Alevism in the process of urbanization: A case study of Yıldızbağları neighborhood of Elazığ

In the last one and half century, Turkey has undergone a tremendous transformation in every aspect of social, cultural, economic and political life. This transformation led to change in many structures which were formerly adopted unquestioned and many social and traditional institutions that were seen as important in public replaced by legal structures organized by modern state. This transformation spatially took place in the direction of urban to rural. In another word, modern state began to implement this transformation by employing many instruments massively in cities. In this sense, the terms 'urbanization' and 'urbanizing' come to mean 'modernization' and 'westernization' in Turkey. Begin with 1950'es masses started to leave rural due to various reasons and congregated in different urban areas. Especially some districts in big cities became areas where many social and cultural institutions born in rural life functioned effectively for a long time. People who shared these places, as a result of networks built with other districts, redefined these structures, which had extensive functions in rural, and reduced their functions into a narrow frame in urban. The Alevi institutions that arranged the social order in the rural began to be replaced by modern legal institutions with the process of urbanization. The social, cultural and economic statuses these institutions had in rural began to weaken in urban, and they turned almost solely into religious ones. This study analyses a similar process in Yıldızbağlar neighborhood, which was densely populated by Alevis who have been migrated from Tunceli, of Elazığ, a city that mostly dwelled by believers of Sunni faith. In this case study of Yıldızbağları neighborhood, the changing effects of the urbanization on the Alevi institutions in general, and the social, political, economic and cultural elements of a neighborhood that occupies quite a distinct place, in terms of sociological aspects, as well as their networks with other neighborhoods, in particular are tried to be tracked. Understanding these aspects of this neighborhood together with urbanization will provide important insights about concepts of 'Alevism' and 'political Alevism.'