CONSTRUCTING FEMININITY AND TEACHING IDENTITY IN WOMEN’S NARRATIVES: AN ORAL HISTORY STUDIED AT MICRO SCALE WITH THE RETIRED FEMALE TEACHERS

This study aims to examine the experiences of female teachers comparatively on the axis of historical contexts in line with the narrations by two retired female teachers, who was born in 1920 and grown in urban area, and was born in 1954 and grown in the countryside, respectively. In this study, qualitative research approach and unstructured interview method are used. In addition, the data was recorded through a voice recorder, analyzed by quoting directly from the interviews in accordance with the descriptive analysis technique, and finally, these two narrations were discussed comparatively by being supported with the related literature. The study suggested that the father’s authority and/or figure played an important role in shaping the lives of both women. Whereas Ms. Nalan, who was born in 1920, construct her identity as the “ideal woman/ideal daughter” and “ideal teacher” from the perspective of traditional gender internalized by the sexual division of labour, Ms. Sevim, who was born in 1954, construct her identity as “idealist teacher”, “educated/working woman”, and “fair teacher/mother”.