Investigation of mothers' child socialization goals from an intercultural perspective

In this research, similarities and differences in child socialization goals of Turkish and North Iraqi mothers were examined. The study employed a qualitative research method called cultural analysis. The study group consisted of 20 mothers living in Antalya, Turkey, and 20 mothers living in Duhok, North Iraq, making a total of 40 mothers. A personal information form was used to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, and the Socialization Goals Inventory (SHE) was used to determine their child socialization goals. Descriptive analysis and qualitative content analysis were used to analyze the data. As a result of the research, it was determined that Turkish and North Iraqi mothers showed similarities in child socialization goals related to self-realization and social adaptation. Both cultures of mothers focused on self-confidence in the psychological development category. Their socialization goals related to self-control were also found to be similar. It was observed that both groups of mothers emphasized the display of empathetic and helpful behaviors while avoiding behaviors such as selfishness, hatred, and animosity when it came to child socializatio.. Although there were similar dimensions in child socialization goals between North Iraqi and Turkish mothers, there were also differences in certain dimensions. For instance, Turkish mothers tended to focus on emotional and physical well-being in the dimension of self-realization, while North Iraqi mothers focused more on developing personal and economic potential. Another difference was that, unlike Turkish mothers, North Iraqi mothers placed greater emphasis on behaviors related to "being strong and brave in coping and defending one's rights."