Poverty and culture of poverty in Turkey: Example of Sakarya province

Although defined as the inability to have the necessary tools for meeting the economic needs and being deprived of these tools, poverty is actually a multidimensional concept covering different factors such as employment, social life, social exclusion. This phenomenon, which has gradually become a lifestyle with the influence of social structure, has created a multidimensional problem called poverty culture which should be addressed both in terms of social and cultural dimensions. This study, entitled "Poverty and Culture of Poverty in Turkey: A Case Study in Sakarya Province", determines the general condition of poor people living in Sakarya Province, in terms of poverty culture, and determines, via a case study, whether the individuals have turned poverty into a lifestyle. First of all, poverty, which is one of the most important problems of the societies since the existence of mankind, has been elaborated. In this respect, by using the related literature, sections from social aspects has been presented and poverty has been tried to be explained with the language of the poor. This thesis focuses on the general condition on the poor people living in Sakarya Province by applying case study and observation methods, and investigates the status of poverty on the households receiving aid from state and non-governmental organizations. Thus the lifestyle, economic status, view of world, and the dimensions of exclusion of the families are determined; the factors laying behind this situation are identified, and question of whether these individuals have turned poverty into a lifestyle has been investigated. This study intends to contribute to the research for improving the welfare of the poor, and elucidates the question of whether the poverty is an actual phenomenon or turned into a culture, based on the findings of case study on the households receiving aid.