URBAN
SOCIOLOG
Abstract
This paper has been written for explaining social and spatial interaction daily life in Metrobus
based on gender, status, age. Some particular part of the day has been chosen and categorized;
6 to 12, 12 to 16, 16 to 20 and 20 to 24.
Introduction
Metrobus has been one of the transportation vehicles, which was completed in 2007 in order
to make traffic problem decrease between Topkapı and Avcılar in Istanbul. Next year, in 2008,
it has widened until to Zincirlikuyu and in 2009 it has reached to Söğütlüçeşme and two
component of Istanbul has connected. In 2012, Metrobus has reached to end of Beylikdüzü.
Metrobus has being carried 800.000 people for everyday and it has being gone to 45 stations
which is long as 52 kilometers.
52 kilometers has being taken someone from end to end of Istanbul and it has meant 83
minutes in the transportation. People who use Metrobus have different aims, for example,
going to works or school in morning times, going meetings or visiting places in afternoon
times, coming back from work and school in evening times and lastly, going outside for fun in
night time. Actually it has being worked for 24 hours in a day, but examination has been done
by categorizing into 6 to 12, 12 to 16, 16 to 20 and 20 to 24.
Observations have realized according to gender, age, statue, social interaction. Even though I
have created a periods and categories, it is hard to make them certainly; they are all much
related to each other. After giving specific details, I would like to create a good summary by
combining them. By the way, I need to say that, observation in Metrobus is too difficult to do
Gender Roles - Metrobus Life (Other dynamics has been ignored)
Gender always has been very controversial issue in sociological theories and especially in
feminist theories. However, in Turkey, gender issue is able to become more problematic than
ever it has been. Before moving to my observations, I would like to share general ideas about
gender role for Turkish culture.
Gender has no different version what patriarchy has being criticized. Men always has been
seen as a breadwinner, powerful for both physically and emotionally, polite and more strong
their attitude than women. Especially, men have very polite and nice attitude toward women
who they do not know. In the busses, hospitals or banks, men give their sit to women who are
standing. These behaviors are what people expect from men figure in society. On the other
hand, women are being expected to be weaker and needy, mostly they are being considered as
mother and they have respect thanks to this idea.
Further, Metrobus has been the place where all standpoints, general judges, stereotypes and
traditions about gender roles have disappeared. Metrobus has autonomy contrary to other
vehicles. In the sphere of Metrobus, not only inside of vehicle but also in the station area,
people put their identities away from themselves. Neither in my observation, nor in my own
experienced, there is patient. There is always a competition among people and no matter men
or women. As before emphasized, women are expected to be weaker or more fragile, but, they
behave more masculine, especially in third time period (16-20).
Before all generalizations about gender roles, it is certain to say that time periods have very
powerful effect on behaviors among genders. For example, in the first time and third time
period, people only think about their own comfort, because these time periods refer going to
There are various kinds of behaviors toward each other. Second and fourth time period are the
worst in Metrobus. In front of my witness, harassment, violence and at the same time
politenesses are in highest level. While because of the usage of Metrobus is changing,
people’s attitudes are changing accordingly. By taking my observation, I can comment that
women behave as they always try to protect themselves from something, and men behave
very relax way and they produce their own spaces in Metrobus. Giving their sits to women
who need, is something very rare in Metrobus and it happens in these time periods, because
people are not seem tired and usage of Metrobus is more arbitrary.
Most funny part of relation of men and
women is that men are under the
psychological pressure while they are
sitting, because women are waiting just
near them and acting as if they have bad
situation and need to sit. However, this
psychological pressure does not function to men in first and third period.
On the other hand, out of how women and men behave toward themselves, there are some
basic behaviors as individuals. As mentioned before, women behave more wary, even though
so, they are so relax about their phone call, chatting with friend and whatever about talking.
Contrary, men in general not all, behave more private about their own issues, phone call or
talking with friend.
Age – Metrobus Life (Other dynamics has been ignored)
Age is the subject is much related to gender in a way. In the first time period of Metrobus, it is
observations, I would like to give some backgrounds about what young and old people are
expected to behave.
If someone makes an interview in Turkey about “respect”, first sentence definitely would be
“respect for older people”. This example is actually enough to explain everything what people
expect young people to behave in Metrobus. However! As mentioned before, Metrobus is
place where all the time expectations come across.
Being older is not enough for someone gives a sit, visible illness or disability is needed for
this opportunity. Situation is very weird because young people behave as if they are in sleep,
they do not see them, they are more tired than them or they are ill too, on the other hand, older
people also behave as if they are ill even though they are not. I witnessed a conversation so:
Older lady: My dear child, give me your sit please, I am very tired (laughing and supporter
attitude from her friends).
Young boy: Hey, I have puzzle on my brain since morning at school, you were at visiting
some places with your friends, you should take a risk to stand then.
This shows how Metrobus has autonomy, because the other people support the boy, not the
older lady. In addition, this derives from how Metrobus has long distance.
