Social justice in architecture

Abstract

The concepts like "earn more, spend more and consume more", which came into being with the globalization process brought with them the social injustice and inequality issues. This situation is visible in every aspect of life (education, health, politics, etc.) as well as in architecture. Social stratification and the contraction of mutual living areas led to the increase in the gap between life standards with each day. When the supply-demand balance shaped by the building sector, human labor and the contribution of other sectors, which continue their activities depending on the building sector are considered together, it is observed that the share of the building sector in the GNP is around 35%. With the influence of capitalism, the buildings that cover the need for accommodation have been converted into money sources and investment tools that provide profit, which are all far from their actual purposes. Today, companies and countries acquire incomes via various sources. Architecture and the building sector have become the lead actors of this income and investment search. Despite this huge income, the human labor working in the sector cannot earn at a sufficient level when compared with the manpower provided by them, and when the difficulties and risks are taken into consideration. Despite the added value they lead, they live in unhealthy places and cannot become the owners of their own houses. The building sector is at a position that forms demands for the products and services produced by more than 200 sub-sectors connected with itself; and this common influence is the most basic indicator of the sector's being "the lead actor". The social status of the building sector and architecture, which deals with the design business of this sector will be dealt with in this study. The relation between the basic rights like environment, human rights, social justice, organic nutrition, drinking clean water, breathing clean air, residing at a calm house, freedom and the right of privacy, watching a beautiful scenery from the house, being protected from carbon dioxide and air pollution, which are the innate rights of every human being, in the ever-developing world will be discussed. While, on the one hand, the injustices in social and economic areas lead to chaotic environments in every geographical area, today's architecture only dealing with the design of the houses, work places, and residences where only aesthetics and image are in the forefront is not an ethical manner. The desire of the human beings to shape the buildings around them and the influence of this desire to show their belongings look more powerful than they normally are, and the influence of the advertisements prepared the suitable ground for the formation of "consumption architecture". Based on the principle requiring that the desires have to be fulfilled in the legal framework and in accordance with the human and environment, the problems have to be resolved by caring for the Balance and Justice. In the light of the Verses of the Quran "There has appeared corruption both on land and in the seas because of what men did with their own hands. Allah makes them confront the results of some of their deeds so that maybe they will return from the wrong." (The Surah, Rum; Verse 41), we can observe how the balance has been disrupted, how the societies went astray; and when they went astray, the disruption occurred not only in the field of ecology but also in the field of human relations and social problems. We can also see that when disruption starts in the balance, everything in the universe is influenced by this disruption at the same rate. In order to correct this disruption and balance, every aspect of life, from our own lives to architectural buildings in the world, from economic systems to legal systems have to be corrected. The message is being conveyed to us that the salvation and balance will be corrected if we develop new models in order to revert from this chaotic atmosphere. The knowledge and the acquisitions of human beings are sufficient to form the structures that will care for the justice and balance. In this study, the necessity of converting from consumption architecture into "social and just architecture" is being emphasized.