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A Critique Of Housing Classes Approach: The Case Of Sentepe-ankara

This thesis analyzes the validity of main assumptions of housing classes approach, which is a Weberian mode of analyses developed to explain the effects of spatial stratification on social structures of cities, in an empirical level through a case study. According to this approach, housing is a scarce resource which is subject to processes of competition between different social groups and struggles among these groups to get access to desirable housing types constitute the basis of urban social processes. In this context, it is suggested that housing type resided in has apparent effect on individuals&rsquo / position in social stratification system and their life chances are restricted in the style and location of housing to which they could get access. It is seen that the way of analysis proposed by housing classes approach has certain effects on urban studies conducted in Turkey, as well. These studies suggest that differences in accessed housing types and in living spaces on a large scale affects life chances of social groups residing in there. By the same token, apartment and squatter (gecekondu) have been used as two concepts representing the relationships of different social sections with the city and they have been considered as two different social environments or neighborhoods. In this context, in addition to analyzing the main assumptions of housing classes approach in an empirical level, this study also questions the mode of analysis used in studies conducted in Turkey insofar as they share the main assumptions of this approach, within the frame of transformations experienced in gecekondu neighborhoods. In this study, in the light of the findings gathered through case study, it is concluded that spatial stratification arising from the housing ownership is parallel to the social divisions based on labor market. Moreover, it is found out that gecekondu and apartment being constructed during transformation processes in gecekondu areas do not indicate different social environments or living spaces which represent opposite forms of social relations and, therefore, which separate from each other through definite lines.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:METU/oai:etd.lib.metu.edu.tr:http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12605811/index.pdf
Date01 February 2005
CreatorsOzcan, Pinar
ContributorsSengul, Tarik H.
PublisherMETU
Source SetsMiddle East Technical Univ.
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeM.S. Thesis
Formattext/pdf
RightsTo liberate the content for public access

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