Views of Male University Students About Social Gender Roles: An Example From East of Turkey

• NCJ Number: 237115
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 26 Issue: 7 Dated: October 2011 Pages: 519-526
• Author(s): Filiz Adana; Hulya Arslantas; Filiz Ergin; Necla Bicer; Nilufer Kiransal; Sultan Sahin
• Date Published: October 2011
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This study was presented as verbal statement at sixth Summer School symposium in Romania, and part of this study was published in Jurnal Medical Brasovean in Romania.

Annotation

Social gender roles refer to the roles that are traditionally associated with women and men. Social gender role includes the personal attributes and behaviors which are culturally assigned to women and men. This study was conducted to determine the views of male students at Caucasian University Health School on social gender roles at work, social life, marriage, and family life.

Abstract

The study was conducted on male students studying at Kars Health School, Nursing and Health Officers Department during 2007-2008 academic year. The students were given 24 statements relating to work life, social life, marriage, and family life to determine their views on social gender roles. Results indicated that 30.2 percent of the male students stated that women could work in a paid job, 56.9 percent believed in equality of women and men, 44.8 percent approved honor killing, 40.5 percent said the girls should receive education as far as they can go, 54.3 percent said the role of the women was to "provide moral support to their husband and children," 37.1percent stated that husbands could beat their wives under certain circumstances, 52.6percent said they witnessed violence in their family at some stage of their lives, 51.7percent said the women's environment should be decided by the spouses together, 25 percent said the women should engage in sexual intercourse with their spouses even if they did not want to. Men who thought the role of the women was to do housework/giving birth to children/looking after the elderly members of the house, and who approved honor killing and disapproved working of their spouses, and who did not believe in equality of women and men, were found to support violence to women by men. Moreover, the students who witnessed violence at some stage of their lives supported this view as well. It was considered that the students should be educated on the definition of violence and situations involving violence, and directed to consultant services. (Published Abstract)