Balance between work and family life: Middle class working mothers in Turkey

This article analyzes strategies developed by middle class mothers to establish balance between their work and care responsiblities in Turkey where no extensive public services are available and childcare is socially and culturally constructed as women’s sole duty with a limited male involvement. The fieldwork of the study is based on accounts of in-depth interviews conducted with nineteen working middle class mothers in the capital city of Turkey, Ankara. Gender inequality results in experiencing work and family conflict heavily. Middle class women’s care responsibilities come into conflict with their work and their strategies mostly depends on profession, working place, colleagues, and employer/manager.