Introduction
12 Temmuz 2007
Introduction
The worlds youth and adolescences are different from each other because of culture differences. Their traits, attitudes change country by country. Turkish adolescents characteristics like not only the Asia but also the western culture. In the rural countries, the aspects of eastern; in the urban countries, the aspects of western can be seen. As a consequence, the difference between adolescences lives can be observed in the different parts of Turkey. This difference can also be seen in the different classes and genders.
After, provide brief of demographic picture of Turkey, I start this report with my cultural contradiction of adolescence and how Turkey view adolescence according to my personal experiences. Then, I talked about family and peer relationships of Turkish adolescence. Since my personal views are not adequate for this part I benefit from by of my friends experiences. Then, I talked about youth education in Turkey. Since I will be a teacher, this is the best-related subject of my occupation that I mentioned. Then, one of the most important effects of life employment was mentioned. I talked about the contrast between not only the urban areas and rural areas but also different gender opportunities. Political and civic participation is as important in adolescences lives. I benefited from some statistics while I was writing about last employment and political, civic participation. Crime and violence rate in Turkish adolescents are affected from lots of aspects. I mentioned about them.
Physically health, sexuality and reproduction heath and mental health are the subjects that I mentioned in this report by using some statistics. Youth services is an important subject, too. However, I could not utilize my findings a lot. However, youth services effect on Turkish adolescence cannot be denied. Globalization affects the Turkish adolescence life negatively or positively as in the other countries.
The last but the not least I talked bout the future prospects of Turkish adolescence. When I invest about this subject I talked with my two boy and two girl friends from the university. The boys and the girls thoughts are sometimes similar but, their aspects change in some concepts.
Consequently, in this report I talked about main effects of Turkish adolescents life sometimes by comparing with the other countries. The effects of not only east but also the western cultures on Turkish youth lives can be easily seen in this report.
Demographic Picture of Turkey
Human Development Index
Life expectancy at birth (years), 2001
70.1
Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above), 2001
85.5
Combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment ratio (%), 2000/01
60
Demographic Trends
Total population (millions), 1975
41.0
Total population (millions), 2001
69.3
Total population (millions), 2015
82.1
Annual population growth rate (%), 1975-2001
2.0
Annual population growth rate (%), 2000-2015
1.2
Urban population (as % of total), 1975
41.6
Urban population (as % of total), 2001
66.2
Urban population (as % of total), 2015
71.8
Population under age 15 (as % of total), 2001
31.2
Population under age 15 (as % of total), 2015
25.0
population over age 65 (as % of total), 2001
5.6
population over age 65 (as % of total), 2015
6.7
Total fertility rate (per woman), 1970-75
5.2
Total fertility rate (per woman), 2000-05
2.4
Survival: progress and setbacks
Life expectancy at birth (years), 1970-75
57.9
Life expectancy at birth (years), 2000-05
70.5
Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), 1970
150
Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), 2001
36
Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), 1970
201
Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), 2001
43
Probability at birth of surviving to age 65, female (% of cohort), 2000-05
81.0
Probability at birth of surviving to age 65, male (% of cohort), 2000-05
71.0
Maternal mortality ratio reported (per 100,000 live births), 1985-2001
130
Literacy and enrolment
Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above), 1990
77.9
Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above), 2001
85.5
Youth literacy rate (% age 15-24), 1990
92.7
Youth literacy rate (% age 15-24), 2001
96.7
Net primary enrolment ratio (%), 1990-91
89
Net primary enrolment ratio (%), 2000-01
..
Net secondary enrolment ratio (%), 1990-91
41
www.undp.org
Description of Adolescence
Generally, the term adolescence means that the time in a persons life between childhood and mature adulthood. This indicates usually the ages between 11 and 19 especially in Turkey. Although the meaning of adolescence in Turkish language is ergen, this term is not usually used. The girls that during the age of 18-25 can be called as genç kız that means young girl. However, the boys during adolescence are called delikanlı that means crazy blood.
The difference that Turkish people concepts about the boys and girls can be easily seen from these words. If you are a young girl you should behave very mature, because you at least young not more a child. Nevertheless, if you are a boy the behaviors like being crazy can be seen more possible. They are freer and do nearly whatever they want. A characteristic of adolescence is (not only in boys but also in girls) they are all nervous. They started to object everything, they do not like anything especially their parents.
The peer relationships gain a more importance in this term. Everybody become more alike to each other and the ones who are different are be discredited whenever they come an adult. These parts of adolescence usually have physiological problems. The families of this kind of adolescence should help their child. Unfortunately, in Turkey the problems of the child seen as usual so they ignore the problems of their child.
