The Functionality of Bonding Social Capital in Migration from Emirdağ District to Europe

Abstract

The research question of this paper is whether Emirdağ’s bonding social capital has a function in the continuous migration between Emirdağ and Europe. In order to find an answer to this question, a survey was applied to 1686 households in the center and 53 villages of Emirdağ district. The survey data subjected to frequency analysis 1° confirmed the “Cumulative Causation Theory” in the example of Emirdağ’s continuous migration to Europe 2° showed the increasing functionality of Emirdağ’s bonding social capital in each new period of migration. Moreover, Emirdağ’s bonding social capital helps 1° to keep alive the ties between the residents of Emirdağ living in Europe and the residents of Emirdağ living in Europe and the homeland 2° to preserve the originality of the Emirdağ identity, rather than to serve new migrations. It seems that Turkish Europeans with Emirdağ descent have transformed into actors who potentially contribute to local development with their social, economic and even political status.