Gender discourse and public space: socio-spatial construction of gender in the city, the case of Rize, Turkey

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2019
Vanlıoğlu Yazıcı, Nagehan
This study focuses on gender in everyday life and locates itself theoretically at the intersecting fields of space and gender theories. Regarding Lefebvre’s claim that “(social) space, is a (social) product”, it is possible to state that space is formed by the social relationships and routines of everyday life. Within this understanding, the thesis aims to investigate the discursive relationship between gender and space. In order to outline a theoretical framework, it employs the pioneering works in both gender and space studies and superimposes them on the concept of everyday life. This thesis focuses on women as one of the main subjects of gendered space and it analyses the everyday life of women in the city; their priorities, problems, workspaces, leisure time qualities, and cultural activities. It investigates the bias and barriers that women face in the public space. To better understand the current gendered structure of the urban space, the consciousness of space as a “social product” will be the basis to critically observe the relationship between social power over women and the built environment. The representation of woman in urban space, the barriers of gender and the dichotomies faced by women will be examined. In addition to this, mechanisms that produce barriers in the urban space, especially in everyday life of women in the public space will be discussed. After the observation of the discursive relation between gender and space, the study will investigate the case study, Rize. By doing this, it aims to bring a new focus to existing studies made in the field while working on the image of women in the multi-layered socio-political structure of Turkey. Lastly, the thesis questions the possibility of an equal social life for women in every aspect, and a city structure without biases on gender.

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Citation Formats
N. Vanlıoğlu Yazıcı, “Gender discourse and public space: socio-spatial construction of gender in the city, the case of Rize, Turkey,” M.Arch. - Master of Architecture, Middle East Technical University, 2019.