The comparison of attitudes towards gender roles among medicalfaculty students and theology faculty students

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the attitudes towards gender roles of medical faculty students and theology faculty students. Method: Our research is cross-sectional and descriptive in nature. It is a face-to-face and online survey study. The study was conducted at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Theology between February and March 2024. Medical and theology students who agreed to participate in the research and provided consent were included. The Gender Roles Scale consisting of 15 questions in a 5-point Likert scale was used as the data collection tool, and demographic data were evaluated. Results: A total of 410 students, 244 (59.5%) female and 166 (40.5%) male, were included in the study. Female students were found to have higher scores on the gender roles scale compared to male students. 54.2% of the students were from the medical faculty, while 45.8% were from the theology faculty. It is observed that the scores of the participants in the medical faculty on the gender roles attitude scale are higher than those of the participants in the theology faculty. There is a statistically significant difference in the gender roles attitude scale scores among the participants according to their classes (p<0.05). Bonferroni correction was applied to find the significant group. It is observed that the scores of the participants in classes 2, 5, and 6 on the gender roles attitude scale are higher than those of the participants in class 3. There is a statistically significant difference in the gender roles attitude scale scores among the participants according to their mothers' educational status (p<0.05). Bonferroni correction was applied to find the significant group. It is observed that the scores of the participants whose mothers' educational status is high school are higher than those of the participants whose mothers have no education. It is also observed that the scores of the participants whose mothers' educational status is college/university are higher than those of the participants whose mothers have no education or have primary and secondary education.Participants' attitudes towards gender roles vary significantly depending on their mothers' employment status (p<0.05). Bonferroni correction was applied to identify the significant group. It is observed that participants whose mothers are currently employed have higher scores on the gender roles attitude scale compared to those whose mothers have never worked. There is also a statistically significant difference in the gender roles attitude scale scores among the participants based on their fathers' educational status (p<0.05). Bonferroni correction was applied to identify the significant group. Participants whose fathers' educational status is college/university have higher scores on the gender roles attitude scale compared to those whose fathers have no education. There is a statistically significant difference in the gender roles attitude scale scores among the participants based on the presence of siblings (p<0.05). Bonferroni correction was applied to identify the significant group. Participants who have no siblings or only male siblings have higher scores on the gender roles attitude scale compared to those with both male and female siblings. Conclusion: This study suggests that while medical faculty students may have relatively egalitarian attitudes, the attitudes towards gender roles of medical and theology faculty students develop under the shadow of traditional societal perspectives in terms of various demographic characteristics. Education with multidisciplinary approaches is necessary to build a more just and liberating society regarding the evolving and developing societal gender roles influenced by various factors such as religious, economic, sociopolitical, familial, peer groups, or mass media. Approaches to gender roles can lead to discrimination even in patients' healthcare access, hence increasing awareness among medical faculty students about the effects of gender roles both theoretically and practically in the clinics where they receive training can enhance their awareness. Keywords: gender roles, medical students, theology students, awareness