Investigation of the relationship between mothers' motherhood roles and gender perceptions in family support centers

The aim of this study is to investigate the connection between the motherhood roles that mothers ascribe to themselves and their perceptions, expectations, or patterns of gender roles. As data collection tools, a "Personal Information Form" prepared by the researcher to gather demographic information, the "Traditional Motherhood Scale" developed by Dr. Whatley and Dr. Knox, and the "Gender Perception Scale" were utilized. This study is based on a quantitative research method. The research population consists of mothers with children in infancy, preschool, and primary school ages who attend courses at four Family Support Centers located in the Yüreğir district of Adana province. In this study, the relationships between the demographic characteristics of mothers at Family Support Centers and their attitudes toward gender perceptions and traditional motherhood roles were examined. The majority of participating mothers were between the ages of 26–41, had low income levels, and were graduates of primary or lower secondary education. Findings revealed that younger, more educated, higher- income, employed, and urban-dwelling mothers exhibited more egalitarian attitudes, while older age, higher number of children, and rural living reinforced more traditional perceptions of motherhood. A moderate, negative correlation was found between Gender Perception and Traditional Motherhood; indicating that as egalitarian attitudes increase, traditional role perceptions decrease, although both types of attitudes can coexist at the individual level.