Elements affecting the social positions of the mothers of mentally disabled children; The case of Bağcılar district of Istanbul province

This research, which was carried out in Bağcılar district of Istanbul province, aims to understand the economic, psychological and social experiences of mothers with mentally retarded children, to reveal how the events they encounter in their daily lives are perceived by mothers and how they affect their socialization; aims to be transferred within the framework of sociological theories and concepts. Within the scope of the study, a literature review on the subject and a qualitative research were conducted in Istanbul Bağcılar Haypader Special Education Practice School. The population of the research consists of twenty-six mothers whose children are educated in Haypader Special Education Practice School. Each of the mothers was interviewed using in-depth interview technique to investigate how they experienced being the mother of a mentally handicapped child.In the research, it was found that mothers undertake domestic responsibilities alone, there is not sufficient awareness and understanding in this regard in the society, mothers do not have their own time, socio-economic problems, negative discrimination comes to the fore, mothers have psychological problems and social exclusion in this process, physically It was concluded that they had difficulty in meeting the demands and needs of their families, they could not get support from their acquaintances, the streets and parks in the neighborhoods they lived in, the city life was not suitable for their children and themselves, and the educational support was below the expectations of the mothers. Another result reached as a result of the study is not the fact that their children are disabled, but the point of view and attitude of the society towards disabled individuals. Key Words: Family, Gender, Mental Disability, Social Position,