The social policy practices and the orphan in Turkey: A sociological analysis of the orphan in the Childcare Institution in Eskişehir

With the rise of New Right in the world during the 1980?s, liberal policies have become the impulsive power of national and international economic developments. Under the influence of global dynamics of the free market, governments have tried to limit the social expenditure budget as a way of throwing off ?burden? of social payments. Besides, governments have restricted the role of the social State and put the economical sources into the service of the market through liberal policies. As a result, liberalization has become ?globalized? and the term ?liberal policy? has superseded the term ?social policy?. After the 1980?s, a dramatic decline in social policy practices has resulted in severe social problems. The social cost of liberal policies especially in underdeveloped and developing countries has been much more destructive. Among other social problems, the level of poverty, unemployment, and the orphan have dramatically deteriorated in those countries.This study?s aim is to examine the orphan children?s socio-economic and cultural characteristics. They are regarded to be poor, defenceless, coming from dismantled families and exposed to force out of their families. This study tries to discuss the childrens? perceptions of social relationships such as the State, family, society, poverty, solidarity and cooperation. It also looks into how these children position themselves within these social relationships. As a result, through the use of the data drawn from fieldwork, this thesis aims to bring forth the importance and necessity of social policy practices mentioned above.The findings reveal that these children generally coming from poor families haven?t had any other source of financial support except that of the State. Moreover, they have hardly been into any network of social relationship except of those friends staying in the child care institution. The findings also put forward that despite the lack of qualities to work, the children tend to find jobs in the informal sector to make a living.