Research of the changing cognitive space of the people who live in Tarlabaşı during migration

Immigrant communities leave some traces pertained to a new place and its existing social frame during their adaptation processes. These traces portray a socio-spatial parts of a city, including immigrants' spaces of their own domination. While the moving of social structures along with every physical immigration reveals these traces, the crowded domestic life and the intensification of social bonds through solidarity during the adaptation processes of especially low income communities become even more important. The intensified social life of the communities includes notions of private space, territoriality and defended space. On the other hand, cases, in which adaptation, collaboration or solidarity does not take place, generate discriminatory limits and trigger a sense of alienation. This is why in low income immigration the adaptation to a new place turns into a process where immigrants create solidarity networks within their socio-cultural groups, eliminate boundaries within each other and be alienated from other cultures and the rest of the city, thereby drawing more distinct boundaries outside of their own networks. This study concentrates on low income immigration and adaptation processes with conceptions such as territoriality / defensible space through a humane perspective, thereby focusing on Tarlabaşı case. The main argument here is that spatial perception depends on social conditions as much as it does on physical traits of the space. People perceive their environment as a whole, without separating its physical or social traits; effect and be effected by this very space. Therefore, for the sake of a consistent analysis of processes on perception and behavior, phycological, sociological, cultural and economic factors appear as necessary. This is why the study embodies a transactionalist method, which provides a holistic theoretical background. In this theoretical framework, behavior, conception of territoriality / defensible space, low income immigration and adaptation processes are evaluated. First, the transactionalist method is thoroughly discussed, moving from the recognition of cognition, perception and behavior as integrated processes within cognitive environmental behavior theories. Cognitive mapping and spatial imaging are discussed, to be followed by cognitive space theories, focusing on privacy, territoriality and defended space. And in the context of immigration, concepts such as adaptation and environmental stress appear to derive neighbor relations and adaptation processes. The case study following the theoretical framework looks at the factors that derive Tarlabaşı residents' perception of their territorialities and defended areas. Pre-immigration, post-immigration and present condition are determined as three phases, in which household, sense of life, neighbor relations and cooperation are compared. In addition to that, more data is gathered on the relationship of the immigrants with foreigners and short-time visitors, cross-cultural relations, places that immigrants spend time in in and outside Tarlabaşı and their thoughts on these city parts. The case study consists of a survey applied on a 41 participants. The aim was to bring together data on sociodemographic qualities, immigration processes, social structure, cross cultural relations and mental mapping. After the data was entered into SPSS, frequencies and crosstab analysis were applied. Territoriality and defended space are transferred onto a map, synthesized with residential and leisure spaces that were visited. The aim is to display the definition of spatialization and territoriality within the socioeconomic context of Tarlabaşı. The case study shows that there is a correlation between the quality of neighbor relations, level of cooperation, the frequency of coming together or home visits as elements of social life and the perception of territoriality / defensible space. As the neighbor relations improve, the boundaries of territoriality / defensible space expand. In a similar fashion, there is a correlation between duration of residence at the neighborhood and social groups that desire to form relations with each other. The findings demonstrate that through cooperative networks with relatives, other immigrants and neighbors, immigrant communities tend to decrease environmental stress and alienation in order to adapt to the city; but in this process their territoriality remains to be as more narrow. In addition to all of this, the time of the immigration and the duration of residence appears as an important criteria for recognition form other immigrants. The theoretical framework, as the main argument of the study, displays the requisite of the city to be perceived, experienced and interpreted as a whole. Even though the disadvantages of immigrations conditions present a relatively positive and wide spatial sense of belonging via strengthening the social environment, the alienation it brings about directed at the city, its other residents and newer immigrants is seen as negative. Architecture eventually has to recall that space is a mere tool, and that spatial experience and perception stem from social, economic, physiological and cultural factors.