The institution of ?düşkünlük (excommunicated)" in Anatolian Alevi and its functionality

There are three social basic institutions called ?dedelik? (socio-religious leader in the Alevi community), ?musahiplik? (roughly, companionship, spiritual brotherhood) and ?düşkünlük? (excommunicated) in Alevi concept. In this study, the institution of ?düşkünlük? which keeps moral and social structure of Alevi and minimizes the relations with the centralized administration has been mentioned.This study aims to explain the disconnection between the meaning of the concept ?düşkünlük? in the traditional Alevism and the socio-cultural applications of the concept in the contemporary Alevism. This study consists of an introduction and two parts.The introduction deals with the importance of this research, its aim, and methods and resources of Alevi on account of forming a background of institution of ?düşkünlük? and the difficulty of doing only one Anatolian Alevi description.The first chapter gives the definition of ?düşkünlük?, and describes its structural classifications and socio-cultural applications. In this context, it includes three interviews and observations.The second chapter emphasizes the functionality of institution of ?düşkünlük? and deals with discussions in Turkish public opinion and some terms similar to the concept of ?düşkünlük?.