A Typology of the Urban Poor in Turkey

This paper discusses the results of a survey conducted in 1992 in Ankara, Turkey, to develop a typology of the urban poor. It draws on poverty culture conceptualization and an empirical study done in the US. The present study was designed to identify the cultural and psychological differences among the poor. It was found that there were three types among the urban poor: doers, accommodators, and losers. The emergence of these types is explained in the historical context of the modernization, urbanization, and market-oriented economic policies in Turkey. The authors discuss the social policy implications of the findings for Turkey