The impact of local, cultural, and social dynamics on women'smusical expressions: The women of Aslandere

This study, based on field research conducted in the village of Aslandere in the Fındıklı district of Rize, examines women's relationship with music through the lenses of gender, cultural identity, and local life practices. Data were gathered via semi-structured in-depth interviews with both female and male participants, biographical narrative sessions focusing on prominent local singers Nurten İlkay Topaloğlu and Gülseren Özkaya, and participant observation. These methods illuminated how musical practice is reproduced across varied social rituals—such as highland gatherings, weddings, agricultural work, and women's assemblies—in the village context. Thematic analysis revealed that women's singing of folk songs functions not only as personal expression but also as a multilayered cultural mechanism through which social belonging is reaffirmed, emotional support networks are constructed, and collective memory is transmitted. Music was found to enhance women's public visibility, facilitate creative resistance to patriarchal norms, and support the flexibilization of social roles. Moreover, by intertwining with seasonal labor cycles and communal rhythms, these musical practices empower women to transform their social positions and demonstrate that rural women's agency is built upon local cultural dynamics. Aligned with the pluralistic, context- sensitive approach of feminist theory, this research highlights how rural women assert transformative agency through cultural production and become visible agents of change.