by Zehra Arat (Editor)
Along with the rest of the world, the country of Turkey is beset by efforts to push women into a particular prototype. This collection of essays seeks to combat such efforts by delving below the surface of common stereotypes surrounding Turkish women. Encompassing such diverse fields of study as political science, economics, business, ethnography, history, and literature, Deconstructing Images of the Turkish Woman gathers experts from around the world to explore various images attributed to or imposed upon Turkish women. Written from the perspectives of the 1990s, the essays integrate around the unifying theme of changes and continuities in the images of Turkish women from the late nineteenth century to the present. The essayists situate the representations of women in their historical and ideological contexts, exposing myths and clarifying the complexities which are connected to them. An important work which focuses on a frequently overlooked country, Deconstructing Images of the Turkish Woman promises to enlighten and enrichen any reader's understanding of this topic.
Author Biography
ZEHRA ARAT is Associate Professor of Political Science and Women's Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY), Purchase.