The Alevis in Turkey and Europe: Identity and Managing Territorial Diversity (Exeter Studies in Ethno Politics)

"This book examines the development of identity politics amongst the Alevis in Europe and Turkey, which simultaneously provided the movement access to different resources and challenged its unity of action. While some argue that Aleviness is a religious phenomenon, and others claim it is a cultural or a political trend, this book analyzes the various strategies of claim-making and reconstructions of Aleviness as well as responses to the movement by various Turkish and German actors. Drawing on intensive fieldwork, Elise Massicard suggests that because of activists' many different definitions of Aleviness, the movement is in this sense an "identity movement without an identity"--Publisher's summary Cover 1 The Alevis in Turkey and Europe 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 List of acronyms and abbreviations 10 Map: Main cities mentioned in the book 13 Introduction 14 1. Complex historical trajectories 24 Part I: A polymorphous and divided 46 2. The emergence of the Alevist movement 48 3. A conflictual and fragmented movement 60 4. Conflicts over meaning 69 5. The role played by third parties 83 Part II: Difficulties in entrenching the movement in Turkey 94 6. The emergence and limits of identity politics in Turkey 96 7. Insurmountable difficulties in integrating the religious 108 8. Difficulties in establishing a political footing 124 9. Culture as an outlet 143 10. How modes of action have evolved over time 155 Part III: The localisation of identity 174 11. Local identity dynamics 176 12. Alevism in Europe 198 Conclusion 221 Glossary 228 Notes 229 Bibliography 249 Index 257 Identity and Managing Territorial Diversity