Cultural Studies Speaker Series Talk - Ece Cihan Ertem - December 26

Conceptual Change of an Occupation: Transformation of Teaching in Turkey in Neoliberal Times (1980-2013)

The talk will portray the conceptual transformation in primary school teaching in the period 1980-2013, appointing the September 12, 1980 coup as a turning point. It focuses on the effects of the state interventions and the reflections in the society, as well as the attitudes of parents and teachers themselves towards the transformation of the occupation. The talk peeks into classrooms and describes the actual occupational practice of primary school teachers. It also scrutinizes gender roles in Turkish primary schools and the feminization of the occupation.