The Role of Social Media in the Transition from a Sustainable Environment to Decent Work: The Case of Street Collectors in Turkey

Year 2022, , 104 - 119, 29.04.2022

Safure Cantürk

https://doi.org/10.17829/turcom.1019638

Abstract

Recycling practices, which are an indispensable part of the sustainable development model in developing
countries within the scope of combating climate change, brought the issue of waste collection and street
collection to the agenda. In developing countries like Turkey, where source separation is impossible, street
collection has become a vital participant in the recycling market. This research examines the impacts of the
economic worth of recyclable wastes on the social status of street collectors and their transfer to a decent
work environment, as well as the function of the media in this transition. After reviewing the literature
and legislation, this article applies content analysis on the relevant social media posts between the date
of October 3, 2021, when the local governments in Istanbul made a police raid on street collectors, and
October 30, 2021, when the street collectors issue was on the agenda. As a consequence of the increased
social and environmental awareness caused by climate change on a global scale, the legislative arrangements
made at the national level have enabled the waste to gain economic value. The organized street collectors’
defence of their rights and public announcement of their grievances through their representatives under
the pressure of local governments had a societal impact on social media and entered into politicians’ and
government’s agendas. Accordingly, in the past, perceptions of street collectors as “dirty”, “criminal”, and
“poor” all of which were directly related with poverty in society, have been replaced by perceptions of
“environmental protection”, “worker who earns their bread” and “zero waste stakeholder”. The analysis
shows that 79% of Twitter user shares support street collectors and view the police raid negatively. On the
other hand, only 2% of the users see the police raid as necessary for “maintaining public order”. As a result,
sustainable environmental policies carried out within the scope of combating climate change have improved the economic situation of street collectors, positively affecting their organization and the improvement of
decent work environments. These developments have affected street collectors to increase their visibility in
the media and change their social perceptions positively.

Keywords

Recycling, waste, street collectors, decent work, social media

Sürdürülebilir Çevreden İnsana Yakışır İşe Doğru Geçişte Sosyal Medyanın Rolü: Türkiye’de Sokak Toplayıcılar Örneği

Abstract

İklim değişikliği ile mücadele kapsamında gelişmekte olan ülkelerde, sürdürülebilir kalkınma modelinin
olmazsa olmazı olarak yürütülen geri dönüşüm uygulamaları, atık toplama ve sokak toplayıcılığı konusunu
gündeme taşımıştır. Kaynağından ayrıştırmanın yapılamadığı Türkiye gibi gelişmekte olan ülkelerde,
sokak toplayıcılığı geri dönüşüm sektörünün kilit aktörü haline gelmiştir. Bu araştırmada, geri dönüşebilen
atıkların ekonomik değer kazanmasının, sokak toplayıcılarının, toplumsal statüsünü ve insana yakışır iş
ortamına geçişlerini nasıl etkilediği ve aynı zamanda bu değişimde medyanın fonksiyonu sorgulanmaktadır.
Makalede literatür ve mevzuat taramasından sonra İstanbul’da yerel yönetimlerin, sokak toplayıcılarına
yönelik polis baskını yaptığı 3 Ekim 2021 tarihinden, konunun gündemde kaldığı 30 Ekim 2021 tarihleri
arasındaki ilgili sosyal medya paylaşımlarına içerik analizi uygulanmıştır. Sonuçta, iklim değişikliğine
bağlı küresel ölçekte toplumsal çevre farkındalığının artması ile birlikte ulusal düzeyde yapılan mevzuat
düzenlemeleri, atıkların ekonomik değer kazanması sağlamıştır. Örgütlenen sokak toplayıcılarının, yerel
yönetimlerin baskısında seçtikleri temsilcileri aracılığıyla haklarını savunmaları ve mağduriyetlerini
kamuya duyurmaları, sosyal medyada toplumsal olarak ses getirmiş, ayrıca konu siyasilerin ve iktidarın da
gündemine girmiştir. Buna bağlı olarak geçmişte, toplumda, yoksullukla doğrudan ilişkilendirilen sokak
toplayıcılarına ilişkin ‘kirli’, ‘suçlu’, ‘yoksul’ algısının yerini ‘çevreyi koruyan’, ‘ekmeğini kazanan emekçi’ ‘sıfır
atık paydaşı’ algısı almıştır. Analiz, sosyal medya mecrası olan Twitter kullanıcılarının, sokak toplayıcılarını
destekleyen ve polis baskınını olumsuz gören paylaşımlarının oranının yüzde 79 olduğunu göstermektedir.
Diğer taraftan, polis baskınını ‘kamusal düzenin sağlanması’ için gerekli gören kullanıcıların oranı ise
sadece yüzde 2’dir. Sonuç olarak iklim değişikliği ile mücadele kapsamında yürütülen sürdürülebilir çevre
politikaları, sokak toplayıcılarının ekonomik durumunu iyileştirerek, örgütlenmelerini ve insana yakışır
iş ortamlarının iyileşmesini olumlu yönde etkilemiştir. Bu gelişmeler, sokak toplayıcılarının medyada
görünürlükleri artırmasını ve toplumsal algılarını pozitif yönde değişmesini etkilemiştir.

Keywords

geri dönüşüm, atık, sokak toplayıcıları, insana yakışır iş, sosyal medya

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