Perspectives of women participating in certificate programs at Istanbul University Continuing Education Center towards lifelong learning, continuing education center and women's phenomena in working life

The purpose of the study is to set forth an in-depth and detailed analysis of the opinions of women receiving education from the continuing education center on lifelong learning, continuing education center and the phenomena of women in working life. This way, concepts underlying their thoughts will be discovered and the subject will be made sense of. Within the scope of the study, there are 26 female participants who attended trainings within the certificate programs provided in both 2017 and 2018 at Istanbul University Continuing Education Center. Based on qualitative research methods, the study adopts Grounded Theory approach in terms of research design. Besides the fact that the disadvantaged position of women in working life continues, lifelong learning policies are also observed to be transformed within the scope of the labor market. Based on these two facts, a qualitative research to be conducted among women attending trainings at continuing education centers would display the importance of the study with respect to the question of how they make sense of the aforementioned matters. As a result, it was revealed that the participants consider lifelong learning from a marketist approach and see it as a necessity, required by the economic structure. Regarding the continuing education center, on the other hand, it is observed that vocational education is the main reason of participation. The results obtained regarding the phenomenon of women in working life revealed that women internalize their disadvantaged positions and perceive working as a blessing rather than a fundamental social right. On the other hand, it is concluded that the main problem has to do with gender and a change of mentality is necessary before legal regulations.