Zehra Zeynep SADIKOĞLU
Abstract
Based on the evaluation of current research findings, this study aims to reveal the change in Turkish family structure and women’s occupations. This process was discussed in three sub-periods: the first from the 1920s to the 1950s, the second between 1950-1980, that is marked with urbanization and an intense internal migration, and the third after 1980s, when Turkey has become under the influence globalization. The changing characteristics of the Turkish family structure are the spread of more modern trends in the way couples meet and marry, the decrease in fertility rates, the increase in the rates of broken families, and the decrease in the rates of patriarchal extended families. In women’s occupations, while the responsibilities related to the education of children increase over time, the rate of women’s participation in non-agricultural employment increases with the increase in their level of education. However, the nuclear household model and extended family relations are still important. Also, the social value of the domestic responsibilities, the limitations of the market economy, and the child’s psychological value causes women’s traditional roles to maintain their importance.
Keywords: Turkish Family Structure, Women’s Occupations, Modernization, Urbanization, Globalization.
