A
rapid transformation process has been introduced in agriculture via neoliberal
policies being implemented in the world and Turkey. One of the important
consequences of agricultural disintegration is that residents of rural areas
have to withdraw from production and migrate to cities. Seasonal agricultural
labor -as a form of labor that has existed since the Ottoman period and
economic order- became more widespread in this new period. Seasonal work in
agriculture has become vital as a strategy of survival for large groups living
in a multitude of negativities such as dispossession, precarity, poverty and
inadequate social-economic capital. The number of employees as seasonal
agricultural workers in Turkey is estimated 3-4 million. In recent years the
Syrian families who escaped the battle have also inclined to seasonal
agricultural labor. A significant part of seasonal agricultural workers are
composed of families migrating from Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions. In
this study, demographic and socio-economic characteristics of seasonal
agricultural workers as well as immigrant qualities and working relationships
will be discussed from the data obtained from the field survey in Ankara
Polatlı, where seasonal agricultural labor is intensively experienced and has a
historical background. Using both quantitative and qualitative research
techniques, in-depth interviews were carried out with a total of 47 people
consisting of women, men, children who hoe and harvest and intermediaries,
employers, local residents, local authority in two villages of Ankara-Polatlı
(these villages are important attraction centers for seasonal agricultural
workers). In addition, data obtained from surveys conducted with 310
agricultural workers in two villages were used.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Subjects | Creative Arts and Writing |
Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | September 22, 2018 |
Submission Date | September 6, 2018 |
Published in Issue | Year 2018 Volume: 11 Issue: 23 |