Re-Negotiating Alevi Identity

This book investigates the transformation and the politicization of Alevi identity within the social and political context of post-1980 Türkiye. This study specifically focuses on the role of collective emotions and values in forming and transforming Alevi identity. Collective traumas and the glories of the Alevi community are explored with reference to personal life stories and widely shared collective narratives. This study answers the following questions:

-How are the moral, cultural, and political boundaries of Alevi identity being re-negotiated vis-à-vis other social groups within the changing social and political context?

-How do the narratives on collective emotions such as victimhood, fear, humiliation, marginalization, and discrimination practically influence the Alevi identity negotiation process?

-How can we address the deep-rooted negative collective emotions and important barriers to intercommunal reconciliation processes?

-What lessons can other identity groups in Türkiye and elsewhere learn from Alevi identity politics?