The Lives of Women Growing up in Families Experiencing Pressure to Have Sons
Kamuran Özdil, Gülhan Küçük ÖztürkABSTRACT
Aim
This study aims to deeply understand the experiences of women growing up in a family environment where male pressure is experienced.
Method
This is a qualitative study conducted using a phenomenological design. The sample comprised 12 women selected through purposive sampling, all of whom had at least one brother and who experienced gender‐based inequality favoring male children within their families during childhood. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews using a personal information form and a semi‐structured interview guide. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and themes were developed accordingly.
Results
The participants were aged between 35 and 56. Two main themes and five subthemes emerged from the data. These were: Fragile Identity (Lost Childhood, Inequality, Hidden Worth) Intergenerational Trauma (Silent Witnessing, Extensions of Childhood Scenes).
Conclusion
Women raised in families dominated by male oppression develop fragile identities, growing up in a world of inequality from childhood onward, deprived of the opportunity to realize their full potential. This study also demonstrates that gender norms can be passed down through generations.
Implications
The findings of this study reveal the impacts of son preference on the identity development and psychosocial well‐being of women who have experienced this phenomenon. These results provide essential guidance for family specialists, community health nurses, and mental health professionals in developing culturally sensitive interventions aimed at empowering women, promoting egalitarian family relationships, and breaking the cycle of intergenerational transmission.