Author(s): Fırat TAS
Kinships established between individuals without a blood link are considered within the concept of virtual kinship. Unlike
traditional kinship relationships, instead of a familial, tribal or blood relationship, socially institutionalized structures are in question
within the framework of defined rules. In the Alawites of Varto, which is the subject of the study, these virtual kinship forms appear as
Kirvelik and Musahip based on the Alevi belief. These concepts are discussed within the framework of religious, social and cultural
transformation. The transformations that Alevism has experienced in the modern period have affected virtual kinship relations as well
as in many other fields. Traditional relations have begun to evolve into new forms and forms with urban influences. At this point, the
natural environment in which belief developed and reached its known form has been replaced by new spaces where urban and modern
relations are maintained. Changing forms of relationships have had a strong impact on traditional virtual kinship relationships and
created an atmosphere that requires rethinking facts and discussions. In the study, one-to-one interviews and observations were made
with the Varto district center and villages of Mu? and the Alawis from Varto living in Istanbul and Izmir by using the field research
technique.
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