Abstract
AN INVESTIGATION OF GENDER TYPOLOGY IN THE BOOK OF DEDE KORKUT
The concept of gender has been shaped within the studies of feminism in the 20th century. The concept corresponds to the sexual identity that the individual acquires through social roles, apart from the biological sex characteristics that the individual is born with. Accordingly, the individual acquires his male and female identity through socio-cultural construction. Gender studies have generally focused on women in feminist discourse. In the article, the Dede Korkut Book was examined within the framework of the concept of gender. First of all, the literature on the subject was searched and document analysis technique, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Dede Korkut Book, which tells about the horseback-nomadic lifestyle of the Oğuz Turks, is a work in which the ideal human type is revealed. In the Book of Dede Korkut, gender roles are designed to cope with difficult life conditions. Heroism, courage, loyalty and sacrifice are important virtues for the woman and man of the Oğuz society. In the Book of Dede Korkut, the woman is envisioned as the ideal mother, wife and lover. There are also other supporting female characters with positive traits. In the book, the gender boundaries of men are drawn with more distinct boundaries than women. Men reach adulthood by passing various exams since childhood. Social psychology determines the ideal type of human being in need of these exams with the envision of greatness. The sharing of the same space between men and women enables them to share sovereignty in terms of gender. In the Book of Dede Korkut, men and women are surrounded by an idealized masculine gender perception.
Keywords
Gender, folklore, Dede Korkut, masculinity, feminism.
