A sociological study of working urban poor in Istanbul and Gaziantep

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Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Sosyoloji Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2004

Öğrenci: NERİMAN AÇIKALIN

Danışman: HEDİYE SİBEL KALAYCIOĞLU

Özet:

In this study, the aim is to find some indications about urban poverty in Turkey, which recently became a major topic in sociological studies. In order to study this topic, the thesis focuses on working urban poor to be able to examine the effects of the changing labor market. Urban poverty in general, and more specifically the working urban poor, are analysed in three levels, namely macro, mezzo and micro. In the macro level, the effects of great transformations after the 1980̕s and the new international division of labor, on the emergence of new urban poor is discussed. In the mezzo level, أStructural Adjusment Policiesؤ as one of the significant impacts of this transformation, which mostly have affected the underdeveleped countries like Turkey is understood. The thesis, however, will mostly focus on the micro aspects of poverty. In the micro level, family and kinship reciprocal relations and mutual ties of solidarity; values and customs about social and economic life; survival strategies; the effects of culture of poverty; and factors of disempowerment are examined. Furthermore, the starting definitions of the urban poor are based on Peter Lloyd̕s study, which was carried out in Peru. In this context, a field study was carried out in Istanbul and Gaziantep to find out some indications to understand the regional differences of the working urban poor in Turkey. Turkey has also been affected by the conjunctural changes in the world and a new urban poor has been also emerging. In terms of regional differences of working urban poor Istanbul labor market reflects the effects of new international division of labour and the structural adjustment policies more than Gaziantep. Istanbul has an urban labour market which mainly performs as the periphery of international capital. Urban labour market in Gaziantep however, includes rural and local elements of causal labour as