An analysis of widowhood and learning experiences of young widows

Abstract

Widows, both in Turkey and globally, display low levels of education and high levels poverty. The patriarchal society structure and discrimination complicate the lives of especially young widows with children. Yet, there is a striking lack of studies on the educational experiences and coping mechanisms of the widows which develop in response to the painful changes in their lives following their husband’s death. Accordingly, the aim of the present study is to analyze the urban young widows' educational experiences and to explore whether education is a part of widows’ life for the purpose of overcoming the novel problems caused by patriarchy. Semistructured interviews were carried out with ten women from Istanbul under the age of forty-five that were widowed at least two years ago and have at least one undereighteen child. The results confirmed the radical nature of the changes in their lives by demonstrating increase in poverty, employment difficulties, appearance of new responsibilities, alterations in the relations with family and acquaintances, serious oppression from both their own family and husband’s family, and serious social discrimination. Whereas for the illiterate widows the education turns into an urgent need, for women with higher educational status other types of problems become more salient. Consequently, the women require a specific institutionalization of education and support tailored to their conditions. Since there is no such institution in Turkey, the women try to fulfill these needs within their own networks.