Canakkale Gold Mining in the Context of Bronfenbrenner's Socio-Ecological System: A Qualitative Study

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 18, 342 - 375, 30.09.2025

İdil Elver , Timur Türgay

https://doi.org/10.29064/ijma.1753791

Abstract

Gold has retained its strategic significance throughout human history due to its economic, cultural, and financial functions. Today, gold is not only a store of value or a financial investment instrument but also a strategic resource for producing countries, contributing to trade balance, public revenues, employment, and regional development. However, gold mining activities, while generating economic outputs, also give rise to complex and multi-layered externalities.
This study aims to analyze gold mining activities in Çanakkale Province and its surroundings through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) socio-ecological systems theory, based on the experiences of three key stakeholder groups: local residents, public officials, and private sector representatives. A qualitative research design was adopted, and data were collected between September and November 2024. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 participants. Interviews lasted between 45 and 70 minutes, were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (Approval No: 2024/176).
The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach: (1) familiarization with the data, (2) generating initial codes, (3) searching for themes, (4) reviewing themes, (5) defining and naming themes, and (6) producing the report. Thematic analysis revealed five main themes: mutual dependency, feedback mechanisms, reaction or resistance, scale of impacts, and adaptive governance.
Collectively, these themes indicate that the studied socio-ecological system is characterized by limited responsiveness to feedback, suppressed or redirected social resistance, local concentration of impacts, centralized decision-making, and superficial adaptive capacity. Findings suggest that the externalities of gold mining are not solely environmental but also deeply embedded in social relations, cultural norms, and governance practices. The study proposes that such externalities should not be framed merely as “environmental damage,” but as “multi-scalar disruptions to vital systems,” requiring a more nuanced and integrative perspective.

Keywords

Socio-Ecological System , Gold Mining , Externalities , Thematic Analysis , Stakeholder Perceptions

Bronfenbrenner’ın Sosyo-Ekolojik Sistemi Bağlamında Çanakkale Altın Madenciliği: Nitel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Altın, hem ekonomik değeri hem de kültürel ve finansal işlevleri bakımından insanlık tarihi boyunca stratejik önemini koruyan bir madendir. Günümüzde altın yalnızca bir değer saklama aracı değil, aynı zamanda üretici ülkeler açısından dış ticaret dengesi, kamu gelirlerinin artırılması, istihdamın desteklenmesi ve bölgesel kalkınmanın teşviki gibi çok boyutlu etkiler üreten stratejik bir kaynak niteliği taşımaktadır. Bu bağlamda, altın madenciliği faaliyetleri ekonomik çıktılar üretmekle birlikte, çok katmanlı dışsallıkların ortaya çıkmasına da neden olmaktadır.
Araştırmanın amacı, Çanakkale ili ve çevresinde yürütülen altın madenciliği faaliyetlerini Bronfenbrenner’ın (1979) sosyo-ekolojik sistem yaklaşımı çerçevesinde, yerel halk, kamu yöneticileri ve özel sektör temsilcilerinin deneyimleri doğrultusunda çok düzeyli olarak analiz etmektir. Nitel araştırma desenine sahip bu çalışmada, veri toplama süreci Eylül–Kasım 2024 tarihleri arasında gerçekleştirilmiş, ölçüt-temelli örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen 24 katılımcı ile yarı yapılandırılmış bire bir görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Görüşmeler ortalama 45–70 dakika sürmüş, ses kaydıyla belgelenmiş, yazılıya çevrilmiş ve anonimleştirilmiştir. Çalışma, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Etik Kurulu’ndan alınan onayla yürütülmüştür.
Veri analizi, Braun ve Clarke’ın tematik analiz yaklaşımı doğrultusunda altı aşamada gerçekleştirilmiştir: (1) veriye aşinalık, (2) kodların oluşturulması, (3) temaların geliştirilmesi, (4) temaların gözden geçirilmesi, (5) temaların adlandırılması, (6) bulguların raporlanması. Analiz sonucunda beş ana tema belirlenmiştir: karşılıklı bağımlılık, geri bildirim mekanizmaları, tepki/direnç, etkilerin ölçeği ve uyarlanabilir yönetim.
Bu temalar bütünsel olarak değerlendirildiğinde, incelenen sosyo-ekolojik sistemde geri bildirimlerin yeterince algılanamadığı, toplumsal direncin bastırıldığı ya da yönlendirildiği, etkilerin yerel düzeyde yoğunlaştığı, karar alma süreçlerinin merkezî otoriteye bağlı olduğu ve öğrenme/uyarlanabilirlik kapasitelerinin sınırlı kaldığı görülmektedir. Elde edilen bulgular, dışsallıkların yalnızca çevresel değil, aynı zamanda sosyal ilişkiler, kültürel normlar ve yönetsel pratiklerle iç içe geçmiş çok boyutlu yapılar olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda, dışsallıkların yalnızca “çevresel zarar” olarak değil, “yaşamsal sistemler üzerindeki çok düzeyli tahribatlar” şeklinde değerlendirilmesi önerilmektedir.

Keywords

Sosyo-Ekolojik Sistem , Altın Madenciliği , Dışsallıklar , Tematik Analiz , Paydaş Algıları

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