The effects of occupational sex segregation on wage differentials and poverty, and the factors behind the differentiation on occupational choices are analyzed in various studies. There are also recent studies analyzing Turkish case. However, there are limited attempts combining both segregation and occupational decision in Turkish labor market. This thesis wants to fill this gap and as well as contribute the literature of Turkish labor market and OSS, with analyzing the most current data of Household Labor Force Survey (HLFS) 2004-2010. It is expected to find stability in segregation in the period under consideration as verified by the thesis. It is found that the contribution of different occupations to the extent of segregation also differs. In addition, differentiation with regard to factors on occupational choices of men and women are also found. Further analysis should be carried to make relevant and effective policies to reduce occupational sex segregation.

Fertility levels are investigated in the thesis because significant changes have occurred recently in the fertility levels in Turkey. It is necessary to understand the factors related to fertility level declines to determine how people behave with regard to their fertility in Turkey. It is only after understanding people&rsquo / s behavior then it is possible to develop appropriate social and governmental policies. It is possible to evaluate the fertility level declines from different points of view. There are two opposite approaches when evaluating fertility level declines. One of the approaches explaining fertility level declines is the demographic transition theory which uses &ldquo / modernization&rdquo / as the cause of fertility level declines. The &ldquo / other&rdquo / approach is the opposite approach to the modernization theory. Both of these approaches are acceptable approaches from different views. However / this thesis is not written to prove either one of these approaches. The demographic transition or the modernization perspective is used as a tool to determine the variables which cause fertility levels to decline in Turkey. The aim is to provide an understanding of the determinants of fertility levels in Turkey by constituting an econometric model of fertility across the provinces of Turkey by using the panel data estimation. Data for the variables can be found in years from 1980 to 2000. One of the purposes of this thesis in investigating the fertility level declines is to identify which changes occurred in Turkey related to fertility levels between the years 1980-1985, 1985-1990 and 1990-2000. It is found that urbanization gained importance in effecting fertility level declines in the 1985-1990 period as compared to the 1980-1985 period. The other purpose of this thesis is to investigate how different are the fertility levels in the Provinces Prioritized in Development from the &ldquo / other&rdquo / provinces. Although contraception usage is important in effecting fertility levels in the &ldquo / other&rdquo / provinces, this factor is not important in effecting fertility levels in the Provinces Prioritized in Development.

In the past studies covering 1965-90, it is observed that net migration was from villages and district centers towards province centers. Although the net migration trend throughout the period was almost constant for the villages and the province centers, the role of the district centers changed in later periods. Previously, the district centers were transient settlements in terms of net migration with resultant almost zero net migration. However, in later years, they began to have net out-migration in significantly increasing numbers, because net in-migration from the villages decreased and net out-migration to the province centers increased. The increase in the net migration from district centers to province centers and the gradual loss of the importance of the district centers (towns) occurred not only in Turkey but also in the other developing countries, especially in 1990&amp / #8217 / s. The aim of this thesis is to study the net migration trends and patterns of the three different settlement types namely, province centers, district centers and villages of Turkey during 1985-90. In this study, the descriptive analyses which were carried out on the net migration rates of the provinces and three settlement types clearly indicate the regional disparities between west-east and south-north of Turkey. For all of the three settlement types, the provinces having the highest net in-migration rates are located along the Western and Southern coastal zones whereas the provinces having the largest net out-migration rates are located in the East, North East and South East regions.