Resource: Diverse Turkish Women

Print Background Essay

Two very distinct women, the conservative wife of a fashion mogul and the secular daughter of a competing fashion mogul, offer glimpses into their very different lives. Tensions between secular and Islamic trends in Turkish society are showcased in several ways - a handshake between Mustafa Karaduman and an unrelated female model creates tension at home, while Ipek, the young woman living a more secular lifestyle, worries that the growing economic power of "fundamentalists" like Mustafa Karaduman and his family will lead to an increasingly Islamic Turkish state.

Turkey is located in a part of the world that was once called the Near East. For centuries it was a link between Europe and Asia. Its main city, Istanbul (previously called Constantinople), was a trading, religious, and social hub. Both Christianity and Islam have had major influences on the development of Turkey's culture.

In the early 1900s Turkey experienced a period of rapid economic and social change. In 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a popular leader in Turkey's military, declared the establishment of the Turkish Republic. He launched an aggressive program to modernize and secularize the country, which brought about many changes. Turkey has modernized its economy and is poised to become a member of the European Union. Simultaneously, religious and political leaders are working to preserve traditional Islamic aspects of Turkey's culture while embracing some of the West's attitudes and practices. Turkey's future stability and growth will be determined by how well it can incorporate the rich heritage of its past into its goals for future.

One of the industries that is confronted with this change is the garment industry. Some women in Turkey choose to wear traditional Islamic garb, while many others choose to wear non-traditional Western attire. What does this mean for business leaders in Turkey? What does it mean for female consumers? In the Turkey that is evolving, will there be room for both the past and the future?

Print Questions for Discussion

• Compare and contrast the home lives of the two families depicted in the clip. What are the differences? What are the similarities?
• In this clip, the older of the two women is the more conservative one, and the younger woman is more secular. Should we draw the conclusion that religious conservatism is "old-fashioned"? Given other information given in this clip and your prior knowledge, is Turkey's youth becoming more secular or more religious?
• This clip demonstrates two very different families, with different values, living side by side in Turkey. Where else does this happen? What tensions might emerge in a society as a result? Brainstorm strategies that Turkey's government could use to minimize tension between different societal groups.