Working woman between modern and intimate: Case of Çorum

In this study, in the context of the relationship between religion and modernization, working religious women's perceptions of religion and modernity were examined and the way they position themselves between religion and modernization was investigated. With this study, it is aimed to reveal the changing views of religion and modernity in society and to contribute to the literature. In this qualitative study, the perspectives, research techniques and data analysis methods of phenomenological and grounded theory approaches were used together. With the phenomenological method, it is aimed to reveal the common or different aspects of the experiences of religious working women between religion and modernity and to understand what this experience means to them. With the grounded theory approach, it is aimed to develop a new typology of women who are on the one hand religious and on the other hand a part of modern life. The research consists of two parts: conceptual framework and field research. The conceptual framework, which was created using field notes and documentation techniques, deals with modernity in Europe, secularization, modernization in Turkey, religion and women. For the field research, seventy-three women between the ages of 25-60 working in public institutions in the center of Çorum between July 15, 2024 and April 15, 2025 were interviewed and data were collected with semi-structured interview questions. Purposive sampling and snowball technique were used to reach the participants. Within the scope of the main and sub-problems of the research, the perception of working religious women about religion and religiosity, their perception of modernity and its relationship with modernity, their views on the presence of women in working life, the relationship of women's work with religion and modernity, and the problems faced by working religious women in business life, family and other environments were discussed. As a result, it was concluded that although working religious women feel strong in the belief dimension of religion, they experience regression in the practical and formal dimension. Working religious women address modernity in different aspects. However, none of the participants accept an understanding of modernity that is far from religion and idealize modernization by remaining religious. Thus, the "flexible modern religious woman" model has emerged among working religious women. Working religious women value the presence of women in working life, but they also emphasize working conditions. Participants sometimes experience problems in their working lives because they are women and sometimes because they are religious women. All of the problems experienced by working religious women in their home lives are associated with being women. In the circle of relatives and friends, the fact that women are working has a decisive effect on relationships.