İşsiz Erkeklerin Babalık Algısı ve Ebeveynlik Katılımı: Almanya'daki Türk Babalarla Türkiye'deki Babaların Karşılaştırılması

TÜBİTAK Uluslararası İkili İşbirliği Projesi, 2507 - Alman Araştırma Fonu (DFG) İkili İşbirliği Programı, 2023 - 2025

Due to rapid social and economic changes, new family structure, and increased migration,

fathers in many societies are expected to be further involved in parenting and caregiving,

especially in households where mothers are employed, and fathers are unemployed.

Current pandemic conditions have also pushed fathers to stay at home and take more roles

in domestic care. However, the social constructions of masculinity and fatherhood are

strongly related to the work, occupation, and employment status of ?the man? and have

critical implications for the well-being of all family members. As the largest immigrant group,

Turkish origin immigrants suffer the most from unemployment in Germany, where one out of

five Turkish descent men is unemployed. Unemployed fathers of Turkish descent in

Germany experience more social and psychological difficulties during the periods of

unemployment. Although unemployment's negative psychological and social consequences

on families have been largely documented, specific effects of unemployment on fathers and

fatherhood, especially among immigrant fathers coming from traditional cultures, are

unexamined.

In collaboration with the scholars from Germany, this project aims to examine the

fatherhood experiences and parental involvement of both employed and unemployed

fathers of Turkish descent in Germany and compare them with their counterparts in Turkey

through in-depth interviews. Collaboratively, (1) we will develop an interview manual, (2)

select participants using predetermined criteria via the networks of German and Turkish

teams, (3) conduct in-depth interviews in Germany and Turkey, (4) synthesize and interpret

the findings collectively through triangulation method, and (5) disseminate the results and

publish high-impact articles.

We will conduct in-depth interviews with 42 fathers living in Turkey and 42 fathers (with 28

unemployed and 14 employed) in Germany, with employed and unemployed status for at

least the last six months. Participants will be selected using a set of predetermined criteria,

such as unemployment compensation status and having a non-working/working spouse.

The proposed project will be completed with six work packages by systemically (1) reaching

the matched samples, (2) analyzing the data and describing the major manhood and

parenting experiences and challenges of unemployed married Turkish men with children in

Germany, (3) comparing them with the other groups, (4) developing policy

recommendations, and (5) sharing the findings with the critical authorities and stakeholders

in Germany and Turkey.

This study would have critical scientific and social impacts and will open a channel to further

scientific investigation of this unexplored social issue. The research teams from Germany

and Turkey will continue their collaboration to conduct a quantitative follow-up study. Finally,

this project will help develop insight and awareness regarding the social and psychological

problems of unemployed Turkish men and their families in Germany and reduce prejudice

against this specific group.