Also, the families have some expectations from their children. In Turkey, the families who live in rural areas and urban areas expectations are different. In urban areas the term school have an enormous importance. The families care about the adolescences grades, and if they are not as good as what they expect, they help their students especially with by tutors. This is different from poor to the rich ones but it can be easily seen that in urban areas the schools are more important. Also the difference between the girls and boys are not very influential in urban areas. However, in rural areas the families want their children to help them especially if they are deal with agriculture. In the east of Turkey, the families generally have 4 or more children to help them when they become adolescence. Some families give importance to the childrens education but this kind of families is not so much.
Another family expectation of the adolescence may be look calm. The families like to give the adolescences more mature than they are especially in the eyes of other peoples (the families friends and etc.).
The only initiation specific in our country is circumcision feast. The circumcised boy is no
more a child he becomes a young boy.
When we investigate about Turkeys population, we can easily understand that the young population is more.
Family Relationships
The difference between the behaviors of the families differs again in urban and rural areas. In urban areas the girls and the boys have nearly the same changes. The families let them to go school and help them. The adolescences are more close to their mothers and sometimes they become friends. Not only the girls but also the boys choose to talk with their mothers. Sometimes the girls help their mother in household. But if they have to study the mothers let them. Some of them spend little time with their parents but they are emotionally support by their parents as in Western cultures.
In rural areas, the families like their boy children than the girl (not only the father but also the mothers) because they will carry their families name. Additionally, boys are generally expected to look after family when they became old as in India. Therefore, the boys have more opportunities. Rural families are more traditional than urban families as in Africa. They used to behave the young girls as a good. Especially in the east of Turkey, if you asked how many children that they have, they may say only the boy ones and added to it and two girls. The girls can be thought as they do not have to have education, but the boys must. Sometimes the girls who are adolescence become married and some money is taken from the son-in-law family for giving the girl.
The relationship between the youths and their parents is close even the youths are more than the age of 18. If the family has a chance to give money for the needs of their children, they do not want their children to work, contrast to western cultures. However, some economically nonadvantaged families children should work and help their families. Some of them are work in streets as in Africa.
Additionally, sexual relationship outside marriage is not tolerated especially for girls as in Russia. Unfortunately, in rural areas, if it is understood that the girl had a sexual relationship with somebody before the marriage, she killed by her one of the male family members sometimes. The mothers of the families are more close to their children, and the father seen as an authority symbol in all urban and rural areas. Perhaps, there are some exceptions but this is generally the truth.
Peer Group
The adolescents in Turkey are like to be free and independence. The peers groups have a very important role in adolescences lives. The peer groups are not only joining together in school but also out of it. Peer relationships are so important that, they spend much of their time with their friends.
There are lots of similarities of peer groups in Turkey and India. Generally the peer groups change by age. The upper middle and middle classes groups are usually constituted from girls and boys that are not their family members as in India. They like to go to cafes that they can drink and talk. The groups of boys like to play football (socker) in every age. Especially the girls that are in the same group try to look like each other and go to shopping after school.
In slum settings, mother concerned negatively about the effects of peers. Since these families are more concern about the traditions, they thought that their children might reject them and their thoughts.
Turkish adolescents generally find it easy to make new friends contrast to Russia. Although adolescents like to have one or two close friends, they like to have more.
Peers become a part of the family often call family members, uncle or aunt as in India. Additionally, another subject that Turkish adolescence similarity with Indias is, they are more influenced by family when giving major decisions such as marriage and occupation contrast to go parents for advice as in West.
Schooling and Education
Education is a very important part of Turkish peoples life. The vision of educated people is very essential in everybodys eyes. The families who live not only the urban areas but also the rural areas want their children to educate for find a good job in the future.
The compulsory education in Turkey is increased 5 years to 8 years in 1997- 1998. This includes the primary education (grades 1-5, ages 7-11) and secondary education (grades 6-8, ages 12-14). After the secondary education, there is an exam called LGS that is to separate successful students. The grade of this exam indicates the property of the high school the students will go. Unfortunately, a small percent of Turkish students can go to the high school, the others can be grouped as economically disadvantaged families children. Nearly all the students who cannot go to the high school, should work. However, some o them continue their education in technical schools or vocational schools as in some Arab countries, which they can have an experience about a specific job. Therefore, learning occurs in and out of school as African cultures. It cannot be denied that learning with books is not as good as learning with vocation. However, in Turkey the technical and vocational schools are not considered a lot by the government. Therefore, these kinds of schools become the families and the adolescents last chose.
Additionally, economically advantaged families have a chance to educate their children in private schools.
