An research on the concepts of women, children, and family in Kutadgu Bilig and Dede Korkut stories

When societies undergo a religious transformation, it takes time for them to adapt to their new beliefs and detach from the remnants of their former ones. During these processes, societies cannot fully extricate themselves from the influences of their native cultures. Concurrently, cultural interaction with the society from which the new religion is adopted becomes inevitable. This phenomenon is observable in the Turks' conversion to Islam. During this period, Turkish society retained traces of their former religions and cultures while also being influenced by the cultural structure of the Arab society with which they interacted during the learning and adoption of Islam. These influences are prominently reflected in the dynamics of women, children, and the family. The social changes within the community during this period were also reflected in the literary works of the time. In this context, two significant works from the period, namely Kutadgu Bilig and The Book of Dede Korkut, have been examined. These examinations initially focus on the concepts of women and children, fundamental elements of the family. Subsequently, the concept of the family, the most basic unit of society, is also considered. During this period in Turkish society, divergent views on women, children, and family matters are frequently observed in works produced with different perspectives, such as Kutadgu Bilig and The Book of Dede Korkut. To identify these differences, Kutadgu Bilig and The Book of Dede Korkut were analyzed through their translations. By evaluating the research findings, the concepts of women, children, and family in these works were analyzed separately within the context of the Turks' transition to Islam and compared in the conclusion section. It was observed that in both works, the perceptions of women, children, and family among the Turks began to undergo certain changes influenced by the teachings of Islam. This process manifested itself through different approaches in each of the works.