Understanding the gecekondu (Squatter house) phenomenon and homeland associations as a social network

Starting from 1940s, changing agricultural policies and economical reasons led villagers to migrate from rural to urban. Gecekondu (squatter house) is the answer of migrants' sheltering needs which were built on state or private lands without any legal permission. The residents migrated to urban city with the contact of their relative, friend and hemşehri (fellow countrymen). They started to come together and created communities to maintain their cultural values and traditions. The sense of belonging and efforts not to "lose" their identities led them to create organizations related with their homelands. In the meantime, with the sense of community, they developed social networks such as homeland associations. The purpose of this social anthropology thesis is to discuss gecekondu phenomenon and the role of homeland associations as a social network in integration process of migrants to the city. This research is based in literature review and contains the studies which are both anthropological and sociological studies as methodological, theoretical and practical with printed and accessible materials in Turkish and in English. The research focuses community practices of gecekondu residents and homeland associations as a social network to the three big cities of Turkey: İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.