Nearly all schools are mixed as in Egypt. But some of the schools that give importance to religious education they are separated. This looks like the Saudi Arabia because in Islamic schools the students that are different gender are not join together. However the concept of Saudi Arabia that the girls learn more difficult is not valid in Turkish culture.
After the high education, there is an exam called ÖSS that separates the students to have a university education. To prepare for this exam; going to school is not enough so there are some additional institutions called dershane. Because of the fact that, it is expensive it is more beneficial for the economically advantaged families.
Although, education is important for all Turkish families, the importance is given to the young boys. The participation of females in rural areas is less than the urban areas as in India.
This is because; a girl may live with her husband and look for the children but a man should bring money to his family. This concept is changing as time goes on, but it is an essential problem for the Turkish woman.
In addition to this there are some occupations for females such as teaching and nursing and for males, engineering, etc as in Western countries.
Percent enrolment in school (1997-1998)
Total (%)
Male (%)
Female (%)
Primary School
82.21
87.28
76.6
High School
50.03
56.87
42.79
University
20.82
24.57
16.89
At the level of secondary education, the country figure for the rate of schooling is 36.6 percent. It is only 18.4 percent in the region technical high schools; only 37.5 percent of students are girls.
Employment
Generally, in Turkey, the families do not want their children to work. However, the bad conditions in economy effects the thoughts of the parents negatively. Because of the fact that the unemployment rate is increased and there is an increase in payments, lots of Turkish families need more money. Therefore, the employment rate of adolescents is increase.
In rural areas it is more widespread that the adolescents work in the farm. Some of them not only work but also go to school. But in some religions, the adolescents do not have an opportunity to go to school. They work for their families and should quit their schools. In rural areas it is more difficult for girls to go to school. They usually look for their small brothers or sisters, or help their mothers in housework. The young boys sometimes went to urban areas for higher education. The others that leave in rural areas usually deal with agriculture as their fathers. They generally live with their family in their whole life. The ones who went to urban areas for high or university education generally do not turn back. Since, the opportunities of employment is more in urban areas, they like to live there.
In urban areas, education gains more importance. The families want their children to have a good education and so have a good job after they graduate. However, the families that affect from the crises cannot pay the money for their childrens need for school. Sometimes the children work after school. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find a part-time job for the adolescence. Therefore, they work in the street. Sometimes they do not back to their home because of the effects of the other adolescents who live in the streets.
In the urban areas the chance of the girls and the boys are nearly the same. He thought that the girls should help the housework and they must not work is less in the urban areas. Although the young girls help their mothers, this does not affect their education. However, there are some exceptions. The families that migrate from rural areas to urban areas continue to give importance to traditions. Especially in slum settings, the families generally live as they are in rural areas.
As you see in Table 1 the employment sector and proportion of women and man in each sector changes. The woman cannot be seen in the tables some parts. Only in community, social, personal services, the woman have an important role. However if it compares with man the rate is very low. The woman has an enormous role in agriculture and similar areas, because in the rural areas the woman works in these sectors.
Political Participation
The political thoughts of the adolescents are not have an enormous importance. However we can say that the political view of a Turkish youth is appearing in the high school and the youth begin to support it at university. There are some students that give all their time for his party, and there are some those not to talk about any political view. In 1960s the university students were interested in politics very closely. There were big conflicts of students and the politics were in everyday of life. There were some university students condemned to death. In 1980s similar events were happened and the Turkish students give up to deal with politics.
Voting is another subject can be mentioned. The voting percent of youths in Turkey is declined every year. Participation for voting declined to 51 percent in 2003, from 62 percent in 1999. Table 1 in Assignment 2 represents to political participation patterns of youth in Turkey.
Civic Participation
It is not easy to say that the civic participation has an important role on the Turkish youths life. Unfortunately, because of the economic crises climate, young people prefer not to involve to the voluntary activities. Table 2 in Assignment 2 indicates similar to political participation activities, civil participation of the Turkish youth present a decline since 1999. Percentage of respondents who stated that they make donations to social help associations or foundation declined by 15 points and became 15 percent in 2003. Secondly, 8 points decrease participating involuntary activities. All of the remaining activities, percentage of participants declined by 4 points.
Crime and Violence
Crime is harmful for the Turkish adolescents not only for the penalty but also for cultural and religious thought. The most widespread crime along Turkish adolescents is stealing. They want to earn money easily and they find this way. Especially the youths who live in the street generally earn their money by this way.
Media affects the adolescents life. There are some TV programs or films that direct the adolescents to violence. Additionally, Turkish adolescents affect from their peers a lot when the subject is crime. Although they know the bad consequences they cannot say no to their friends. As you can see in Assignment 3 the table shows that the crime among adolescence is at the high rate at the age of 15-17. This may be because of the end of the compulsory education.
