Üretici Geniş Aileden Tüketici Çekirdek Aileye Geçiş Bağlamında Güneydoğu Anadolu’daki Suriyeli Çocuk İşçiliği

Year 2025, Issue: Aile Özel Sayısı, 161 - 177, 30.09.2025

Rıdvan Öner

https://doi.org/10.33709/ictimaiyat.1747484

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Suriyeli göçmen çocuk işçiliğini yalnızca ekonomik yoksunlukla açıklamanın ötesine geçerek, aile yapısındaki dönüşüm, toplumsal yeniden üretim süreçleri ve çocukluğun öznelliği çerçevesinde çok katmanlı bir analiz sunmaktadır. Çocuk işçiliği, Suriyeli göçmen ailelerde yalnızca geçim kaygısıyla ortaya çıkan bir olgu olarak değil; aynı zamanda aile içi sorumluluk ilişkileri, kültürel normlar ve çocukluk algıları üzerinden anlam kazanan tarihsel ve kültürel bir pratik olarak ele alınmaktadır. Çalışmada, çocukların iş piyasasına dâhil edilmesi hem yapısal bir zorunluluğun sonucu hem de aile içi tarihsel ve kültürel normların yeniden üretimi olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Çocuk emeği, toplumsal yeniden üretimin bir unsuru olarak değerlendirilirken; çocukların bu sürece aktif biçimde katıldığı ve kendilerini yeniden konumlandırdığı bir özneleşme alanı olarak da incelenmektedir. Bu bağlamda, çalışma, Güneydoğu Anadolu’daki Suriyeli çocuk işçiliğini göç, aile ve sınıf dinamiklerinin kesişiminde bütüncül bir yaklaşımla ele almaktadır. Çalışmanın dayanak noktaları ise, alanla ilgili çalışmalar, çeşitli veriler, istatistikler ve buna dair yazılan benzer çalışmalardan elde edilen sonuçlardır. Bunlara ek olarak araştırmacı alanda, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa ve Mardin’de çeşitli sivil toplum kuruluşlarında bir insani yardım çalışanı olarak görev almış ve son on yılda karşılaştığı örnek vakaları, olayları ve tanık olduğu durumları düşünümsel bir yöntemle çalışmanın içeriğiyle harmanlamıştır.

Keywords

Geniş Aile , Çekirdek Aile , Göç , Çocuk İşçiliği , Yeniden Üretim

Ethical Statement

Yazar(lar), çalışmanın hazırlanma sürecinde etik ilkelere uyduklarını beyan etmiştir.

Syrian Child Labor in Southeastern Anatolia within the Context of the Transition from Productive Extended Families to Consumptive Nuclear Families

Abstract

This study goes beyond explaining Syrian migrant child labor solely in terms of economic deprivation and offers a multi-layered analysis within the framework of transformation in the family structure, social reproduction processes and the subjectivity of childhood. Child labor is addressed not only as a phenomenon that emerges in Syrian migrant families out of concern for livelihood, but also as a historical and cultural practice that gains meaning through intra-family responsibility relations, cultural norms and perceptions of childhood. In the study, the inclusion of children in the labor market is evaluated both as a result of a structural necessity and as a reproduction of historical norms within the family. While child labor is evaluated as an element of social reproduction, it is also examined as a field of agent where children actively participate in this process and reposition themselves. In this context, the study takes a holistic approach to Syrian child labor in Southeastern Anatolia at the intersection of migration, family and class dynamics. This study is literature review that various data, statistics and the results obtained from similar studies written on the subject. In addition to these, the researcher has worked as a humanitarian aid worker in various non-governmental organizations in Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa and Mardin and has blended the cases, events and situations he has witnessed in the last decade with the content of the study with a reflexive method.

Keywords

Extended Family , Nuclear Family , Migration , Child Labor , Reproduction

Ethical Statement

The author(s) declared that they complied with ethical principles during the preparation of the study.

