Türkiye’de Vakıfların, Kâr Amacı Gütmeyen Sosyal Politika İşlevleri: “Sosyal Millet” Anlayışı

Abstract

Social policy is a science that emerged in order to find solutions to negative effects of the industrial revolution. Family, religion, the workplace and market, state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s) provide the functionality of social policy. NGO’s can also be called non-profit organizations. In our study, we will examine foundations, one of the non-profit organizations. Foundations have equivalents in many civilizations. However, Islamic civilization has had a great influence on the development of foundations because members of this civilization have an understanding of the compassion, solidarity, desire to live together, and most importantly, feelings of love, to do their work without profit. In this study, the understanding of foundations will be explained by Turks who are part of an ancient eastern civilization from past to present. In addition, the understanding of a foundation in western society as well as eastern society will be examined at the level of literature and a comparison will be made. Foundations in Turkish society were institutionalized after Islam and some of its first works were done during the Seljuk period. The study examined the two terms before and after the Republic. In the pre-Republic (Ottoman) period, foundations usually included a non-profit purpose. The social policy function of foundations in the Republic period will also be examined. Today’s data is based on the statistical data of the General Directorate of Foundations. In this qualitative study, the holistic approach was preferred, and a documentation method was used.