Dini Araştırmalar (Religious Studies)

Abstract

Family and women are among the fundamental issues that sociology focuses on. It is
a reality that the issue of women has been addressed from various sociological perspectives
in our country. The transition process of Turkish society from a traditional to a modern lifestyle
has been discussed and continues to be discussed with an emphasis on the issues of
family and women. The process of change experienced in Turkish society has been evaluated
and interpreted differently by various social segments. Therefore, while some analyze the
changes experienced in Turkish society through the individual and social gains of women,
others see them as a disintegration in society’s values and norms and try to resist or reverse
the change. The members of the Islamist/conservative ideology are at the forefront of the
social segments that read and interpret the process of change experienced by Turkish society
through women. The members of the said ideology have argued that the process of change
experienced will weaken the traditional roles of women. They have adopted the basic principle
of referring to religious arguments while formulating their thoughts. Because they are
aware that the phenomenon of religion is one of the most functional factors in Turkish society.
At this point, Şule Yüksel Şenler stands out with her views on the impact of the process
of change experienced in Turkish society on women. She has been influential through her
works, which were written in order to protect and reproduce traditional life patterns based
on the idea that women are negatively affected by the process of change. She believes that
the process of change causes serious social disintegration in the traditional status and roles
of women. As a woman, Şule Yüksel Şenler has left her mark on the religious intellectual landscape of her period with her feelings and thoughts, especially with her unique style of
dressing, and has directed the religious understanding and lifestyle, especially of Islamic/
conservative women. In addition to influencing other women with her approach, she
has also resonated with men who hold traditional religious and feminine values through her
thoughts and ideas. Şule Yüksel Şenler has pioneered the socialization of the idealized understanding
by sharing her views on how women should behave in matters such as their roles
and status within the family, education, social life, work life, etc. She has emphasized women’s
obedience and their need to depend on/rely on men while continuing their lives, and
at one point, she has explained within the framework of her own worldview that it is not
possible for women to stand on their own feet as individuals. Şule Yüksel Şenler, who has
analyzed and evaluated especially women's clothing styles, has not refrained from making
evaluations about Muslim Turkish men and has categorized men according to the clothing
styles of their women and girls. In this study, what kind of family and women understanding
Şule Yüksel Şenler has, what kind of attitude she puts forward towards the process of change
experienced in Turkish society, and her approaches towards families and women affected by
the process of change are discussed. In the study, Şenler's works are taken into the center,
and analyses are made using the documentation method and a sociological perspective, and
comments are made.