Educating through Popular Fiction: Chick-Lit, Postfeminism, and Cultural Mediation in Turkish and Euro-American Literatures

This study examines the intersections of post-feminism, education, and chick-lit from a comparative Euro-American and Turkish perspective. While feminism has historically promoted women’s access to education, critical thinking, and social transformation, post-feminism has emerged in response to critiques of individualism by emphasising relationality, emotional fulfilment, and social connection. Chick-lit, a popular genre that emerged in the 1990s, reflects post-feminist ideals through narratives of educated, career-oriented women negotiating identity, work, and relationships. As an educational resource, chick-lit enables critical engagement with contemporary gender ideologies and cultural representations. The study highlights how Western chick-lit often reflects post-industrial individualism and consumer culture, whereas Turkish chick-lit reinterprets post-feminist themes within a socio-cultural context shaped by modern education and traditional values. Through comparative literary analysis, the article demonstrates how chick-lit can function as a pedagogical tool that fosters intercultural understanding, gender awareness, and critical thinking in higher education. Received: 31 October 2025 / Accepted: 14 December 2025 / Published: January 2026