Turkish television serials’ reception among women viewers in rural Türkiye: Gendered and generational readings between younger and older women

Abstract

This study explores how rural women in Büyükkarabag, a village in western Türkiye, interpret popular Turkish drama serials on national television in relation to local values and moralities surrounding gender roles, honour, family values and motherhood. Through extensive informal conversations, structured and unstructured ethnographic interviews and participant observations, the sociocultural dynamics influencing audience behaviour and attitudes were analysed. The study includes repeated in-depth interviews with 40 women villagers during summer and autumn, 2022. The findings reveal significant differences in the interpretation of Turkish serials between older and younger women, as well as generational conflicts in ideology, and tensions in understanding gender roles and honour. Older women perceive a disconnect between the urban and liberal representation of daily life in Turkish serials and local culture, while younger women view them as aspirational and fantasy-based representations, limited by economic status and class. This study provides insights into the complex relationships between media, culture and gender in rural Türkiye.