Zeynep Copur

University Students’ Perceptions of Childless Couples and Parents in Ankara, Turkey

Changing perceptions of childlessness have been documented in the United States, but little is known about perceptions in developing countries undergoing rapid social changes and globalization, including Turkey. This project uses a survey and hypothetical vignettes about childless couples and parents to assess university students’ perceptions of childlessness (N = 850). The authors find that parents are rated higher on interpersonal warmth and marital relationship quality, but mothers are seen as more stressed. Childless men and women are perceived as more driven but also as more emotionally troubled. The results indicate the continued importance of parenthood among Turkish students but also an understanding of women’s stresses in combining work and motherhood. The authors find relatively few rural and urban differences, whereas gender and income differences may reflect greater awareness of work—family concerns and acceptance of childlessness among women and higher income students.

Which Students are More Likely to Experience Financial Socialization Opportunities? Exploring the Relationship Between Financial Behaviors and Financial Well-Being of College Students

This study explores the relationship between financial social learning opportunities and financial behaviors of college students. Data was collected from current college students age 18 and over throughout the United States during spring and fall of 2008. Results suggest important relationships exist among financial social learning opportunities, financial dispositions, and financial behaviors.

Perception of Adequacy of Resources With a Turkish Sample

This study examines the validity and reliability of the Perceptions of Adequacy of Resources inventory—developed for American society—in a sample from Turkey and determines the correlations between perceived adequacy of resources and selected socioeconomic and family composition characteristics in Turkey. Participants of this study consist of employees and students at the central campus of the Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. The sample size is determined using a random sampling method (n = 500). Analysis of variance tests show significant differences (.05) in perceptions of adequacy of resources according to income, education, marital status, number of children, and family life stage. On the other hand, gender, age, family type, and length of marriage are not found to be significant. In addition, regression analysis shows that the demographic variables of income, education, and marital status significantly predicted perceptions of adequacy of resources.

University Students’ Perceptions of Parents and Childless or Childfree Couples

Earlier studies have documented persistent negative stereotypes of childless or childfree adults, though acceptance has increased in recent decades. Recent studies have also shown negative biases against parents, especially mothers, in work-related contexts. The current study used college students’ responses to hypothetical vignettes (N = 1,266) to compare perceptions of childless and childfree adults and parents using means comparisons with generalized linear modeling methods, controlling for student and vignette characteristics. Results showed that parents were perceived as warmer, but with less positive marital relationships, than those without children. Mothers were perceived as more stressed and childless men and women as more emotionally troubled, but there were few differences in work-related perceptions. Childless wives with no plans to have children were perceived as least warm, whereas husbands were perceived as least stressed. Results indicate some persistent negative stereotypes of childless adults along with negative perceptions of stress and marital strains related to parenthood.

Behavioral Approach to Financial Distress and Health

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between financial distress and health and financial behaviors among families in Ankara, controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, financial discussion with parents, negative financial events, and risk tolerance. Data was collected through a systematic sample in the neighborhood of Dr. Halil Ulgen Health Center (Mamak-Ankara, N = 600) in summer 2009. Bivariate results showed significant differences in financial distress levels by socioeconomic factors and financial behaviors. In addition, regression analysis showed that saving and self-reported health status was significantly related to financial distress when controlling for other factors.

Family Life Education in Turkey

During recent decades, Turkey has been undergoing rapid social and economic changes, including demographic transition. These changes are highly likely to continue in the future. Thus, the needs of families change as well. Due to these changes, the development of new and effective family life education programs is needed, ones that will acknowledge the evolution of families in Turkey and ones that will reach all segments of the society easily. Today in Turkey, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, as well as municipalities and the Ministry of National Education, provides family life education to individuals, couples, and families, on such issues as family communication and premarital education. Local authorities, academic units, and nongovernmental organizations also organize different activities (i.e., seminars, panels, conferences, etc.) within the scope of family life education. In recent years, many family-oriented applications have been conducted, within the framework of social state policy. In general, programs that have been implemented have proved effective on topics such as developing self-confidence in children and establishing good relationships between children and their parents. Participating in family life education programming helps children look positively toward school and success at school.

Exploring the Role of Financial Disclosure Forms in Mortgage Type Selection

The purpose of this study was to determine whether using a financial disclosure form in a controlled setting can influence consumers’ mortgage selection. This study used a 2 × 2 experimental design where participants were assigned randomly to a control or treatment group. Treatment group participants received a Federal Reserve Board document that contained information explaining the difference between an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) and a fixed-rate mortgage (FRM). All participants were presented with two distinct scenarios and were asked to determine the most appropriate mortgage for each. Logistic regression results suggested that receiving the Federal Reserve Board document does make a difference in consumers’ mortgage choice in hypothetical scenarios. Financial knowledge and Truth in Lending Act knowledge were also were important predictors.

Do the Financial Behaviours of College Students Vary by Their State’s Financial Education Policies?

This study assesses the effectiveness of state mandates regarding high school financial education in the United States. Data (N = 12,967) were collected from current college students aged 18 and over via a web survey from 15 college campuses from various regions across the United States. A stratified random sampling method was employed. Overall, this study shows that the financial behaviours of college students vary by high school state mandates on financial education, even when controlling for students’ characteristics, financial knowledge, financial socialisation and financial dispositions. In the current study, a policy of “course required” was associated with financial behaviours in terms of regular saving, not “maxing out,” and paying off credit card balances fully each month.

KADINLARIN EVLE İLGİLİ FAALİYETLERDE SORUMLULUK DAĞILIMI KONUSUNDAKİ DAVRANIŞ VE GÖRÜŞLERİ

Bu pilot calisma Ankara da yasayan kadinlarin evle ilgili faaliyetlerde sorumluluk dagilimi konusundaki davranis ve goruslerini belirlemek amaciyla planlanmis ve yurutulmustur. Arastirma farkli sosyoekonomik duzeydeki katilimcilari temsil edecegi dusunulen Ankara-Eryaman bolgesinde 2005 yilinda yapilmistir. Evreni temsil edebilecek orneklem sayisi istatistiksel yontemlerle belirlenmis ve toplam 600 kadin arastirma kapsamina alinmistir. Arastirma tanimlayici nitelikte bir calismadir. Hazirlanan anket formuna bagli olarak, veriler ailede kadin ile yapilan yuz yuze gorusme sonucu toplanmistir. Arastirma sonuclarina gore, evle ilgili fiziksel ve bazi sosyal aktiviteleri yurutmekten ailede kadinlar sorumludur. Kadinlar bazi sosyal ve ekonomik faaliyetlerin yurutulmesinde kadin ve erkegin birlikte sorumluluk almalari gerektigini dusunmektedirler. Bu sonuc kadinlarin evle ilgili faaliyetlerdeki geleneksel yapinin degismesi gerektigi dusuncesinde olduklarini gostermektedir.