Gecekondu settlements-or shanty towns-in large Turkish cities are mostly populated by low-income families, many of which have migrated from the villages of Central Anatolia. The rise of the Islamist party AKP in the 1990s and 2000s had a large impact on how these gecekondus are examined, and how they are perceived to reflect key issues at play in Turkish society: welfare, local identity, religious communities and the rise of civil society. Having lived in one of these neighbourhoods in Ankara, Burcu ?enturk's book sheds light on the experience of gecekondu dwelling in Turkey. By focusing on this aspect, she brings to the fore issues such as urbanisation, modernisation and development, as well as examining the impact these kinds of phenomena have on generation gaps and the role of women in Turkish society. By using the framework of the experience of three generations of gecekondu dwellers, ?enturk is able to chart the emergence, development and the gradual breakdown of social relations, and how the dynamics of these have changed during the course of the latter half of the twentieth century."

Turkey, officially a secular state, voted in an Islamist party in 2002, 2007 and 2011. How far does this reflect the trend which has seen the rise of political Islam across the Middle East? Does this indicate a growing tendency in the direction of Islamisation amongst the Turkish population? If not, what are the underlying reasons behind the electoral triumphs of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (the AKP)? Kayhan Delibas seeks to answer these questions through an in-depth examination of the appeal of this political party, exploring its ideology, the routes and motives which produce party activists and local party organisations. Concluding that the AKP's success has been built on its criticism of growing inequalities, widespread corruption, unemployment, poverty and lack of basic services, Delibas draws a nuanced portrait of modern Turkish society and the relationship between religion and politics. Delibas offers an explanation, based on research carried out amongst grassroots activists, for the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Turkey.Islamic movements are often described as anti-modernist, thought to be supported by fundamentalist groups living in a bygone age, isolated from the rest of the modern world. In recent years, particularly since the events of 9/11, such movements have also been seen as a threat to the Western way of life. But Delibas argues that these movements, and particularly those in Turkey, did not arise out of religious fervour or hatred of Western civilisation, as is often claimed. Rather, they were founded, and have thrived, as a response to socio-economic and political conditions that have been aggravated by neoliberal economic policies, rapid urbanisation and the globalization of culture. By exploring the structural conditions in which an Islamic movement emerged and become popular in a seemingly secular state, The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey offers vital analysis for all those researching modern Turkey and the growth of Islamist politics throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

About half of the region's poor live in cities, and policy makers across Latin America are increasingly interested in policy advice on how to design programmes and policies to tackle poverty. This publication argues that the causes of poverty, the nature of deprivation, and the policy levers to fight poverty are, to a large extent, site specific. It therefore focuses on strategies to assist the urban poor in making the most of the opportunities offered by cities, such as larger labour markets and better services, while helping them cope with the negative aspects, such as higher housing costs, pollution, risk of crime and less social capital.

This open access book investigates the link between income inequality and socio-economic residential segregation in 24 large urban regions in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. It offers a unique global overview of segregation trends based on case studies by local author teams. The book shows important global trends in segregation, and proposes a Global Segregation Thesis. Rising inequalities lead to rising levels of socio-economic segregation almost everywhere in the world. Levels of inequality and segregation are higher in cities in lower income countries, but the growth in inequality and segregation is faster in cities in high-income countries. This is causing convergence of segregation trends. Professionalisation of the workforce is leading to changing residential patterns. High-income workers are moving to city centres or to attractive coastal areas and gated communities, while poverty is increasingly suburbanising. As a result, the urban geography of inequality changes faster and is more pronounced than changes in segregation levels. Rising levels of inequality and segregation pose huge challenges for the future social sustainability of cities, as cities are no longer places of opportunities for all.

"Comprehensively and knowledgeably addresses uniquely modern dilemmas of urban places in the Middle East by bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars who have already made significant contributions . . . in their respective fields. . . . A very important volume."--Janet L. Bauer, Trinity College, Hartford "Makes a valuable addition to the literature. . . . Offers a wealth of diverse and original contributions on social and cultural issues of urban societies in the region."--Iliya Harik, Indiana University In the first substantial study of mounting urban problems in the Middle East, contributors present case studies of cities in Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, and Iran. In particular, they address problems of urban planning and administration (including historic preservation issues), poverty and marginalization, health and gender in the urban environment, and the impact of politics on the city, including the actions of Islamicist groups. The authors stress that Middle East cities are indeed in crisis; in a concluding chapter, Michael Bonine asks whether or not they are sustainable. CONTENTS 1. Population, Poverty, and Politics: Contemporary Middle East Cities in Crisis, by Michael E. Bonine Part I. Municipal Government, Urban Planning, and Conserving the Urban Past 2. Urbanization and Metropolitan Municipal Politics in Turkey, by Metin Heper 3. Ruptures in the Evolution of the Middle Eastern City: Amman, by Mohammad Al-Asad 4. Urban Conservation in the Old City of San Part II. Poverty and Marginalization in the Urban Middle East 5. Responding to Middle East Urban Poverty: The Informal Economy in Tunis, by Richard A. Lobban, Jr. 6. Devotion as Distinction, Piety as Power: Religious Revival and the Transformation of Space in the Illegal Settlements of Tunis, by Elizabeth Vasile 7. Muscat: Social Segregation and Comparative Poverty in the Expanding Capital of an Oil State, by Fred Scholz Part III. Health and Gender and the Urban Environment 8. The Crowded Metropolis: Health and Nutrition in Cairo, by Osman M. Galal and Gail G. Harrison 9. Population, Poverty, and Gender Politics: Motherhood Pressures and Marital Crises in the Lives of Poor Urban Egyptian Women, by Marcia C. Inhorn 10. Gender and Health: Abortion in Urban Egypt, by Sandra D. Lane Part IV. Islam and Politics: War, Revolution, and Protest in the Middle Eastern City 11. Urbanization and Political Instability in the Middle East, by Kirk S. Bowman and Jerrold D. Green 12. Urbanization, Migration, and Politics of Protest in Iran, by Farhad Kazemi and Lisa Reynolds Wolfe 13. Islam, Islamism, and Urbanization in Sudan: Contradictions and Complementaries, by John Obert Voll 14. The New Veiling and Urban Crisis: Symbolic Politics in Cairo, by Arlene Elowe MacLeod 15. Are Cities in the Middle East Sustainable? by Michael E. Bonine Michael E. Bonine is professor of geography and Near Eastern studies at the University of Arizona. Coeditor of Middle Eastern Cities and Islamic Urbanism (1994), he was executive director of the Middle East Studies Association from 1981 to 1989.

The social and economic systems of any country are influenced by a range of factors including income and education. As such, it is vital to examine how these factors are creating opportunities to improve both the economy and the lives of people within these countries. Socio-Economic Development: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications provides a critical look at the process of social and economic transformation based on environmental and cultural factors including income, skills development, employment, and education. Highlighting a range of topics such as economics, social change, and e-governance, this multi-volume book is designed for policymakers, practitioners, city-development planners, academicians, government officials, and graduate-level students interested in emerging perspectives on socio-economic development.

In this revelatory book, Sudhir Venkatesh takes us into Maquis Park, a poor black neighborhood on Chicago's Southside, to explore the desperate and remarkable ways in which a community survives. The result is a dramatic narrative of individuals at work, and a rich portrait of a community. But while excavating the efforts of men and women to generate a basic livelihood for themselves and their families, Off the Books offers a devastating critique of the entrenched poverty that we so often ignore in America, and reveals how the underground economy is an inevitable response to the ghetto's appalling isolation from the rest of the country.