Depletion of transformation capacities in illegally urbanized areas and urban poverty (Çeliktepe example)

Some studies have shown that the migrating groups have created a network of solidarity onthe basis of fellow townsmanship and being the members of same community, during theinitial phases when they first settled in the cities, and they utilized this network for findingjobs in the informal labor market of the city and for economical survival. Especially earlyemigrant groups could get over the poverty; and some has become even wealthier.In this study, the ?transformation capacities? which can be conceptualized as, the ability thatmigrating groups have developed to survive the challenging circumstance of the big city andthe skills to become wealthier by using all of the formal and informal possibilities, isconsidered as an important threshold.In the thesis, detailed interviews with the members of village associations and Çeliktepeheadman, and also public survey with 398 household members - 100 head of household - havebeen made. As a result of the investigations, it has been determined that today there is aneconomically classified structure in Çeliktepe and most part of the class on the lower layer ofthis structure has been constituted by the latest emigrant groups. It has been concluded thatthese groups could not afford the activation level of the early emigrant groups during theillegal urbanization process and their transformation capacities have depleted owing to thereflections of economical and political changes in country over the city and transformationprocesses of communities.Keywords: Illegal urbanization, community, transformation capacities, urban poverty.JURY:1. Assoc. Prof. Zeynep ENLİL (Supervisor) Date of Acceptance: 06/01/20062. Prof. Zekai GÖRGÜLÜ Pages: 1573. Prof. Gülden ERKUT (I.T.U.)