Istanbul
Fieldwork in Istanbul is conducted in Esenyurt, located on the western edge of the city's European side. The area has experienced rapid population growth since the 2000s. Today, with a population of approximately 1 million people, it is the most populous district in Türkiye. It has a diverse and young population, due to internal migration and the settlements of families from various parts of Türkiye.
The urban structure largely consists of high-rise housing projects, gated communities, and apartment buildings from the 1990s and 2000s. Industrial areas, small workshops, and commercial centers also occupy a significant space in the district center. Relatively low rent and housing prices make the district attractive to both new internal migrants and those who cannot afford to live in central districts. This rapid and intensive growth creates constant pressure on infrastructure, public spaces, and services.
At the neighbourhood level, solidarity networks based on kinship and family ties are very strong. Job finding, sharing caregiving labor, and organizing daily life are important parts of these social networks. However, the coexistence of luxury gated communities and more modest apartment neighbourhoods reveals class and spatial differentiations within the district. These interactions make Esenyurt a suitable research area for understanding both social inequalities and changes in daily life practices.
Elif Hazal Gougler (she/her) is an anthropologist and project manager from Istanbul. She studied Management of Performing Arts at Istanbul Bilgi University and later completed a joint MA program in Social Anthropology at the University of Bern and the University of Vienna. With professional experience in documentary production for international media networks and in EU research coordination at Kadıköy Municipality, her work explores mass communication and digital media, focusing on how media are created and adapted for specific communities, particularly women. In the ReWorkChange project, Elif Hazal will carry out ethnographic research in Istanbul, Türkiye.
