Household survival strategies of the urban poor in Turkey

Abstract

In this thesis, it is aimed to explore the survival strategies of gecekondu households living in Turkish cities and their changing aspects by drawing upon a case study conducted in Ankara. In this respect, migration type, labor force participation, access to urban land and gecekondu, solidarity networks, and access to urban infrastructure and services are the focal points as they constitute the main strategies of the urban poor living in gecekondu settlements. Within this framework, the emerging trends in the households’ strategies in the post-1980s are discussed with reference to the case study of gecekondu settlements in Ankara