Research into rural women's division of sexual labour in terms of social change: A study into two ethnically different villages that are close to antioch-on-the-orontes (Antakya) town center.

In this study, it is aimed to carry out research into married rural women living in two ethnically different villages, the Alahan village [Majority citizens are Turkish speaking Sunni Muslims, partly-nomadic and pastoral also known as The Yörüks] and the Zülüflühan village [Majority citizens are The Arabic speaking (mother tongue) Alawites mostly known as the Nusayris in the Middle East] of Antakya district of Hatay province which is one of the well-known centers of multiculturalism, of being mostly agricultural and rural based within Turkish Republic. The following is the topics of this comparative research project related to the women living in these two villages, the Alahan village and the Zülüflühan village: (i) household information in which the women live, (ii) the villager/the rural women?s time-use activities in private sphere (as unpaid labour force within the house), (iii) present status of employment and social security of the village/rural women, (iv) current socio-cultural and legal status of the village/rural women, and, (v) the village/rural women?s roles, attitudes, beliefs, opinions and contentions in terms of their own life both inside and outside the house. For the reason mentioned above, 71 (seventy-one) selected married women from the village Alahan and 70 (seventy) selected married women from the village Zülüflühan were interviewed face-to-face basis using survey and questionnaire methods. Other field work research methods used in this study are the participant observation and in-depth interview. Qualitative and quantitative methods were also employed and exploited together in this study which took place in terms of field work, between the year 2010 and 2012. This study were realized following the two main paths; one of the paths is that to look at whole issue from feminist economics literature standpoint combining women?s studies disciplines with agricultural economics; on top of this first path, the other path is that to try to reveal the realities how ethnicity affects the rural/village women in terms private and public sphere. The villages are comparatively close to the town center of Antakya. Mustafa Kemal University has been established and situated nearby the villages and on the soil of villages. That is why other target which this study wants to reach is to draw attention to the social change within the villages. The study is looking at reality of `rural women? from multidisciplinary standpoint. This study certainly and strongly believes in and advocates that socio economic problems and gender sensitive social policies should/must be considered and analyzed from the interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary vantage point. The research results of this study contributing to scientific literature can be summed up as follows: Women living in both the Alahan village and the Zülüflühan village: ? Have been neglected to get education, ? Are leading to a life as unpaid home-based labourers and, are describing themselves as ?housewives/houseladies/homemakers?, ? Are made to get married during their adolescent era when since the ethnicity issues the order of `do have more children? secretly and, are neglected to get education, all in all cannot be employed in the public sphere inevitably, ? Are the producers in their private sphere (in their home/household) however, are not paid in wages and, are not under any social security scheme, ? Are entitled to be reproductive biologically in return, are making a bargain with patriarchal system and, are being reproductive economically but cannot earn any money. This is what as feminist economics rejects but capitalist systems accepts, ? Are producing added value, are in need of getting a decent and lifelong education, however, are in deep difficulties to realize their ambition since the immense responsibilities and pressures put by culture, religion and social strafications, ? Feel their presence in the public sphere only by watching TV. They are under an illusion, ? Are the citizens who are made invisible by state social policies and state lawmakers, ? Are hugely affected by the demographic mobility brought by the foundation of the campus of Mustafa Kemal University both in positive and negative ways.