The Effects of a Changing World on the Family

At the “Family in a Changing World Panel,” organized by the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU), the challenges faced by the family institution in modern society and possible solutions were discussed.

The panel, held at the Abdullah Tivnikli Conference Hall, featured retired judge Betül Bozkurt, Prof. Dr. Kadir Canatan from the IZU Department of Sociology, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Besra Taş Bolat from the IZU Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling, and Ayşe Altunkaya Erdoğmuş from the IZU Department of Psychology as speakers. Moderated by Ibn Haldun University faculty member Sefa Bulut, the event was attended by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan İçener, academics, and students, and focused on the problems families face today.

BOZKURT: CHILDREN ARE THE MOST AFFECTED
Stating that internal and external migration has caused serious damage to the family institution, retired judge Betül Bozkurt emphasized that this is most visible in major cities such as Istanbul. Drawing on her long experience in family courts, Bozkurt noted that thousands of cases are pending and said:

“When it comes to problems within the family, children must be listened to very carefully. They are caught in between, and they are the ones who suffer the most.”

“WE ARE NOT RAISING CHILDREN WE ARE JUST GROWING THEM UP!”
In his remarks on the destructive effects of modernization on families, Prof. Dr. Kadir Canatan addressed the historical transformation of the family institution. He noted that the traditional family model, which had endured for centuries, gave way to the nuclear family in the 1940s due to industrialization and rapid urbanization.

“In Türkiye, the urban population exceeded 50 percent for the first time in 1980. During this process, the traditional family ceased to be the dominant form. The nuclear family is the model of urban society, and it is very fragile,” Canatan said. Emphasizing that the nuclear family model struggles to fulfill its caregiving and upbringing functions, he added that today children are not truly raised within the family but merely grown up, leading to a disconnect between generations.

ERDOĞMUŞ: RESILIENCE BEGINS WHEN THE FAMILY IS FORMED
Stating that children pay the highest price when families break down, Ayşe Altunkaya Erdoğmuş drew attention to the impact of crises on the family institution.
“Resilience begins when a family is formed. Families established with consideration for the consent of individuals, families, society, law, and culture are more resilient,” Erdoğmuş said, adding that individuals contribute to resilience to the extent that they assume responsibility for family functions.

“THE RISE IN DIVORCE RATES SIGNALS A CRISIS”
The final speaker, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Besra Taş Bolat, shared conclusions drawn from marriage and divorce statistics over the past twenty years.
“The increase in divorces points to a crisis. The reasons behind rising divorce rates can be explained on multiple levels. Childhood experiences have a strong impact on adults. Children raised in democratic environments develop better problem-solving skills,” Bolat said. She also advised parents not to project their anxieties onto their children, to be good listeners, and to avoid accusatory language.