women's changing experiences with patriarchy during rural transformation of turkey

281 Pages·2014·1.97 MB·English

WOMEN’S  CHANGING  EXPERIENCES  WITH  PATRIARCHY  DURING  
RURAL TRANSFORMATION OF TURKEY: A CASE STUDY IN A
CENTRAL ANATOLIAN TOWN AVANOS

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
OF
MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY

AYŞE  GÖNÜLLÜ  ATAKAN

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

SEPTEMBER 2014
Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences

Prof. Dr. Meliha ALTUNIŞIK
Director

I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy.

Prof.  Dr.  Ayşe  SAKTANBER
Head of Department

This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully
adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Prof.  Dr.  Ayşe  GÜNDÜZ  HOŞGÖR
Supervisor

Examining Committee Members

Prof.  Dr.  Yıldız  ECEVİT (METU,SOC)
Prof.  Dr.  Ayşe  GÜNDÜZ  HOŞGÖR (METU,SOC)
Assoc.  Prof.  Dr.  Helga  RITTERSBERGER  TILIÇ (METU,SOC)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aksu BORA (HU, COM SCI)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Nadide KARKINER (AU, SOC)

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I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and
presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also
declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and
referenced all material and results that are not original to this work.

Name, Last name : Ayşe  Gönüllü  Atakan

Signature

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ABSTRACT

WOMEN’S  CHANGING  EXPERIENCES  WITH  PATRIARCHY  DURING  
RURAL TRANSFORMATION OF TURKEY: A CASE STUDY IN A
CENTRAL ANATOLIAN TOWN AVANOS

Gönüllü  Atakan,  Ayşe
Ph.D., Department of Sociology
Supervisor: Prof.  Dr.  Ayşe  Gündüz  Hoşgör

September 2014, 266 pages

This thesis is a qualitative study  on  women’s  changing  patriarchal  experiences  
after 1980s during rural transformation process of a central Anatolian district –
Avanos- from a feminist perspective. The main argument of this research that
patriarchy and capitalism are the main sources of  women’s  oppression  today,  and  
a change in one affects the other closely. According to the findings of the
research, the organization, control and intensity of both productive and
reproductive labour of women determine the patriarchal experiences in their life-
cycle. Although the rural transformation process enables women to expand their
mobility, increase their agency and gain autonomy albeit limited in terms of
education,   marriage   and   employment   patterns   one   cannot   mention   women’s  
liberation from patriarchy without a revolutionary change in the nature of gender
division of labour specifically without a revolutionary organization of care.

Keywords: Patriarchy, Rural Transformation, Gender Division of Labour

iv
ÖZ

KIRSAL  DÖNÜŞÜM  SÜRECİNDE  KADINLARIN  DEĞİŞEN  ATAERKİL  
DENEYİMLERİ:  BİR  ORTA  ANADOLU  İLÇESİ- AVANOS- ÖRNEĞİ  

Gönüllü  Atakan,  Ayşe
Doktora,  Sosyoloji  Bölümü
Tez  Yöneticisi:  Prof.  Dr.  Ayşe  Gündüz  Hoşgör

Eylül 2014, 266 sayfa

Bu   tez   bir   Orta   Anadolu   ilçesi   olan   Avanos’ta   1980’lerden   sonraki   kırsal  
dönüşümle  birlikte  kadınların  değişen  ataerkil  deneyimlerini  incelemek  üzerine  
yapılmış  feminist  bir  araştırmadır.  Bu  araştırmanın  temel  argümanı  ataerkil  ve  
kapitalist   sistemin   kadınların   ezilmesinin   temel   kaynakları   olduğu   ve   bu  
yapılardan   birindeki   değişimin   diğerini   yakından   etkilediğidir.   Araştırmanın  
bulguları  göstermiştir  ki,  üretken  ve  yeniden  üreten (reproduktif)  emeğin nasıl  
örgütlendiği,  bu  iki  emek  tipinin  yoğunluğu  ve  kontrolü  kadının  yaşam  döngüsü  
içerisindeki  ataerkil  deneyimlerini  belirlemektedir.  Bu  bağlamda,  kırsal  dönüşüm  
sonucunda   eğitim,   evlilik   ve   istihdamdaki   değişiklikler   kadının   hareketliliğini  
arttırmış,  sınırlı  da  olsa  otonom  aktörler  olmasını  sağlamış  olsa  da, toplumsal
cinsiyete   dayalı   iş   bölümünün   doğasında,   özellikle   bakım   emeğinin  
örgütlenmesinde   temel   bir   değişim   olmadıkça   kadının   özgürleşmesinden   söz  
etmek  mümkün  olmamaktadır.  

Anahtar Kelimeler: Ataerkillik,  Kırsal  Dönüşüm,  Toplumsal  Cinsiyete  Dayalı  İş
bölümü  

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To  My  Grandmother  Mihriye…

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The process of doing Ph.D. was a long journey for me. When I look back from the
end of this road I see full of support of my professors, family and friends. Among
them, there are people I want to especially thank. My supervisor Prof.  Dr.  Ayşe  
Gündüz  Hoşgör,  who  inspired me to work on rural, has been always with me
during all phases of my research. Whenever I was confused and felt lost in the
field I received full support and motivation of her. Furthermore, I am thankful for
her guidance in all aspects of my life.

