In the name of modernity: Smoking away health, wealth, and womanhood in gecekondu

Abstract

We explore factors that affect smoking behavior and perception of women who have lived in gecekondu ("built-over-night") neighborhoods. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with a convenience sample fifty (50) women who were married, smoked, lived in gecekondu neighborhoods in Yukseltepe near Ankara, from 2007 to 2008. Women were ages 20 to 60 years and had lived in gecekondu for at least 15 years. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques and open coding followed by axial coding. Multiple themes emerged that were coded and classified. We highlight four classes of "smoking as an affective response, "social ties as safeguard, " "social isolation as risk," and "media influence" themes and discuss their influence on gecekondu women's smoking behavior. We conclude that effective health promotion programs to address smoking among these women must be rooted in socio-ecological principles have dimensions that go well beyond individual-based behavior change interventions.