Working Single Mothers and the Housing Problem

Abstract

After divorce or loss of spouse, women with children embrace a new identity as a single mother, and they mostly face the housing problem. Single mothers are among the financially disadvantaged groups globally, thus they may face housing instability and homelessness. Türkiye is a context in which the number of single mother families are increasing. Moreover, the housing market changed rapidly in the previous years, and rental house prices increased dramatically. The current study aimed to understand white collar single mothers’ experiences as tenants, and the challenges they face in the rental housing market in Türkiye. The study adopted a phenomenological design. In depth interviews with volunteering white collar single mothers were conducted. Findings presented the multiple challenges working single mothers face as tenants (preconceptions about single mothers, invasion of privacy, patriarchal understanding, financial difficulties, limited housing alternatives, and the outcomes of housing challenges); their policy expectations from the government and the municipalities (welfare benefits; financial support from government and municipalities; temporary / permanent public housing for single mothers; and safe places for children), and the organizations (corporate awareness of working single mothers’ housing challenges) that they work for. Single mothers and their housing challenges is an under-researched topic in Türkiye. Thus, the findings of the study may contribute to governmental and managerial policy making efforts.

Keywords

• Housing Problem
• Working Single Mothers
• Housing Policy
• Human Resource Policies
• Welfare Policies
• Türkiye

Çalışan Bekar Anneler ve Konut Sorunu

Abstract

Boşanma ya da eş kaybı sonrası çocuklu kadınlar yeni bir kimlik oluşturma süreci yaşamakta aynı zamanda da çoğunlukla konut sorunu ile karşılaşmaktadırlar. Bekar annelerin küresel olarak dezavantajlı gruplar arasında yer aldıkları, konut istikrarsızlığı ve evsizlik gibi sonuçlarla karşılaşabildikleri bilinmektedir.Türkiye anne ve çocuktan oluşan ailelerin artmakta olduğu ülkelerdendir. Bununla birlikte ülkede konut piyasasının son yıllarda geçirdiği dramatik değişim ve konut kiralarındaki artışlar göze çarpmaktadır. Bu çalışma çalışan bekar annelerin konut piyasasında kiracı olarak olarak yaşadıkları zorlukları incelemeyi amaçlamıştır ve örneklem olarak beyaz yakalı bekar anneler seçilmiştir. Çalışmanın keşfedici doğası gereği fenomenolojik bir tasarım tercih edilmiş ve gönüllü katılımcılarla derinlemesine görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın bulguları beyaz yakalı bekar annelerin kiracı olarak yaşadıkları sorunların çoklu olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu sorunlar bekar anneler hakkındaki önyargılar, mahremiyetin ihlali, ataerkil anlayış, finansal zorluklar, sınırlı konut alternatifi ve konut sorununun sonuçları gibi başlıklar altında toplanmaktadır. Katılımcıların tecrübe ettikleri konut sorunu ile ilgili merkezi ve yerel yönetimlerden politika beklentilerinin ise sosyal politikalar, devlet ve belediyelerden mali destek, bekar anneler için kalıcı ve geçici konut desteği, ve çocuklar için güvenli sosyal alanlar olarak ifade bulduğu; ayrıca çalışmakta oldukları kurumlardan da yaşadıkları konut sorunu hakkında farkındalık sahibi olunması beklentisinin mevcut olduğu görülmektedir. Bekar annelerin konut sorunu Türkiye bağlamında çok sınırlı olarak ele alınmış bir konudur, bu sebeple çalışmanın gerek devlet gerekse yerel yönetimler nezdinde geliştirilebilecek sosyal politikalara katkıda bulunabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

• konut sorunu,
• çalışan bekar anneler
• konut politikaları
• insan kaynakları politikaları
• sosyal politika
• türkiye

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