Farklı Sermaye Türleri ve Toplumsal Hareketlilik: Türkiye’de Kırgız ve Türkmen Ev Ve Bakım İşçileri Örneği

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the social mobility of Central Asian migrant domestic workers and care workers in Turkey, with a focus on Kyrgyz and Turkmen women. Drawing from in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten Kyrgyz and five Turkmen women, this research explores their personal narratives and the broader socio-economic context influencing their migration and employment experiences. The study employs both narrative analysis and thematic analysis to interpret the qualitative data, providing a rich understanding of the participants' lived experiences and mobility trajectories.

The evolution of social mobility studies forms the foundation of this work, starting with a comprehensive review of social mobility theories in the first chapter. This includes an examination of social stratification in the former USSR, Turkey's economic structure, and the implications of the Soviet Union's disintegration. The second chapter details the methodological approach, emphasizing the use of narrative and thematic analyses to decode the complex experiences of the migrant workers.

Field research conducted in the third chapter presents detailed accounts of the women's migration journeys, the socio-economic challenges they face, and their strategies for achieving upward mobility within Turkish society. The findings reveal significant insights into how structural factors and personal agency intersect, shaping the social mobility prospects of Central Asian migrant women in Turkey's domestic and care work sectors. This dissertation contributes to the broader discourse on migration, gender, and social mobility, offering policy recommendations to improve the working and living conditions of migrant domestic workers and care workers in Turkey.