IV: The Kinship Between Sociology and Psychology and Its Reflection on Family Counseling,” where the characteristics of the field of sociology and its interaction with psychology were discussed. Sociologist – Author Yusuf Özkan Özburun, who was a speaker in the program, which featured an opening speech by Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı and was moderated by sociology student Sinem Doğangönül, said: “Almost every road leads to sociology. Sociology tells where it connects and separates from other disciplines. Sociology gives you a bunch of keys, and with this bunch, you can open any door you want.”
“Sociology brings out human talents”
Emphasizing that the field of sociology is related to many areas and stating that sociology develops people in every way, Özburun said: “I owe my career in many fields to sociology’s interdisciplinary nature. Our effort to create an idealistic and indigenous sociology led to all this work. Sociology opens up people’s talents, minds, and ideas. Today, specializing in a single field is not enough. However, working in every field can also carry the risk of not specializing in any field. For this reason, consistent work is very important. My orientation towards sociology was thanks to Cemil Meriç. Some parts of his books are still in my memory by heart. While studying Sociology at Istanbul University, I turned to philosophy thanks to my professors. Later, I worked as a guidance counselor. Thus, I entered the field of psychological counseling. After entering this field, I focused on developing myself in this direction. Today, psychological formation has become a very special field.”
“The language of the era changes every 20 years”
Stating that a certain topic becomes popular in every era, Özburun said: “One of the most talked-about fields in this period is psychology. What Hegel called the ‘spirit of the age’ can be interpreted as the ‘language of the age.’ In my opinion, the language of the era changes every 20 years. At this point, psychology has permeated all layers of society. The language of psychologism has become very influential. I believe experts should blend psychology and sociology. These fields are very prone to incorporating each other because they are multidisciplinary. When you start therapy with a family, effective sociological knowledge is required. We are faced with a situation where sociology and psychology are intertwined.”
“Only a wounded healer can cause healing”
Stating that those who want to work in the field of sociology should develop themselves in a versatile way, Özburun said: “Having read in many areas makes you different in your job. When solving your clients’ problems, if your background is strong, you can approach them with a more sincere language and make them feel understood. There is a very beautiful saying about this: ‘Only a wounded healer can cause healing.’ Your toolkit needs to be very strong. Today, being single-lingual is not enough; it is necessary to have knowledge in many fields. Today, several medallions need to be present together to open the doors of the mind, emotions, and professional skills. Today, being a graduate of psychology or sociology alone is insufficient. You need to develop yourself in a versatile way until you graduate; not everyone who receives a sociology diploma becomes a sociologist. Being a sociologist means developing an idea, a system, and expertise in your mind. Here, we need to strive to broaden our interests and add new skills to ourselves.”
“All roads lead to sociology”
Stating that the field of sociology forms the basis of other fields, Özburun said: “Sociology is a very important discipline; I believe it unlocks human talents. Almost every road leads to sociology. Sociology tells where it connects and separates from other disciplines. Sociology gives you a bunch of keys; with this bunch, you can open any door you want. By combining these, an alchemy is obtained, and this alchemy must be achieved.” He concluded his words.