I would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Yıldız  Ecevit.  Besides  being  one  of  the  
members in my thesis committee, she raised me as a feminist academician,
feminist activist and feminist mother. I would like to thank to rest of my thesis
committee:  Assoc.  Prof.  Dr.  Helga  Rittersberger  Tılıç,  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aksu Bora
and  Assist.  Prof.  Dr.  Nadide  Karkıner  for  their  encouragement  and  insightful  
comments. I would also thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura E. Bier for her academic
mentorship during my presence as a visiting researcher in Georgia Tech School of
History, Technology and Society

I  would  like  to  specially  thank  Günce.  It could not have been possible to write this
thesis without her logistic and moral support. I owe her a lot. Completion of this
Ph.D. thesis was also possible with the help and companionship of my friends
from  Ankara;;  Aslı,  Gamze,  Hilal, Engin, Figen, Rana, Meltem, Nihal,  Ülkü and
new  friends  from  Urla;;  Özlem  and  Katherine.    

I express also my warm thanks to subgovernor of Avanos during my field study,
Aylin  Kırcı  Duman. Without her interest in my research and logistic support it is
impossible to conduct this research and collect data so easily in Avanos. I would
also thank people from Avanos for their support during the field; Didem Dileri,
Burcu  Kılıç,  Sibel Pirinç  Aplak,  Safiye  and  Meryem  Kavak.  

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Special thanks to my parents Müzeyyen  and  Mustafa for their amazing support
throughout my life. They have never been tired even for a moment in my Ph.D.
process. They always believed me. My life is beautiful and full of fun with them. I
would also to thank my parents in law for their support and full motivation in this
process.

Lastly, I would like to thank members of my  nuclear  family.  My  husband  Barış  
has witnessed all of my enthusiastic and stressful times during this process. As
two junior academicians and stubborn couple we experienced hard times.
However, through our love we survived safely. I would also like to thank him his
support in my field research. Last of all, I would like to thank my love, my joy,
my son Deniz not being angry for the times that I stole from him.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PLAGIARISM ...................................................................................................... …iii
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iv
ÖZ .............................................................................................................................. v
DEDICATION .......................................................................................................... vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... ix
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. xiii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................... xiv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................. xv
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
1.1 Purpose of the Study and Previous Research on the Subject ................ 3
1.2 Theoretical Background and Research Question(s) of the Study ......... 4
1.3. Significance of the Thesis ..................................................................... 7
1.4. Research Design and Methodology ...................................................... 8
1.4. The Plan of Chapters ........................................................................... 10

2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: STRUCTURAL EXPLANATIONS ON
WOMEN’S  OPPRESSION  WITHIN  PATRIARCHY  AND  
POSSIBILITIES FOR WOMEN’S  AGENCY  IN  PATRIARCHAL  
STRUCTURE .............................................................................................. 12
2.1. Introduction . ......................................................................................... 12
2.2. Defining Patriarchy ............................................................................... 14
2.3. Transformation of Patriarchy. ............................................................... 15
2.4.  Feminist  Approaches  on  Women’s  Experiences  of  Oppression. .......... 21
2.4.1.  Explaining  women’s  oppression  with  two  systems  (Patriarchy
and capitalism; are they interrelated or autonomous?). ............. 27
2.4.1.1. Dual System Analysis. .................................................. 28
2.4.1.2. Unified System Analysis. .............................................. 34
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2.4.1.2.1. Gender division of labor. ...................................... 36
2.4.1.2.2. Tension between two systems. ............................. 40
2.5.  Women’s  Agency. ................................................................................. 42
2.5.1. Empowerment as an analytic concept. ...................................... 42
2.5.1.1. Ability to make strategic life choices. ................................. 43
2.6. Summary ............................................................................................... 46
3. DESIGN OF THE FIELD: HOW INTERGENERATIONAL
EXPERIENCES WERE LEARNED BY WOMEN .................................... 48
3.1. Introduction. .......................................................................................... 48
3.2. Entering the Field. ................................................................................. 49
3.3. First Part of the Research:  Getting  the  Data  on  Avanos’s  Socio-
economic Structure and Profile . ............................................................ 53
3.3.1. First interview in the field. ........................................................... 56
3.3.2. Daily routine in the field. ............................................................. 58
3.3.3. Organizing the data retrieved from the first phase and planning
of the second phase ......................................................................... 57
3.4.  Second  Part:  Getting  the  data  on  Women’s  Changing  Experiences.. ... 58
3.4.1. Intergenerational approach . ......................................................... 59
3.4.2. Introducing the participants . ........................................................ 61
3.4.3. Interviewing process . .................................................................. 73
3.4.3.1. Establishing rapport with mutual disclosure . ..................... 73
3.4.3.2. Life-course perspective . ..................................................... 74
3.4.3.3. Data analysis . ...................................................................... 76
3.5. Field Experiences . ................................................................................ 78
3.5.1. Challenges . .................................................................................. 78
3.5.2. Reciprocity issue. ......................................................................... 80
3.5.3. Unexpected situations. ................................................................. 82
3.6. Summary. .............................................................................................. 85
4. RURAL TRANSFORMATION OF AVANOS. ................................................. 85
4.1. Introduction. .......................................................................................... 85
4.2. Petty Commodity Production and Patrilocally Extended Household. .. 88
x