A Field Study on Social Capital, Culture of Living Together and Neighborhood Relations

Abstract

Turkey, which is the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa, has been the main route of migration throughout human history. Forced migrants coming to Turkey have low-skilled labor and mostly consist of farmers engaged in agriculture in rural areas. Turkey settles migrants migrating from nearby geography in districts where agricultural production is carried out in rural areas and can employ these migrants in agricultural production. When the host community trusts the migrants, they can treat them warmly, neighborly relations begin and a culture of living together that is beneficial for both parties is formed. This study aimed to investigate on-site the contribution of social capital to the neighborhood relations and the culture of living together process established by Meskhetian Turks settled in Üzümlü District of Erzincan Province since 2016 with the residents of Üzümlü District. In line with this objective, a survey was conducted with 269 Meskhetian Turks migrating from the Russian Federation. In the analyses conducted with Structural Equation Modeling, it was determined that Meskhetian Turks developed very good neighborhood relations with the people of Üzümlü District of Erzincan Province and created a culture of living together. While the Bonding Social Capital contributed positively to this process, the Bridging Social Capital had a negative effect. The study approaches the issue of migration within the scope of “microeconomic migration theories”. The economic needs and desires of individuals are taken as basis.

Keywords

• Social Capital
• Neighborhood Relations
• Culture of Living Together
• Migration

Sosyal Sermaye, Birlikte Yaşama Kültürü ve Komşuluk İlişkileri Üzerine Bir Alan Araştırması

Abstract

Avrupa, Asya ve Afrika’nın kesişme noktası olan Türkiye, insanlık tarihiyle birlikte göçlerin ana güzergâhı olmuştur. Türkiye’ye gelen zorunlu göçmenler düşük vasıflı işgücüne sahiptir ve çoğunlukla kırsal alanlarda tarımla uğraşan çiftçilerden oluşmaktadır. Türkiye, yakın coğrafyadan göç eden göçmenleri kırsal alanlarda tarımsal üretimin yapıldığı ilçelerde iskân etmekte ve bu göçmenleri tarımsal üretimde istihdam edebilmektedir. Ev sahibi halk, göçmenlere karşı güven duyduğunda onlara sıcak davranabilmekte, komşuluk ilişkileri başlamakta ve iki taraf içinde faydalı olan birlikte yaşama kültürü oluşmaktadır. Bu çalışma, 2016 yılından itibaren Erzincan İli Üzümlü İlçesine yerleştirilen Ahıska Türklerinin Üzümlü İlçesi sakinleriyle kurdukları komşuluk ilişkileri ve birlikte yaşama kültürü sürecine sosyal sermayelerinin katkısını yerinde araştırmayı hedeflemiştir. Bu hedef doğrultusunda Rusya Federasyonu’ndan göç eden 269 Ahıska Türküyle anket yapılmıştır. Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi ile yapılan analizlerde Ahıska Türklerinin Erzincan İli Üzümlü İlçesi halkıyla çok iyi komşuluk ilişkileri geliştirdiği ve birlikte yaşama kültürü oluşturdukları tespit edilmiştir. Bağlayıcı Sosyal Sermaye bu sürece pozitif katkı verirken, Birleştirici Sosyal Sermaye negatif etkide bulunmuştur. Çalışma “mikro iktisat göç teorileri” kapsamında göç konusuna yaklaşmaktadır. Bireylerin ekonomik gereksinim ve istekleri temel alınmıştır.

Keywords

• Sosyal Sermaye
• Komşuluk İlişkileri
• Birlikte Yaşama Kültürü
• Göç

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