References

• Althusser, L. (1971). Lenin and philosophy and other essays. (B. Brewster, Trans.). Monthly Review Press. Atasü-Topçuoğlu, R. (2019). Access to rights and social exclusion of migrant children. Society and Social Work, 30(2), 419–437.
• Ayata, A. G., & Karataş, A. (2023). Migrant labor and global inequality: An analysis from the world-system perspective. Journal of Migration Studies, 9(1), 380–398.
• Aytaç, Ö., & Kılınç, P. (2021). Emek sömürüsünün yeni yüzü: Suriyeli çocuk işçiler. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences, 31(1), 381-404. https://doi.org/10.18069/firatsbed.706880
• Bahadır, E., & Demiral, H. (2019). Syrian child labor and family structure. Journal of Society and Social Research, 23(2), 388–397.
• Basu, K. (1999). Child labor: Cause, consequence, and cure, with remarks on international labor standards. Journal of Economic Literature, 37(3), 1083–1119.
• Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice (R. Nice, Trans.). Cambridge University Press.
• Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education. (pp. 241–258). Greenwood.
• Bourdieu, P. (1990). The logic of practice. (R. Nice, Trans.). Stanford University Press.
• Bourdieu, P., & Wacquant, L. J. D. (1992). An invitation to reflexive sociology. University of Chicago Press.
• Bourdillon, M. (2006). Children and work: A review of current literature and debates. Development and Change, 37(6), 1201–1226.
• Çelik, Ç., & Mutluer, N. (2019). Göç, Aidiyet ve Kimlik: Türkiye'de Suriyeli Mülteciler. İstanbul: İletişim Publications. Çelik, H. (2023). The effect of informal employment on child labor in Turkey. *Journal of Labor Economics and Industrial Relations*, 15(1), 92–105.
• Edmonds, E. V. (2008). Child labor. In T. P. Schultz & J. Strauss (Eds.), Handbook of development economics. (Vol. 4, pp. 3607–3709). Elsevier.
• Engels, F. (1976). The origin of the family, private property and the state. Penguin Books.
• Erdoğan, E., & Vakıf, G. (2020). Social subjectivity of migrant children: A qualitative study. Child and Civilization, 5(1), 45–60.
• Erdoğan, M. (2020). Uyum Kapsamında Suriyeliler Barometresi 2019: Suriyeliler ve Ev Sahibi Toplumların Uyumunun Değerlendirilmesi. Ankara: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti İçişleri Bakanlığı Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü.
• Federici, S. (2012). Revolution at point zero: Housework, reproduction, and feminist struggle. PM Press.
• GAR (Association for Migration Research). (2020). Report on the education and labor process of Syrian children [PDF]. https://gocarastirmalari.org.
• Gül, T., & Öztürk, M. (2020). Çocuk işçiliğinin nedenleri üzerine kavramsal bir çalişma. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi (37), 130-148.
• Horton, J., & Kraftl, P. (2006). What else? Some more ways of thinking and doing 'Children’s geographies'. *Children’s Geographies, 4(1), 69–95.
• ILO (International Labour Organization). (2017). “Global estimates of child labour: Results and trends, 2012–2016. https://www.ilo.org
• ILO (International Labour Organization). (2021). Working children in Turkey: A rapid assessment. https://www.ilo.org
• İçduygu, A., & Diker, E. (2017). Labor Market integration of Syrian refugees in Turkey: from refugees to settlers. The Journal of Migration Studies*, 3(1), 12–34.
• James, A., & James, A. L. (2008). Key concepts in childhood studies. SAGE.
• James, A., & Prout, A. (1997). Constructing and reconstructing childhood: Contemporary issues in the sociological study of childhood. (2nd ed.). Falmer Press.
• Kabeer, N. (2000). The power to choose: Bangladeshi women and labour market decisions in London and Dhaka. Verso.
• Kalaylıoğlu, E. (2014). Migrant family structure and child labor: A case study of Iranian migrants in Ankara. Journal of Sociology, 3(30), 185–198.
• Kansu, B. (2025). Child labor in seasonal agricultural work: Examples from Southeastern Turkey. *Rural Sociology Studies*, 2(1), 98–110.
• Levison, D., & Bhalotra, S. (1999). Children’s labor and schooling in Ghana. World Bank.
• Marx, K. (1992). Capital: A critique of political economy, Volume I. (B. Fowkes, Trans.). Penguin Books.
• Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Jossey-Bass.
• Okyar, M., & Öğüt, D. (2022). The role of the extended family in Syrian social structure. Journal of Middle East and Migration Studies. 8(1), 112–125.
• Özbay, F. (2015). Child labor among migrants in Istanbul. Journal of Turkish Studies, 17(1), 140–150.
• Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
• Punch, S. (2003). Childhoods in the majority world: Miniature adults or tribal children? Sociology, 37(2), 277–295.
• Raffaelli, M., & Ontai, L. L. (2004). Gender socialization in Latino/a families: Results from two retrospective studies. Sex Roles, 50(5–6), 287–299.
• Tisdall, E. K. M. (2012). The politics of children’s participation: Child labour and its discontents. Children & Society, 26(4), 360–371.
• Turğut, A. (2017). Child labor in traditional family structure: A cultural continuity. Journal of Society and Culture Studies, 4(2), 101–110.
• UNICEF. (2013). Children on the move. https://www.unicef.org/media/71131/file/Children-on-the-Move.pdf
• UNICEF. (2021). Suriyeli Çocukların Durumu 2021 Raporu. Ankara: UNICEF Türkiye Temsilciliği. https://www.unicef.org/turkiye
• UNICEF. (2023). Child labour in Türkiye: Situation analysis and policy recommendations. https://www.unicef.org/turkiye/en/reports/child-labour-turkiye
• United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
• IOM (International Organization for Migration). (2020). World migration report 2020. https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int