EXTENDED SUMMARY

Beginning in the 1970s, developments in information and communication technologies have led to various transformations on a global scale, and the flexibility and deregulation that emerged in labor markets have necessitated the restructuring of labor. Unemployment, which was initially seen as a problem for the unqualified labor force, has begun to threaten the qualified labor force over time as well, and individuals have faced unemployment despite the rising levels of human capital. The economic and social deprivations brought about by unemployment have several physical and psychological effects on the individual. However, the fact that the expectations created by getting an education and being educated are not met is thought to be much more devastating for the educated unemployed individual. Moreover, unemployment, in terms of its consequences, not only affects the unemployed individual’s life but the family and social circle of the unemployed individual also experience the negative effects of unemployment. Thus, unemployment, in terms of its consequences, is a social problem. 

While assessing the reasons for and consequences of unemployment, it is seen that female and male unemployment show some different patterns. It is evident that the disadvantaged position of women in the social structure, which is the result of factors such as patriarchal patterns, gender roles, and sexual division of labor, is perpetuated in labor markets. Despite the achievements of women in social life, in opportunities for access to education, and in labor markets within the historical process, the areas in which they are mainly employed and the types of employment are different from those of the male labor force. In addition, they are subjected to discrimination to various extents when entering labor markets and while they remain in labor markets. These adverse conditions make women more selective in labor markets, thus narrowing their areas of employment and increasing their likelihood of facing unemployment. World averages show that the unemployment rates of the female labor force are higher than those of the male labor force, and women become more vulnerable to unemployment despite the increasing levels of human capital. Gender is also a determining factor when analyzing the unemployment experiences and the reasons for the unemployment of an individual, as it is in the reasons for unemployment and the problems it creates, because, in the social structure, the reasons for an educated woman becoming unemployed and the consequences of her unemployment experience are thought to be different from those of an educated man. 

In Türkiye, which has a social structure dominated by patriarchal patterns, the presence of women in social life and their positions in the labor markets are shaped by gender roles and gendered responsibilities. As a result of the developments that emerged worldwide in the 1970s, unemployment became a visible problem in Türkiye in the 1980s for the female labor force, which gained an opportunity for employment at different levels of paid work life with increasing employment rates. Unemployment rates, which tend to decrease for the male labor force as the level of education increases, tend to increase for the female labor force, which makes it necessary to assess unemployment in terms of educated women. In the theoretical part of our study, unemployment and its consequences are discussed from the perspective of women, and the causes and consequences of women’s unemployment experience are approached from a gender perspective. Paid female labor, the responsibilities women shoulder according to gender roles, and social norms and acceptances related to the paid working and unemployment of women and men are discussed in detail. In the light of recent data concerning the unemployment of educated women in Türkiye, the outlook of female unemployment in Türkiye is studied, and various practices to address the unemployment of educated women are included. 

Qualitative research methods were used in the application part of the study. Semistructured interview questions prepared in the light of the research questions created based on the explanations in the theoretical part were directed to the participants. Phenomenology was adopted as a research pattern, and what educated unemployed women feel during the unemployment experience and the negative experiences they face were discussed in detail in terms of the factors that affect unemployment. Within the scope of the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with women aged 22-40 living in Balıkesir Province who had at least an associate degree or bachelor’s degree and had been unemployed for one year or longer. The findings were classified under the titles created in the light of data analyzed with descriptive analysis. The titles were determined as follows: the meaning of working, life in the shadow of unemployment, the trivialization of female unemployment in the social structure, gender discrimination and its effects, the criteria that are effective in job choice, the evaluation of university education and diplomas received, and the effect of the place of residence on unemployment. 

In the study, feminist methodology was adopted and the unemployment experiences of educated women in the labor markets that are thought to be shaped by gender, the capitalist patriarchy, and the sexual division of labor were addressed from the viewpoint of women. The reasons for and consequences of the unemployment of educated women were evaluated based on the personal experiences of women who faced unemployment after their education was complete. Furthermore, the study is considered significant in terms of the size of the participant group in the application part and the fact that different aspects of the unemployment problem are discussed. From this point of view, the aim of the study was to demonstrate the expectations of educated unemployed women regarding the solutions to the problems they face in various aspects within the social structure and in labor markets, and thus to present various suggestions for combating female unemployment in the light of the findings.