The importance of alevi places of worship in urban integration (Adıyaman example)

The research aims to examine the role of Alevism in urban integration in Adıyaman from a sociological perspective. Adıyaman Alevism has an important place both in terms of the country and the Southeastern Anatolia Region, and the study examines the role of Alevism in social life in the region and the phenomenon of urban integration. The beliefs and places of worship of people practicing Alevism in Adıyaman were examined, and the effect of Alevism on the social structure of the city was emphasized. For many reasons, the Alevi community, which settled away from the center in the past, had traditional beliefs, customs and worships related to rural life. After the 1950s, with a large population movement, people began to migrate from villages to cities. Alevi individuals who migrated to cities took their own cultural values and beliefs with them. With the effect of urbanization, some religious practices, institutions and belief systems have changed. Urbanization has been the main factor in the transformation of social structure and groups, with the rapid increase in population and the increase in the sharing of tasks among people. Turkey, as a country in the process of modernization, has developed rapidly in the last sixty years. The concentration of industry, generally consciously or unconsciously, in the western regions of the country has caused migration from east to west in the process of rapid urbanization. This migration can also be defined as a movement from rural areas to cities. Migration from rural areas to cities causes changes in many social areas. These changes are reflected in knowledge, beliefs, values, understanding of life, religious rituals and ways of thinking. Alevis stand out as one of the migrating groups in Türkiye. Alevism, as a sect that traditionally took shape and developed in villages, has changed its effect on social structures with the urbanization process. Just like individuals trying to keep up with urbanization, religious structures that have a stronger effect in rural areas are also undergoing transformation in cities and new social orders. In line with these factors, our research attempts to examine the effects of Alevi places of worship on social integration in the urbanization process. This master's thesis examines the transformations in the cultural, social and religious practices of Alevis, one of the groups that have experienced changes under the influence of the rapid urbanization process, from a sociological perspective. Key Words: City, Urbanization, Integration, Alevism.