Culture, space and urbanization : a structural analysis of housing pattern in squatter settlements

Abstract

The continuing process of squatterization constitutes a housing problem directly related to the rapid physical and socio_cultural changes occurring in the home environment and one which is especially epidemic to the urban centers of developing countries. Squatter_settlement housing patterns undergo a dramatic transition during this process of change, from that of a temporary shelter to a permanent house. On the basis of these arguments, this paper aims both to explore the transition process by focusing on the socio-cultural aspects of changing housing patterns in squatter settlements and to form an analytic model of the squatter housing pattern within the acculturative-urbanization process. This paper is mainly based on research projects carried out by the author whose aims were the identification of the effects of socio-cultural and psychological settings on the spatial formation in home environments during the process of urbanization. The theoretical approach of these studies is based on a holistic concept that includes cultural, psychological, spatial and temporal components in a transactional perspective. The paper consists of five sections with a brief introduction on the squatter phenomenon in Turkey in the context of culture and home studies. The first section deals with the relationships of culture, behavior and home environment in the 'acculturative urbanization process" based on the determination of the structural analysis of housing patterns within these processes. In the second section acculturation process in squatter settlements will be analyzed in the light of the structural analysis of housing patterns. Third section presents a "Structural Analysis Model of Squatter Housing Pattern within the Acculturative-Urbanization Process. This analytic model is based on an iterative structure determining the formation of the home within an input_output process; among cultural components - meaning of home - behavioral settings - use of home - physical setting of home. The fourth section covers a case study that examines the steps of acculturation process in squatter settlements. As a conclusion, results and finding of the research will he given in the last section.