A CASE OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE TRADITIONAL PREPARATION PRACTICES FOR BIRTH TO TODAY’S URBAN SOCIETY: “BABY SHOWERS”

Birth, the first important transition period of human beings, has been considered as a joyful process with its functions as the continuity of life, continuity of the lineage and the reinforcement of marriage; and the celebrations and ceremonies carried out in this process emerge, develop, change and get updated in accordance with the expectations and values of the culture in question. In the traditional social life in Turkey, it is a common practice to make preparations before the birth for the basic needs of the expectant mother and the baby. On the other hand, there are "baby preparation parties" or "baby celebration parties" which are increasingly spreading and even becoming a serious sector and are called as "baby showers" in urban society. In other countries, especially in the US, the main purpose of these parties organized by one or a few close friends of the expectant mother is the provision of the needs determined by the mother for herself and her baby by her friends. The celebrations which are mostly organized among women have important functions in terms of providing moral support to the expectant mother, entertainment, discussions and relief and improving the feelings of solidarity, cooperation and belonging. We believe that the reason why it is quickly adopted and became widespread in Turkish society is its partial similarity to the material and moral support given to the expectant mother during this preparation process for birth in the traditional social life. This article examines the baby showers in terms of their content, organization styles, location and times, participants and organizers; and provides an analysis and commentary on their individual and social function. It is found out that the celebrations extended the mentioned function of female relatives and close friends who support the expectant mother financially and morally in the traditional social life from their neighborhoods beyond the borders of the cities and even the countries. In terms of their structural and functional properties, these parties are found to reveal great similarity to traditional gold collection days rather than the baby showers abroad. While making examinations and evaluations on the folklor / edebiyat 146 baby showers, the data extracted from verbal resources and various internet websites have been used as the basis. The study also searches for an answer to the question of how urban life affected traditional preparations and practices for birth. As a result of the examinations and evaluations carried out in this study, it is concluded that the environment and circumstances where the needs of the mother and the baby are provided are changing, yet the function continues through the context.