The Family and Marriage Perceptions in the Ottoman Women Magazines: II. Constitution Period

Abstract

A series of reforms were done in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century to overcome social, economic and political problems. These reforms also forced the Ottoman family structure and society's perceptions towards women. This change in a way became possible with the opening of the modern schools and at the same adoption of coeducational system in the Ottoman State during the Tanzimat period. The importance given to the girls' education gave its fruit in the next generation when women took place in the public sphere via the newspaper press and women's societies. These developments also encouraged Ottoman women to have a word in the matters like concerning women, family and marriage and presented them the opportunity to deliver their message via the press. This study is prepared with a purpose to understand how these changes that the Ottoman women experienced effected their perceptions of family and marriage as well as their expectations from marriage via the women magazines like Kadınlar Dünyası, Kadın, Mehâsin, Demet published during the II. Constitution Period. This study will also present how the other journals, novels, and books both published at the same time with these journals examined the family and marriage topics; what the male intellectuals thought about these topics and if there were parallel ideas between male and female intellectuals. With this aspect, the present study aims to contribute to the future studies to be done on family and marriage in the late Ottoman Empire.