Meanings attached to the child: The example of Şanliurfa

In addition to being a biological creature, the child is a social creature that survives by being influenced by the culture and the family he was born in. Features such as the place of residence, the region of residence and the economic and cultural values of the family are among the basic elements that determine the social meaning of the child. At the same time, the gender of the child and the birth order have a role in this determining factor, as well as the expectations of the families from their children. In traditional families, the expectation of a boy is more preferred than a girl. The reasons behind these expectations are the fact that the male child's economic contribution to the family is high, that he is socially accepted as a source of "power" in the family, and that the male continues the generation. Thoughts such as the separation of the girl from the family after marriage and the lack of economic contribution to the family are among the reasons that leave the girl child in the shadow of the boy in traditional families. While the opposite is true in nuclear families, it is seen that the same value is attributed to both genders and expectations are determined equally. Similar data were found in our study.