Model of Autonomous-Relational Singles Counseling (MARSC) in Collectivist Cultures: Turkey Model

At this congress, I will attempt to introduce in general Model of Autonomous-Relational Singles Counseling (MARSC) developed for single populations living in Turkey with collestivic culture as a new concept (Aydın, 2017). The single population consists of never married, divorced, and widowed adults with age 18 and over. Singles counseling or counseling for singles is a scientific assistance form to meet developmental, adaptive and psycho-social needs of unmarried populations living collectivist cultures like Turkey. MARSC is based on Çiğdem Kağıtçıbaşı`s "Autonomous-Relational Self Model" in cultural psychology area. According to Kağıtçıbaşı, autonomous-related self involves more healthy combination, due to both autonomy and relatedness are basic needs. Autonomous-related self construct is an integrative synthesis, because it integrates two constructs assumed to be conflicting, and it is based on cross-cultural diversity. In Western contexts autonomy may indeed be associated with separation from others, with being unique and different. This is explained by individualistic values. Autonomy tends to exist together with connectedness with others in Majority World,where more collectivistic values prevail. There are growing researches conducted with diverse national and ethnic groups such as Brazil, Estonia, Turkey, China, the Canadian Inuit, immigrants in the U.S. and Europe, providing evidences for autonomous-related self. The need for singles counseling stems from a variety of reasons on especially cultural, individual, socio-economic and universal dimensions. There are two main objectives of the MARSC: First objective is to prepare the individual for marriage and family life, the second objective is to prepare the individual for single lifestyle of high quality. MARSC is a developmental, preventive, adaptive, sustained and supportive psycho-social assistance form for unmarried populations in collectivist cultures.

Keywords: Unmarried, single, counseling, collectivist, autonomous-relational self, culture, Turkey, model