Abstract:

In this research, it was aimed to analyse how the youth camps which offer new experiences in a common living area within a given period of time for the young people were perceived with the help of metaphors by the participants. This study is a qualitative study in a phenomenological pattern which analyses the campers’ perceptions about the youth camps through metaphors. The study of the research, consisted of 273 people including both men and women who were participating in the youth camps organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Karabük and Bolu during the summer of 2014. According to the findings of the research it was determined that the participants created 120 metaphors related to the youth camps which were described in seven categories. As a result it was stated that the majority of the campers who participated in the youth camps organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports were satisfied with the camp life and the activities, the camps provided them experiences beside the entertainment, they could experience the sense of unity and solidarity due to the groups formed by the participants coming from different cities, the activities introduced them novelties, the camp life made the participants relaxed by taking them away from the daily stress and troubles, beside all these it was stated that the camp life had also disciplinary features by providing the compliance of the participants to the culture of the common solidarity.

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