Mevsimlik Tarım İşçisi Yaşlı Bireylerin Yaşam Deneyimleri ve Sosyal Hizmet Gereksinimleri: Sivas İli Örneği

Abstract

With this study, it is aimed to understand the life and work experiences of seasonal agricultural workers, to draw attention to the problems they experience and to evaluate their social service needs. In this context, interviews were conducted with 11 women 19 men and 30 individuals aged 60 and over who came to Sivas to work in seasonal agriculture. The data collected with the personal information form and semi-structured interview form were analyzed by the researcher himself. In the research conducted with the qualitative research method, the data obtained as a result of the interviews with the seasonal agricultural worker elderly individuals were divided into themes and analyzed with descriptive analysis. Every year, thousands of seasonal agricultural workers migrate to different regions from their hometowns at certain times of the year, depending on the product and production process they work for. In this process, due to the nature of the work and the life period they are in, the needs and problems of seasonal agricultural workers differ according to other seasonal agricultural workers working in this field and other elderly individual who do not work in this sector. In Turkey, social policies, services and practices aimed at solving the problems experienced by seasonal agricultural workers and meeting their needs in this context are quite inadequate. Being a seasonal agricultural worker is already a difficult job, while being an elderly person working as a seasonal agricultural worker is much more difficult. It is impossible for the social work profession, which is based on a rights-based approach, social justice, human rights and equality principles, to remain indifferent to the problems and diversifying needs of elderly seasonal agricultural workers. As a result of the research, it has been determined that elderly seasonal beekeepers experience many problems in the fields of health, care and accommodation, working conditions, economic, social security, nutrition, transportation, education, social exclusion, social services and policy. As a result of the data obtained, suggestions were made from the perspective of social work.