Critique of vulnerability discourse through an alternative development approach: A case of seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Turkey

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Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Sosyoloji Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2016

Öğrenci: ELİF ELÇİ ÇARIKCI

Danışman: HATİCE AYŞE HOŞGÖR

Özet:

The purpose of this thesis is to explore, criticize and understand the development discourse and practices targeting vulnerable, disadvantaged, risk groups in development in the case of Seasonal Migrant Agricultural Workers (SMAW) in Turkey. The study is conducted in an alternative development approach from the lenses of development experts and analyses the development discourse and practices targeting SMAW in Turkey since 2000s. For this purpose, the study takes an alternative development theoretical standpoint enriched with post-development approach and operationalizes the research with Foucauldian concept of governmentality.The study argues that vulnerability discourse operates as a technique for regulating and controlling SMAW. And accordingly, it is argued in the thesis that there are two major patterns after 2000s which are the construction of knowledge about SMAW and the construction of power over SMAW. First; vulnerability discourse hides inequalities, homogenizes the target people and normalize the SMAW development issue that constructs monotype and ideological knowledge about SMAW. Second; power over SMAW is constructed based on the ideological knowledge which does not focus on root causes inequalities and it is facilitated by development institutions and development experts.