ENFORMEL YERLEŞİMLERİN (GECEKONDULAR) MEKAN SOSYOLOJİSİ BAĞLAMIMDA İNCELENMESİ: İZMİR ÖRNEĞİ
AN EXAMINATION OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS (GECEKONDUS) IN THE CONCEPT OF SOCIOLOGY OF SPACE: CASE OF IZMIR

Summary/Abstract: This article examines gecekondus in Turkey in the context of space factor by drawing upon the basic arguments of sociology of space. It shows the significant role of space in the integration of gecekondus into the urban area and analyzes the relationship between space and society within the context of gecekondu settlements. The main hypothesis of this article is that space, with its physical and social features, is one of the main factors that affects the reconstruction process of gecekondus and it influences the social and economic integration of residents of gecekondu neighborhoods. The argument of this study depends on a comparison of two gecekondu areas in the context of sociology of space. The first gecekondu district is called Kadifekale which is a deprived inner-city area, and the other one is called Gumuspala which is located in the periphery of Izmir. The data that are discussed in the article are collected as a result of a field research. The argument of this study is based on the conceptual frame of Henri Lefebvre’s term the trialectics of being. The article discusses the consolidation of gecekondus by examining the relationship of space, society and time. As a result of the research, the article asserts that beyond time factor, space is one of the main factors affecting the consolidation of gecekondu neighborhoods into urban environments, while it is constructed by society.

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