Yoksulluk ve Yoksulluk Kültürünün Toplumsal Görünümleri

Year 2012, Issue: 27, 9 - 19, 01.02.2012

Gamze Aksan

Abstract

Yoksulluk ve yoksulluk kültürünün toplumsal görünümleri konusunda yapılmışolan bu çalışma teorik ve uygulamalıolmak üzere, genel olarak iki bölümden oluşmaktadır. Çalışmanın ilk bölümünde yoksulluk kavramının mahiyeti, nasıl algılandığı, yoksullukla ilgili başat yaklaşımlar ve yoksulluğun sosyal dışlanma ile ilişkisine değinilmiştir. Ayrıca sosyolojide yoksullukla ilgili kuramsal perspektiflerin yanısıra yoksulluğu bir yaşam tarzıolmasıboyutu ile ele alan “yoksulluk kültürü” kuramıdeğerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmada daha sonra ise genel olarak yoksulluğu, özelde de bir yaşam tarzıolarak yoksulluğu betimlemeye çalışan bir alan araştırmasının bulgularına yer verilmiştir. Uygulama süreci sonrasında 1080 görüşme cetvelinden elde edilen veriler istatistikî testler kullanılarak yorumlanmıştır. Bu anlamda özellikle resmi kurumlar ve sivil toplum kuruluşlarından yardım alan yoksullara ilişkin önemli bulgular elde edilmiştir.

Keywords

Yoksulluk, sosyal dışlanma ve yoksulluk ilişkisi, Yoksulluk Kültürü

The Social Aspects of Poverty and Culture of Poverty

Abstract

Poverty is an universal phenomenon we encounter as both cause and effect of many social problems, seen almost in all societies, and particularly, and in the recent years, discussed on it and attempted to be produced solution ways. As known, poverty is, just as in every period of history, one of the most important social problems that many countries are also obliged to cope with at present days. In related to prevent this social problem, although a variety of solution ways were produced throughout history and applied, as a result of changing social conditions, problem of poverty has become more complicated in every passing days with the effect of differing economic, social, political, cultural, and psychological factors. First of all, the poor persons, who cannot contribute to the requirement of qualified labor, one of the major block stones of economic activities, are seen as a risk factor, particularly economic point of view in the society they live The fact that they do not participate in the process of social labor and that they make a living with only welfares are also an important problem source for the economy of country. It is impossible to say that poverty brings problem for only the other people in the society. Poverty certainly influences everybody living in the society. The dimension of influence differs according to the individuals facing to the poverty, but it is clear that the children being devoid of possibilities providing with existing as themselves in the society and of having a good future experience the poverty more intensively compared to the other individuals. Another point becoming remarkable in becoming that poverty problem is one of the most important problems of today is closely related to the process of social exclusion the poor persons live. Along with the prosperity that increases, due to a number of disintegration experienced in the society economically, socially, culturally, and spatially from a lot of aspects, many individuals, who differ thoroughly and become unfamiliar to each other other’s living stepdads, live together with the poor persons. The disintegrations, which may be experienced in social structure, certainly include the threatening elements for the social order. As known, the most basic discussion about poor people are economic axial. Even though these pioneer studies and discussions are carried out, predominating socioeconomic features, it is possible to say that the problem is considered with the more holistic approach. These holistic approaches facilitated to be taken steps toward improving the poverty at least. While this study is shaped in order to introduce sociologically the dimensions of both phenomenon and problem of poverty, “the theory of poverty culture “based on “the views on transforming of poverty into the life style” are also mentioned. Specifically, this study must be evaluated as the search of understanding how the problem “welfare”, one of the practices of social state toward improving poverty and a highly problematic for today’s liberal economies, exists in the practical plane and how a relationship way produces. In this context, in the study, before anything else, what the poverty is; from which aspects of is discussed; and the concepts and processes on poverty are considered in a theoretical plane. Then, that sociology, whose fundamental matter is social order, discusses the phenomenon poverty on how an axis, is attempted to be analyzed and mentioned about discussions on poverty culture and the effect of social exclusion factor through the problematic “forming of poverty a lifestyle”. Poverty is a phenomenon having the concrete indicators in social structure. Still, in the scope of this study, a field survey analyzing the situation the poor people are incorporated with the action dimensions of poor life was carried out. In this context, the perception way related to the poverty and poor life were attempted to be read through the poor people receiving welfare, specifically. Through official institutes and non-governmental organizations, since the field survey carried out with the poor people receiving welfare from these institutes continuously include the poor people receiving welfare, it includes the important clues about the lifestyle of poor people we can consider in this category. On the other hand, this study can be considered important in terms of introducing and analyzing comprehensively the poverty profile in the province Konya, one of the major cities of Turkey and that also includes strong civil dynamics in the sense of social aid As we mentioned earlier, its first part is a place where the phenomenon poverty is considered and discussed in theoretical plane. With movement from this point, first of all, it is touched on that the essence of the concept poverty, then the phenomenon poverty in the literature is considered from theoretical point of view, and the studies of pioneer poverty are mentioned. In the next title, one makes observations on poverty through Turkey and statistical data obtained from the results of studies carried out in Turkey are created. Later, the qualifications , general concepts, definitions, and processes on the social views of poverty are included. In this context, the arguments about what the problem poverty is are attempted to be portrayed in their general lines. In another part taking place in the first section, the ways the poverty is considered in sociology are focused on. In this context, the relationship between social stratification and poverty and what the poverty means in terms of the problem poverty and Weberian and Marxist perspectives in functionalist theory are discussed. The analyses about the theory of poverty culture are also included in the first section. As known, the fact that the lifestyle the poverty created becomes an established culture between the poor individuals is of course can be reason for various social problems. But, from the other aspect, the thesis of poverty culture caused major critics on the point of evaluating the poor people. In the study, the theory of poverty culture is interpreted on the axis of the discussions mentioned after analyses about the essence of theory, generally. The second section of study is divided into two parts in itself. The first part includes the information and data on the methodology of study. Here, besides the aim, universe, limitations, type, and technique of field survey are specified, the specifications of questionnaire used in the survey are mentioned. Then, the findings obtained from the survey are included. In this context, the social indicators of poverty and poor living and their economic and social dimensions are analyzed. The analysis of attitudes of poor individuals interviewed related to some statements about poverty is carried out. Finally, in the light of field survey, the social views of poverty and poverty culture are attempted to be portrayed and theoretically, assessments about some statements are made. The results of this study is compared to the prototype presented by theoreticians of poverty culture about the situation they expressed with this definition . As a result of this comparison, while the poverty culture is defined, the troubles of introducing the strict cliché variables are touched on. In this context, it is concluded that the poor persons, especially those receiving welfare periodically have similar life conditions in emotional, physical, environmental, and economic senses and share the same troubles. However, that the similarities of interest do not match to some part of prototypes presented by the theoreticians of poverty culture and that they have remarkable differences with the influence of cultural and religious elements are under consideration. Indeed, this is also a situation belonging to the relative nature of poverty. Just as culture guises an inherent form, being affected from certain social elements, the poverty culture also presents a structure forming with all dynamics affecting the environments they emerge and form

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