Özet:

When it comes to gender, it is generally understood that studies are mostly conducted on women. However, to understand a society’s gender perception, it is necessary to look not only at women but also at how men are constructed within society. Gender perception varies between societies. Therefore, to understand a nation’s culture and way of life, it is necessary to draw on its oral culture. In this context, the gender perception, roles assigned to genders, and attitudes toward genders found in anonymous cultural memory, namely proverbs, must be examined. This study focuses on gender perception in Kazakh–Kyrgyz proverbs. Using a qualitative method, the study first reviewed previous works on Kazakh–Kyrgyz proverbs and identified proverbs. In order to identify gender stereotypes, an analysis of more than 300 Kazakh and Kyrgyz proverbs and sayings was carried out, and those similar in meaning were eliminated. Gender-marked proverbs and sayings, of which 52 refer to women and 20 to men and 24 proverbs characterize both genders in comparison. Proverbs and sayings about children of different sexes are also analyzed, of which 27 refer to girls and 13 to boys and 21 refer to both. Then, the gender perception of Kazakh–Kyrgyz people was analyzed based on the proverbs collected. According to the findings, although men are considered superior in the Kazakh–Kyrgyz society, women still have an important place. It was also emphasized that the mother’s personality has a greater influence on children than the father’s and that not only physical but also psychological needs are met by the mother.

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