The effects of the Eurpean Union grant projects on the social capital form: Project example "The Future is in Education, Education is in Konak"

The European Union (EU) is a transnational structure that unites in line with the common rules, norms and values by cooperating in the economic, social and political fields of the member states. At the same time, grant projects are used in order to ensure the harmonization of the candidate countries of the EU with the acquis and to facilitate socio-cultural harmony. The projects in which all non-governmental organizations, such as non-governmental organizations, local organizations, municipalities, universities, private sector etc. can participate in the EU harmonization process have become the most important actors of the EU harmonization process. Being a social entity, it is inevitable that new social networks will develop their talents and become part of a dynamic change process. These social networks, in which individuals are, have turned into a capital quality for themselves and their environment, and brought the concept of social capital to the agenda. The purpose of the thesis study is to measure the social capital of the participants on the project, and to reveal the effects of social capital on the participants both socially and economically, in the field research carried out with the exemplary EU Grant Project in "Future is in Education, Education is in Konak". In line with this purpose, within the scope of the mixed research method, social capital was tried to be researched by firstly quantitative and then qualitative studies with women participating in the project. As a result of the quantitative and qualitative studies carried out in the thesis study, it was observed that the women participating in the project were in new social networks compared to the women who did not participate in the project, had higher confidence levels, gained self-confidence and had the power to stand on their feet.