The construction of gender identity in Alevi organisations: Discourses, practices, and gaps

The academic and lay interest towards Turkey’s Alevi community has so far treated the Alevi man as the ultimate Alevi subject. Gender dynamics in the Alevi communities have been overlooked since it was assumed that Alevi women enjoy equal rights with men as Alevism promotes gender equality. This has left gender dynamics in Alevi communities relatively under-researched. In this article I aim to analyse the construction of an idealised image of Alevi woman through the analysis of 31 semi-structured interviews that I have conducted with women who have administrative roles in various cemevi in Istanbul. In most narratives there is a gap between the actual situation of Alevi women and the idealised Alevi woman; this gap is understood as a result of the patriarchal culture prevalent in the Middle East, the encounters with the Sunni majority and the weakening of Alevi traditions’ influence on individuals’ daily lives.