Culture of poverty: Examination of families with orphan and orphaned children (Elaziğ example)

This study aims to examine the life experiences of families with orphaned and abandoned children within the framework of the "culture of poverty" approach, where poverty is not merely an economic deprivation but is reproduced through intergenerational values, practices, and coping strategies. The transformations in family structure following parental loss, the redistribution of care responsibilities, and the functioning of social support mechanisms constitute the main problem of the research. The study was conducted with 30 families in the central district of Elazığ province who received support under the "Orphan and Abandoned Child Assistance" program and were assessed as being below the poverty line. The study was designed using a mixed methods research; quantitative data were collected to reveal the socio-economic profiles of the households, while qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews conducted in accordance with a phenomenological approach. The findings indicate that single-parent families with orphaned and abandoned children are largely maintained by women, and that chronic poverty conditions are reproduced due to low education levels, precarious employment, and inadequate social assistance. Social exclusion, stigma, and isolation are more pronounced for widowed women, while children are more likely to drop out of education, work at an early age, and be drawn to risky social environments. However, family solidarity, emotional bonds, and parenting practices have been shown to be important protective factors in reducing the risks faced by children. By examining the experiences of families with orphaned and abandoned children from a poverty culture perspective, the study highlights the current limitations of social assistance policies and draws attention to the need for holistic and sustainable support mechanisms in the field of social policy.