At the conference the students are the assistants with registration and such.
This picture of the registration table shows a bit of the dual nature of women in Turkey today.
The two girls behind the desk are completely covered. The girl in front not only has no headscarf but also has dyed blond hair and a semi-shear top. I asked them to talk about their university. What did they like about it? Istanbul Sehir University is in its first year.
The blond girl had some trouble adequately communicating in English. She understood the question but didn't really answer it fully. She led me to a pamphlet with some facts.
The first girl at the desk spoke in perfect English with me for some time. She was very open and animated about how the university accepted her into its culture program even though she had an engineering background. She spoke about the quality of the professors and the inspiration that the foreign minister gave the students when he spoke at the opening of the campus.
Which of these students represents the new Turkey?
Up until recent years, all Turkish universities were government run. In these schools girls were NOT allowed to wear headscarves because (among other things) the government wanted a to create a more secular image for its educated elite.
So I would say that the girl on the left is perhaps more representative of the new Turkey. Perhaps that is why I have seen many more students on the campus wearing headscarves than their female professors.
In another observation those girls who dress more modestly and those who don't dress as conservatively seem to mix socially quite well. They eat together, talk in groups, and greet each other warmly.
No comments:
Post a Comment