A comparative analysis of the family cycles of working women and housewives

This study is based on exploring the family life cycles of married working women and married housewives. The research was conducted with qualitative research method. Phenemonological research was utilized to explore family experiences and to get to the core. The sample consisted of 89 participants from the families of married working women and married housewives residing in Osmaniye city. As a result of the research, it was determined that the working woman plays a role in money circulation within the family with her economic capital and increases the volume of capital with her husband's economic capital, thus playing a role in investment processes. It is among the findings that housewives' lack of economic capital prevents them from taking part in money circulation. It has been discovered that in the families of working women, decisions are made together, while housewives have a decision-making mechanism similar to the distinction between private and public spheres. Interviews with working women, housewives and relatives revealed that the participants had a common habitus. However, while the capital accumulation process allows working women to experience upward class mobility in their habitus, it is observed that it remains at the stagnation level for housewives. Thus, while the habitus of working women is shaped by capital accumulation, the habitus of housewives is reproduced. It is one of the findings that in the families of working women, the husband and wife perform domestic work on the basis of division of labor, while the husbands of housewives do not take part in domestic work. It was concluded that women have authority over children, husbands of housewives have authority over their wives, and authority is shared between husband and wife through a balance mechanism in the case of working women. The fact that men do not know the rules regarding childcare opens up the sphere of power to women. In this context, women's authority over children is based on the ground of legitimacy. Working women utilize their social capital for childcare.