A sociological approach to the situtation and problems of the academic women in the modern Turkey

If the process of Turkish modernization is investigated it is clearly seen that there is an important correlation between the image of woman within the modernization ideology of the state and of the education for woman in terms of acquiring her new modern identity. Throughout the history of Turkish modernization, educated woman in particular has been considered as a symbol of it on the social ground.However, educated women having with graduate or/and postgraduate degrees have taken important role in awakening the conscious of modernization in the society by taking a part in intellectual life, by participating in the social and political life, and even by being in the vanguard of these activities.In addition, in the Turkish modernization process status of woman has been exalted by her place in the working life. It has been supposed that the emancipation of woman might be possible by her participation in the working life, and thus the participation of woman in the working life has been emulated.This research aims to analyse, sociologically; to what extent the process mentioned above coincides with the conditions of the academic women in the universities having the top position. In addition, the condition of academic women in working life which is commonly assumed, according to the statistical data obtained, to be in better condition in contrast to conditions of women working in the other fields had compared in this research.In this research, sample of which include 716 academic women, findings relating to academic women are obtained by using survey technique. It is drawn from the findings obtained that academic women come mostly from middle or upper-middle class according to their social origin; the more they promote, their proportion decreases in provincial universities and increases in central universities; intensify in certain areas according to their entitlement in the context of gender; are represented with less numbers in middle and upper administrative positions; exposed to gender discrimination with low rates in respects to promotion and advancement in the academic carrier but meet also with a politics of promotion based on not merit but loyalty and obedience (such as backing and nepotism, affinity to administrator); most of are complain the working conditions and particularly in salary and not to be satisfied with it; experience even partially conflict in the working place; most of are married with children; those of who married with children mostly represent the image of `modern family? depending on the number of children; they take the responsibility for the domestic roles rather upon herself; most of married women do not share domestic roles with her husband but fulfil it with the aid of a housemaid, nursemaid or her relatives or husband?s relatives; at the scientific activities most of are become influential in their individual advancements but they do not take enough part in activities which are made collectively and open to the public interest (such as projects); most of are reluctant to participate in politics due to various reasons; most of them have a religious belief and as in the design of the modernization ideology perceive it as a fact that is required individual to carry it in her conscience and to satisfy her conscience; participate in leisure activities characterized as modern and artistic with higher rate but in non-governmental activities like association, union, etc. with low rate; there is sexual and emotional molestation against woman in the universities even if with low rate.Key Words: Modernization and Woman, Turkish Modernization and Woman, Academic Woman, Woman in Working Life, Woman in Education Sector