ALEVİ KİMLİĞİNİN SÜRDÜRÜLMESİNDE FESTİVALLERİN ÖNEMİ-SARI SELÇUK DEDE FESTİVALİ ÖRNEĞİ

Abstract

Bu çalışma, toplumsal kimliğin inşası ve sürdürülmesinde festivallerin sosyolojik işlevini, Afyonkarahisar ilinin Sandıklı ilçesine bağlı Selçik köyünde düzenlenen “Sarı Dede Sultanı Anma ve Kültür Festivali” örneği üzerinden incelemektedir. Sosyolojik bir perspektifle festivaller, yalnızca eğlence odaklı etkinlikler değil; kolektif bilincin tazelendiği, değerlerin paylaşıldığı ve toplumsalın yeniden üretildiği yoğunlaştırılmış zamansal kesitlerdir. Çalışma kapsamında, festivallerin yerel ve kolektif kimliklerin oluşturulmasındaki rolü; Durkheim, Hobsbawm ve Cohen gibi kuramcıların “kolektif bilinç”, “geleneğin icadı” ve “sembolik sınırlar” gibi kavramların yanı sıra, yerel aidiyetler ve mekânsal kimlikler konusunda özgün fikirler sunan Getz, Hall ve Harvey gibi düşünlerin yaklaşımları çerçevesinde kurgulanmıştır. Araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomenolojik yaklaşım benimsenmiştir. Veriler, 2025 yılının Nisan ve Eylül ayları arasında, amaçlı ve kartopu örneklem teknikleriyle seçilen 18 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilen derinlemesine görüşmeler ve odak grup tartışmaları aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler, betimsel ve sistematik bir analize tabi tutularak festivale dair deneyimlerin özü ortaya çıkarılmaya çalışılmıştır. Araştırma bulguları, Sarı Dede Sultan Festivali’nin özellikle Alevi kültürüne özgü geleneklerin kuşaklararası aktarımında bir köprü işlevi gördüğünü göstermektedir. Birçok festival gibi Sarı Dede Sultan Festival’i; göç, küreselleşme ve modernleşme gibi süreçlerle mekânsal kopuş yaşayan bireylerin, kökenleriyle yeniden bağ kurmalarına ve aidiyet duygularını pekiştirmelerine imkân tanımaktadır. Özellikle yurt dışından gelen katılımcılar için bu etkinlik, “anavatana” duyulan özlemi giderme ve kültürel sermayeyi artırma aracıdır. Ayrıca; türbe, cemevi ve bunlara dair anlatılar gibi fiziksel ve kurgusal varlıklara yapılan maddi ve manevi yatırımların, topluluk üyeleri arasındaki dayanışmayı simgeleyen birer “inanca yatırım” olduğu saptanmıştır. Sonuç olarak festivallerin; kültürel kutlama, kimlik ifadesi ve sosyal etkileşim boyutlarıyla azınlık veya yerel grupların ana akım kültür içerisinde kendilerini tanımlamalarına ve sosyal uyum süreçlerine stratejik bir katkı sağladığı savunulmaktadır

Keywords

• Festival
• Sarı Dede
• Alevilik
• Kimlik ve Anlatılar.

Ethical Statement

Artaştırma süreci başlamadan önce Afyon Kkocatepe Üniversitesi Etik Kurulunundan, araştırma izin onayı alınmıştır.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FESTIVALS IN PRESERVING ALEVI IDENTITY - THE SARI SELÇUK DEDE FESTIVAL EXAMPLE

Abstract

This study examines the sociological function of festivals in the construction and maintenance of social identity, specifically focusing on the “Sarı Dede Sultan Memorial and Culture Festival” held in Selçik village, Sandıklı, Afyonkarahisar. From a sociological perspective, festivals are not merely entertainment-oriented events but intensified temporal segments where collective consciousness is refreshed, values are shared, and the social is reproduced. Within the scope of the study, the role of festivals in creating local and collective identities is addressed within the framework of concepts such as “collective consciousness,” “invention of tradition” and “symbolic boundaries” by theorists such as Durkheim, Hobsbawm, and Cohen. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted in the research. Data were collected between April and September 2025 through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 18 participants selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. The obtained data were subjected to descriptive and systematic analysis to reveal the essence of the experiences regarding the festival. Research findings indicate that the Sarı Dede Sultan Festival serves as a bridge in the intergenerational transmission of traditions specific to Alevi- Bektashi culture. The festival allows individuals who have experienced spatial disconnection due to processes such as migration, globalization, and modernization to reconnect with their roots and reinforce their sense of belonging. Especially for participants coming from abroad, this event is a means of satisfying the longing for the “homeland” and increasing cultural capital. Furthermore, it has been determined that material and spiritual investments in physical structures such as shrines and cemevis are “investments in faith” symbolizing solidarity among community members. Consequently, it is argued that festivals, through their dimensions of cultural celebration, identity expression, and social interaction, provide a strategic contribution to the self-definition and social integration processes of minority or local groups within the mainstream culture.

Keywords

• Festival
• Sarı Dede
• Alevism
• Identity
• Narrative
• Space and Belonging

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