Second time period is the most crowded with older people. According to my observations, in
this period, older people are mostly women and they are not alone, but with friends. It is
possible to hear every kind of conversation among them; they talk very loudly and do not care
about the others. On the other hand, older men are seen in third time period of Metrobus.
Young generation spend their time in Metrobus by listening music, reading book and chatting
Status – Metrobus Life (Includes wearing and brand)
Metrobus goes very long distance in the city, so it is possible to see every kind of people
around. Clothes and brand they use are useful in order to understand how people have
different status. It is too difficult to differentiate status group only by looking appearance of
brand, because in Metrobus, literally, there are every part of society a bit. Because this is so, I
have tried grouping them according to time periods.
In the first time period, people are mostly student and with their relax clothes reflects their
roles. Also, there are very classy clothing people, it is understood that they are white collar
workers. Strange part of this observation is that students and white collar workers have same
brand of cell phones. Even though occupational statuses are different, economical status does
not seem much separated. However, according to their clothing status, it is possible to make
comment about their behavior in Metrobus. Well clothed people mostly try to stand
somewhere far from other people and I will mention about their personal behavior in distance
part.
After first time period, distinguishing status from appearance is highly difficult, however, it
might be said that middle class people use Metrobus in these periods. This is clear with casual
wearing. Shoes are also important component for status in Metrobus. Maybe, it is not in
society, but in Metrobus, it can be realized that court shoe owners (women) are seem as if do
something very important in their lives; and others only live their life. Among men, sport shoe
The most careless appearances exist in the
last time period in Metrobus. People are
seen abandoned or not caring about their
physical looking. Their behaviors are also
more relax than others. They do not have
aspectual status which they need to protect.
Social Interaction – Metrobus Life (Main Part)
Distance, personal space, boundaries, verbal or non-verbal communication, eye contact,
behaviors as spatial and social components which in the Metrobus are all related to how we
categorized in gender, status and age. Life style, acting style, transportation culture are depend
on certainly individuals.
First of all, I will give some information about the physical structure of Metrobus. Metrobus is
longer than typical IETT buses; it is almost two times of them. Chairs and places for hanging
are seen okay, but, there is an absurd situation which is that Metrobus has a chair which is not
two and not one, it is one and half. Metrobus also have corner coach in the backside and it is
for four people backs but three people legs. I want to start from this point which is actually
independent from people’s own choice but the industry engineers’ decision.
Metrobus, in spatial perspective, makes people compulsory to be cheek by jowl. Those not
well-planned chairs do not consider people’s size,
or the limit which they irritate. Only purpose of
producers is “efficiency” without considering
alive circumstances. Even if two people are agree
with sitting very close to each other, there are
sweat, voice level or the sensitivity of touching someone. Metrobus goes very long distance
and these kinds of factors are tolerable maximum for ten minutes. When the tolerance limit is
exceeded, people’s behaviors are changing accordingly.
It is absolute that there is no personal space in Metrobus especially in particular times such as
first and third time period. Nor standing neither sitting gives personal space for person.
Sometimes there is no space for breathing.
I witness an event so: Woman and young boy were sitting on the chair which was for two
people. Woman was on window side and boy was on corridor side. However, boy’s sitting
shape was literally irritating, his one of legs was on woman’s side and, other one was covering
the half of corridor. Even I felt uncomfortable, and soon woman could not stand and yell at
boy about the legs.
This kind of situation may be lived many time in Metrobus, here to my comment, “age” was
the problem, because boy’s aspectual status was obviously well and woman’s was too. But
boy’s for being cool is coming from violating the rules. In my observation process and
passenger process, I never have coincided that women are annoying someone by her body
attitude.
There is no boundary in Metrobus, even though between two genders. Literally, people fight
for survive. People’s relations are evolving to the primitive times. There is no verbal
communication among people who do not know each other; they use verbal communication
only in fight in the Metrobus. On the other hand, as a non-verbal communication, only, it is
possible to see or hear “huff and puff” toward people. There is no even eye-contact. Metrobus
is such an alienation area for people. It destroys the patient mechanism of people like this way
which people want to go out quickly and get in quickly, and no side gives priority, so that they
Long distance brings a style for the road. People acquire a life style in Metrobus for their
hours. Reading and sleeping are most popular activities in Metrobus. For example, everyone
knows the place which they will sit, it is accustomed anymore.
Another interactional among people is an inequality of mobility. I witness many time that
people get annoyed because wheelchair person tries to get Metrobus. They are so alienated
that they see them something occupying an area.
Conclusion
To say to sum up is very difficult for this subject, because every detail has a wide working
area. I tried to explain the expected behaviors and reality, interaction both in spatial and social
in a simple way. I would like to mention about city perception too, but I tried to keep issue
together. If I have to say to sum up, I can only emphasize that Metrobus has its autonomy and
people behavior are shaping accordingly. With the sociological perspective, it is possible to
combine some issues such as gender, status and age with the social and spatial interaction,
however, Metrobus is such a wide pool which include from end to end.
Bibliography
İETT, n.d. http://metrobus.iett.gov.tr/. [Online]
