A research on socio-cultural adaptation and needs of social policy between Ulupamir Kyrgyz Village and surrounding villages from the perspective of the ecosystem

Migration is a phenomenon that involves people belonging to different groups interacting with each other. And due to its structure, it affects people's lives in various dimensions. Due to migration, elements such as religions, languages, cultures, and lifestyles are experienced by the immigrant and host culture. These differences that groups experience by interacting necessitate a perspective on adaptation. It's known that human, who is a bio-psycho-social being, also has a cultural dimension. In this context, adaptation occurs in psychological, social, and cultural fields. This study; focuses on the socio-cultural adaptation of the Ulupamir Kyrgyz community, which came from the Ulupamir highlands and settled in Van-Erciş in 1982 with the forced migration to Turkey. This study aims to evaluate the integration of the migrant group and the host group from a holistic perspective and examine their acculturation status and social policy needs. In the context of the 'ecosystem approach' used in the social work discipline, the understanding of the 'person in environment' provides a significant basis for the study. To approach socio-cultural adaptation with a holistic perspective, 19 participants reached; 11 from the Ulupamir Kyrgyz Community and eight from the neighboring villages of Ulupamir Village. And in-depth interviews were conducted with semi-structured interview forms. This study was designed in a qualitative structure to examine the migration experiences, socio-cultural adaptation levels, and participants' needs for the social policy. The data obtained from the interviews; has been analyzed over four main themes: migration, integration, culture and acculturation, social policy, and social work. This study found that; prejudices, perceived discrimination and differences,communication problems, and disagreements between Ulupamir Kyrgyz Communityand the surrounding villages negatively affect the levels of socio-cultural adaptation.İn this study, considering the demands expressed by the Ulupamir Kyrgyz community in the context of social work and social policies, concludes with several recommendations. Keywords: Ulupamir, Social Policy, Social Work, Ecosystem Theory, Migration, Adaptation, Culture, Acculturation