WHEN THE WASTE-PICKERS GET OUT THE MARGIN: LITTLE BATTLES AND MOBILIZATION OF ISTANBUL WASTE-PICKERS (TURKEY)

ABSTRACT: As in most other countries, the “informal” waste-pickers of Istanbul are characterized by a “social indignity” and plural stigma. But the examination of their everyday social and professional practices reveals small daily battles to earn a livelihood in a brutal context of political reforms. In order to adapt and get round the obstacles confronting them, these waste-pickers adopt all sorts of small tactics to defend themselves and legitimize their position in the city and in urban society. The spatial dimension of their work is essential, as the city is literally a resource for these “poachers”. They also feel profound sense of injustice, which sometimes leads to indignation via mobilization: far from being passive or anomic, they try to have their work recognized by the authorities.

Keywords: Mobilization, Waste-pickers, Margin, Indignation, Istanbul.

WHEN THE WASTE-PICKERS GET OUT THE MARGIN: LITTLE BATTLES AND MOBILIZATION OF ISTANBUL WASTE-PICKERS (TURKEY) Bénédicte FLORIN Alternatif Politika, Special Issue, May 2018