TÜRKİYE'DE ERKEK OLMAK: ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN YAŞADIKLARI ZORLUKLAR
BEING MEN IN TURKEY: THE DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the opinion of male university students in Turkey about the difficulties they are experiencing as men. For this purpose, firstly focus group interviews were conducted with 10 students and some questions were asked to identify how they are considering being men in Turkey. Statements focused on difficulties of being men in Turkey. Then socio-demographic characteristics and one open-ended question were designed by researchers considering the answers given at these interviews. The question was ‘What are the difficulties you are experiencing as a man in Turkey?’ The study group was composed of 201 individuals who were selected with convenience sampling and snowball sampling. Both face-to-face method and online form were used. The data gained from participants were analyzed by use of content analyses. In the analyzing process, data is arranged and coded by each researcher and themed on the basis of codes and categories that have been identified in themes. After data was coded separately by one researcher; codes, categories and themes were evaluated again by other three researchers. And then distributions are displayed by frequencies and percentages. According to the results, participants stated that they are experiencing following difficulties; experiencing social pressure (124; %56, 88), required responsibilities (53; %23, 86), stigmatization-potential criminality (42; %19, 26). According to the results, male university students in Turkey are having difficulties about high expectations in society, negative effects of positive discrimination, stereotypes about gender, expectations of being strong and sexuality within the social pressure theme. Also having money, compulsory military service, finding/starting a job, getting married are responsibilities that caused difficulties. In addition, the participants stated that they are having difficulties in the society about stigmatization towards men and being considered as potential criminals. The findings were discussed in the light of literature and some suggestions were presented.

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