Attitudes of determine 1st and 4th class of midwifery/nursing students' regarding to gender roles

This study is methodological and cross-sectional in character and is based on a first and fourth class to midwifery and nursing girl students enrolled at their attitudes towards gender roles and the factors causing differentiation in these attitudes. The universe as well as the sample of the study consisted of a total of 209 first and fourth year students enrolled at Çukurova University Adana Health College.As the medium of data collection a questionnaire and a ?Gender Roles Attitude Scale? (GRAS) developed by the ZEYNELOĞLU has been used (Cronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficient 0.92). The questionnaire and the GRAS were applied to first students Oct 03th in 2008 and fourh students May 29th in 2009. The collected data was processed in SPSS 11.5 and was analyzed examining levels of means, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values and percentage points utilizing statistical tests like t-test, ANOVA test. The results of the study reveal egalitarian attitudes among students for the sub-dimensions named ?egalitarian gender roles? (the score means of 1st students is 34.72 points, 4th students is 35.10) ,?female gender roles? (the score means of 1st students is 27.29 points, 4th students is 29.64), ?marriage gender roles? (the score means of 1st students is 34.94 points, 4th students is 36.62), ?traditional gender roles? (the score means of 1st students is 28.13 points, 4th students is 31.19) and ?male gender roles? (the score means of 1st students is 23.23 points, 4th students is 24.59). Average and median GRAS scores of respondent students were found to differ (statistical significance level p<0.05) according to class and their mother?s education attitudes. In general, students are found to have egalitarian attitudes towards gender roles (means GRAS score 1st 148.28 ? 18.61 points, 4th 157.14 ? 17.80). Based on the results of the study suggestions for the promotion of egalitarian attitudes towards gender roles were developed.Key Words: Gender, reproductive health, gender ınequality, midwifery and nursing students.