Physical Health
Now a day, there is a gallery in Istanbul that shows the paints of the children who lives in the street. Their paints are changing before they eat something and after it. The professions said that the ability of the children increased very much after they become satiated.
The importance of physical health in Turkey is not so much. Since, lots of sports have not a big importance. Only the socker, basketball belong upper- middle class boys can be seen. However, socker is very popular along every young boy.
Since, the families some of the lower class families are not aware of lots of diseases, there are very terrible solutions. For example, although there are free vaccinations of poliomyelitis, lots of families do not bring their children to the hospitals so the dead or paralyses children become unavoidable.
The health lessons are not enough in Turkey. However, there is a lesson about health in some primary schools, since 4 years. Unfortunately, the teachers of this lesson are not well informed.
Nowadays atheism gains an important role with the aspect of Sureyya Ayhan. It is know that if the government supports the sportsman and sportswoman they can be the best.
Sexuality and Reproductive Health
Sexuality seems as forbid in Turkey. Talking about sexuality neither with families nor with the friends is very difficult. When you ask a question about sexuality to somebody they are silenced you. The boys can talk with their friends or brothers easily but this is not available for girls. Therefore, learning about sexuality from somebody become impossible for girls. I have got a sister who is 5 years greater than me but she also do not want me to talk about this subject. I should learn it myself as lots of young girls made, in Turkey.
The lack knowledge about sexuality causes important problems. The absence of information about the preventing from pregnancy causes unwanted pregnancy. Unfortunately, there were some suicides because of this.
The knowledge about reproductive health is limited in Turkey. The Turkish Women are avoiding of going to doctor about the reproductive diseases.
Another subject that should be considered is AIDS.There were 1246 HIV/AIDS cases in Turkey by the end of June 2001 (Turkish Ministry of Health). Although the number of cases seem quite a few, the increase in the rate of AIDS patients in four years period was more than %100 (WHO- Euro 1996)*. This fact shows us that the problem is not very serious. However the knowledge about the features of AIDS is very lack in Turkey. A program on TV shows the real again. A prostitute was talking with a man and warms him that she is an AIDS patient. The man do not considered her and said her; if I will die, the reason should be this, not anything else…
Mental Health
In turkey it is even not known that there is some way out of mental diseases. In turkey the mental and neurological diseases, the dependency of some medicines percent is ¼ **. I mean the one of 4 people in Turkey has a mental illness. Inflations, crises, unemployment, low level of salary makes the conclusions of Turkish societies mental health worse.
The Turkish people have a negative thought about the people who have psychological problems. Lots of people (although they are psychological) reject to go to psychologist. Because of the fact that they thought that they seem as crazy from others perspective, they deny that have a need to go to an expert.
The earthquake in august 1999 effects mental health of the people who lives in that states in Turkey. I was in Adapazari, which was near the center of the earthquake and it is very hard for me to sleep even now, although I do not confront with a big problem such as dead peoples in my family. All Turkish people were having some problems after the earthquake because the severity of the earthquake has created extremely high death and injury rates. (Research indicates that disasters involving a high number of deaths are related to higher distress among survivors.) . Many survivors have been left homeless. Homelessness, rains, and a lack of clean
water have created high risks for dehydration and infectious diseases. Many people are very angry because they feel buildings were constructed poorly. People are also angry because they feel the government did not take proper preparatory actions and has not undertaken proper relief measures. The earthquake occurred at 3:00 a.m. local time, waking the majority of
*http:/turkmsic.org/scoraprj.htm
**http://www.un.org.tr/who/mhealth/mhealtheczacispeech.HTM
people from sleep, and was accompanied by significant aftershocks. Survivors felt intense helplessness because they could hear people who were trapped call for help but they were unable to rescue these people from the rubble.
In general earthquakes face both the danger of death or physical injury and the loss of their loved ones, homes, possessions, and communities. The effects of these traumas are immeasurable and long lasting. Survivors are at high risk for behavioral and emotional readjustment problems. Already, psychiatrists in Turkey are reporting high rates of “nervous reactions” and “reactive depression” in the wake of the earthquake.
The starting age of smoking in Turkey is unfortunately, 7. At the ages of 7-13 the rate of smoking is 11.7%. The high schools students rate is 20%. And it is increases in university students that are 48%.
