Introduction
Gender has always been one of the most obvious differences in humanity; therefore, it is also one of the most easily used topics to segregate people just like the color of one’s skin or their beliefs. While the world has become more tolerant of differences and accepting of the pride that people feel towards their heritage and whatnot, there are still places in the world where, while the norms of the past are no longer forced by law, the practices of what a man or a woman can or cannot do is still inherent in the traditions of a certain group of people. One such place is Turkey.
In this paper we will look at the conservatism of the culture and traditions of Turkey that has a great effect on the roles of gender in the country and more specifically in the families of the people there.
Literature Review
In a paper done by Idil Goksel for the Bocconi University, he talked about the effects of conservatism and the female labor force participation in Turkey. While the labor force participation is not the main topic of discussion in this paper, the effects of conservatism is. In his paper, he presented the fact that there are no laws that prevent women from joining the workforce of Turkey, but the traditions of the country themselves are good enough to stop them .
He also highlighted the fact that religion has a factor in this. As most of the country is Muslim (again, there are no laws preventing women from working) the traditional belief of a man being the sole bread winner in the family is still carried on by many families in Turkey today .
This point is also recognized in a paper done by the IZA when they studied the effect of a married woman has on the workforce of the country. It was shown in their study that women tended to drop out of the labor force once they are married as they would rather focus on raising their family and let their husbands support the family by themselves .
While leaving the work force is not the issue, it can be seen here that the role of a woman in Turkish society is mostly steered towards domestic and household work. Men are expected to be the ones working hard to provide for the family while women are expected to stay at home and be a caring mother towards their children .
In another economical study done by the OECD Economics department in May 2004, they exhibited a case wherein the women of Turkey tended to return to the workforce if they were paid even during their parental leaves and if the government provided childcare subsidies while childcare benefits would reduce the number of women returning to the workforce .
Again, the labor force participation is not the issue, but the fact is that most women who do work in Turkey are those who are not yet married, or are fiercely passionate about their work. The study does show, however, that for women who are married in Turkey, the role of being a caring mother is more important than the role of being an independent woman .
Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that the gender roles of the past in Turkey still have an effect on their society today. Men are expected to be providers in their families while the women are expected to be caring mothers. In turn, a woman will most likely leave her sense of independence for the responsibility of motherhood should she ever get married and the only time she will ever return to it is if it is beneficial for her children to work again.
References
Goksel, I. (2010). Conservatism and Female Labor Force Participation in Turkey. Bocconi University, Department of Economics.
Karaoglan, D., & Okten, C. (2012). Labor Force Participation of Married Women in Turkey: Is There An Added or a Discouraged Worker Effect? IZA.
OECD Economics Department. (2004). Female Labour Force Participation: Past Trends and Main Determinants in OECD Countries. OECD Economics Department.
