Abstract
The condition of seasonal agricultural workers and their children constitute a major problem in Turkey. İstanbul Bilgi University’s Center for Migration Research conducted field research to assess the needs of the children of (seasonal migrant) agricultural workers in Adana from the perspective of child wellbeing. Both qualitative and quantitative research were conducted. In the research, 643 adults and 333 children (age group 12–18) of those who live in the area were surveyed. In the qualitative part of the research, focus groups were conducted with children with three age group (8–11; 12–15; 16–18), and in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with mothers. Although it is illegal, in the age group 11–14, 52 percent among the boys and 60 percent among the girls work in the field; in the 15–18 age group, the percentage of those who work in the fields is 91. In the context of poverty and deprivation, the findings show that children’s wellbeing in different domains is under serious threat. The domain risk and safety (with respect to living conditions and environment; and child labour) determines the objective indicators. Subjective wellbeing and how it is expressed within this group of children ‘whose lives are under risk’ is a challenge. Particularly focusing on the education domain, we argue that the wellbeing approach with its focus on both subjective and objective indicators provide a detailed picture of the field which better need assessments are made and policy implications must be developed on.
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İstanbul Bilgi University’s Center for Migration Research conducted a field research in 2016 with the support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation and in cooperation with the Çukurova Development Agency. The goal of this project is to assess the needs of the children of (seasonal migrant) agricultural workers in Adana from the perspective of child wellbeing and developing policy proposals. For the complete report P. Uyan Semerci and E. Erdoğan (2017). Ben kendim büyüdüm demiyorum-Adana’da mevsimlik tarım işçilerinin çocuklarının yaşam koşullarının iyileştirilmesi. İstanbul Bilgi University Publishing House in Turkish, see https://goc.bilgi.edu.tr/media/uploads/2017/04/14/goc-merkezi-ben-kendim-b-y-d-m-demiyorum-rapor.pdf
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Uyan-Semerci, P., Erdoğan, E. (2022). The Wellbeing of Children in the Vulnerable Context of Seasonal Migrant Workers in Turkey. In: Tiliouine, H., Benatuil, D., Lau, M.K.W. (eds) Handbook of Children’s Risk, Vulnerability and Quality of Life. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-01783-4_16
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