Zeyniler Çalıkuşu Women Agricultural Development Cooperative as a community of practice

Learning is a lifelong activity and there are many theories and approaches that explain adult learning. However, situated learning differs from those studies in terms of recognizing informal learning and dealing with the learning process of adults in a community and depending on a situation. From the situated learning perspective, the groups in which participants interact with each other are called as communities of practice. What is essential in a community of practice is that learning is shaped around a practice. The dimensions of community of practice are mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire. One of the characteristic features of the community of practice is the identity development process that occurs as members perform intensive learning on their journey from peripheral participation to the center. This study has aimed to analyze identity development and empowerment of cooperative members by considering Zeyniler ÇalıkuĢu Women Agricultural Development Cooperative as a community of practice. The study is a case study and was carried out with 19 active members of the cooperative located in Zeyniler Village in Bursa, a relative of a member and a local authority located in Zeyniler Village in Bursa. The data were collected using semi-structured interview, observation and question paper technique. Descriptive analysis was used in the analysis of the data. As a result, practices and learning in the cooperative deepen the mutual engagement among the members; verify its joint enterprise activities and enriches shared repertoire. As a result, in the context of legitimate peripheral participation, the members have developed their community identity by active participation in cooperative activities in their journey from the periphery to the center. There is a transition from local identity to global identity in some activities. In addition, it has been determined that women experience mostly social, and psychological empowerment intertwined with identity development and that women have gained awareness in terms of gender equality.