Assessment of public perception on urban environmental problems by using Q methodology

Abstract

This study aimed to determine perception of urban environmental problems in İzmir and İstanbul, two big cities of Turkey. Q methodology, which enables classifying human subjectivity through different perspectives bringing together the strong aspects of both qualitative and quantitative research methods, has been used as the research methodology. As a result of analysis of the participants’ views on urban environmental problems, which were sorted according to a certain guideline, two factors, in other words, two points of views were determined. Discrepancy correlation values of the factors were low, therefore, results states that the discrepancy of the two factors shows the represented point of views are clearly distinct. Significant majority of the participants from both cities agreed on factor 1 that “air pollution” is the primary environmental problem due to urbanization regardless of education background and gender. The other group forming factor 2 agreed on “smell pollution” as the primary environmental problem due to urbanization. The issues forwarded by the participants in this study significantly overlapped with the previously determined environmental problems of the two cities. As a conclusion, it has been pointed out in this study that Q methodology is an important tool in determining social opinions and priorities; guiding or supporting research; enlighten managers and planners in improving the effectiveness of their works.

Keywords

• Urban environment
• Environmental problems
• Q methodology

Q metodoloji kullanılarak halkın kentsel çevre sorunlarına yönelik algısının belirlenmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’nin iki büyük kenti olan İstanbul ve İzmir örneğinde, kentsel çevre sorunlarına yönelik algının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Nitel ve nicel araştırma yöntemlerinin güçlü yönlerini bir araya getirerek insan öznelliğini farklı bakış açıları doğrultusunda gruplandırmaya olanak tanıyan Q metodoloji bu araştırmada yöntem olarak kullanılmıştır. Katılımcıların belirli bir yönerge doğrultusunda sıraladığı konuyla ilgili ifadelerin analiz edilmesi sonucunda, kentsel çevre sorunlarına yönelik iki faktörün yani iki bakış açısının olduğu belirlenmiştir. Faktörler arasındaki görüş farklılıklarını yansıtan korelasyon değerleri düşük çıkmış olup, bu durum her iki faktörü temsil eden bakış açılarının net bir şekilde birbirinden ayrıldığını işaret etmektedir. Araştırmaya her iki şehirden katılanların önemli bir çoğunluğu, eğitim veya cinsiyet farkı gözetmeksizin 1 nolu faktörde buluşmuşlar ve hava kirliliği kentleşmeye bağlı öncelikli çevre sorunu olarak belirtilmiştir. Diğer grubun meydana getirdiği 2 nolu faktörde ise koku kirliliği öncelikli çevre sorunu olarak belirlenmiştir. Katılımcılar tarafından belirtilen konular, bu kentler için varlığı daha önceden tespit edilen çevre sorunları ile önemli ölçüde örtüşmüştür. Sonuç olarak bu çalışmada, Q metodolojisinin sosyal görüşlerin ve önceliklerin belirlenmesine yönelik araştırmaların desteklenmesinde ve geliştirilmesinde, yöneticilerin ve planlamacıların çalışmalarının etkinliğini artırmada önemli bir araç olduğu vurgulanmıştır.

Keywords

• Kentsel çevre
• Çevre sorunları
• Q metodoloji

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