Social Policy for Adolescent and Youth Services
The aim of the Turkish Government in 2003 is to raise talented young people equipped with the skills to cope with the difficulties of life and sensitive to moral values, that are free minded, capable of taking decisions on their own, that question and are informed of the truths of their own society as well as those of an universal understanding. The program that given by the last government in Turkey is as follows:
1) Due attention will be paid to equal opportunity in the services offered to youth and to the healthy development of their personality, bodies and minds. Culture, arts and sports activities will be encouraged.
2) A regulating, coordinating and monitoring role will be assigned to the central authority in the field of youth and sports services; while the services will essentially be provided by local administrations in co-operation with voluntary organizations and the private sector.
3) Culture, arts, sports, folklore, literacy and research activities of local administrations geared towards the youth will be encouraged as well as private sector investment in these areas.
4) Necessary measures will be taken in the fight against drug addiction and an effective coordination will be established among the relevant institutions.
5) The minimum age to qualify for election will be reduced to 25 in order to carry the dynamism and the desire of renewal of our society to politics.
6) Steps will be taken in order to ensure that our youth makes better and healthier use of their spare time.
However, because of the war between America and Iraq and crises our government ignores the needs of youth. The six step of the program about the youths have been not applied yet. And it seems that this steps will not applied for a long time.
General Directorate For Youth And Sport is a political helper for young peoples. They organize some youth camps in every religion in Turkey. These camps are so cheep that lower class adolescents can go. They build sport schools, especially in the holidays. They make construct some sport buildings for youth. However they are not enough for all adolescents to utilize.
Globalization and Its Impact
Globalization affects everybody in the world. The distances are not as long as they are. The Turkish adolescents also affect from the globalization. Television and Internet have an important role in Turkish adolescents life. They learn more about the other cultures and their views of life become better. They can learn about some subjects about they cannot talk about or find information with the help of the Internet. The newspapers are another useful facility for adolescents however they like to spend their time on television or computer more. They like to go to internet cafes and the rate of the internet cafes are increase day by day.
Because of the fact that globalization has positive affects on tourism, the opportunity to find a job in touristy areas increase especially the adolescents have a second language.
However, globalization has some negative affects on the adolescents life. They may informed negatively by internet, especially by the sites that about sex. The cinema films that contain violence can affect them negatively. They may cause violence among adolescents.
Future Perspectives of Adolescence
In Turkey, young are the countrys greatest resources and hopes for the future as in Africa. Since, there was some crises that affect every bodies life negatively, the hopeless become to decrease in Turkish peoples perspectives. However, when I talked about my parents views about future they seem hopeless about the future of Turkey. They trust youths.
Although there were crises and so debts, Turkish youths seem to be optimistic about their futures as Russian youths. But they concerns about collective future problems like in West. They concern about finding a good job. When I talked about future perspectives of my friends who are at the age of 22 and students in Boğaziçi University, they seem optimistic. But the one who is a student and work at the same time, were more positive about the future. He thinks that he can find a good job after he graduates and have a better life. When I asked about how their childrens life will look like, they thought that their childrens life would be better than theirs as the thoughts of Russian adolescences. Another concept that my friends thought about future look likes Russians is becoming famous. They want to be famous and earn lots of money. Although it is too difficult, they know that if they try to be professions, they can.
When I talked with my friends I asked them, which one will be the most important in the future, career, family and leisure? They separated into two groups. The girls said that the family is important as Western adolescences because if they have not a family or their families have problems, all aspects of their life will be affect negatively. However the boys have a different view. They thought that career brings better life and the most important one is this. However, the chance of finding a job is easier to unmarried women and married men.
Conclusion
In this report, I talked about Turkish adolescence and youth by using mine and my friends experiences and some of the known statistics. Turkish adolescents lives, problems generally change with the environment, gender and family background. Addition to the aspects of the globalization, Turkish families give importance to education. However, by the effect of crises, some of the adolescents should work.
The relationship with the families and the Turkish adolescents is strong. However, there are some exceptions. The father is generally authoritarian. The peer groups are essential for the adolescents, they spend most of their time each other. Education has the most important role in Turkish adolescents lives. Because of the lots of examinations, it is hard to be relaxed when you are a student in Turkey. Employment rate changes by the effect of the environment. Since there were lots of problems in 1960s and 1980s, the youths are afraid of participating political engagements. Physical, sexual and reproductive, mental healths are important factors not only for nowadays but also for the future of Turkey. The effects of globalization cannot be denied in the adolescents life. Internet, television programs, newspapers and cinema films are in the lives of the adolescents. Future perspectives of the small sample of population are not bad. They are optimistic but sometimes anxious about the political future of Turkey.
As a consequence, while I am prepare this report I learned a lot. Some of my thoughts change and some of them were strengthen. But I am sure that, the life of our children will be better than us.
References
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Kategori: Eğitim