In Turkish society families tend to be divided into several types according to social, economic and local conditions. Traditionally there is what is known as an extended family in which three generations will all live together. However this tends to be viewed by some as a more old fashioned way of living and therefore it is becoming increasingly rarer to see. Instead of this there is now what is commonly referred to as a nuclear family in which it is simply the wife, husband and their unmarried children who all live together. Within these family units society dictates that each member will have a specific role to play and duties to carry out. For example the father will usually provide the income whilst the wife takes care of the home and family and may also work.
Turkish society also has a role for the children within the
family too and they will normally be expected to contribute to housework etc
when younger and then rent when older. Although in traditional families the
husband usually has most of the authority it is becoming more common for the
wife to have equal rights. Within society marriage is still a family occasion
and by law these have to be civil. Within
For Turkish women today they tend to marry at an earlier age then men and are often happy to fit into the traditional role. As with many countries women do work and even in more rural areas the number of women who work is quite high. Some of the older generation still feel that women should be in the home but these days women hold as many rights as men and hold many high powered jobs. These include bank managers, doctors, lawyers, judges, police and army officers. In fact the majority of those in the health service as well as a high percentage of lawyers are often women. Turkish society now recognises women as being able to hold important positions and there has even been a female Prime Minister. However there are still many people who do not feel that women should have these roles in society.
