Ayşenur Şener

I am a Research Assistant in the Department of Sociology at Harran University and a PhD candidate at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. My doctoral Project titled ‘’Aging in different socio-cultural contexts: The Examples of Giresun and Şanlıurfa’’ explores how socio-cultural contexts shape subjective and successful ageing perceptions through comparative fieldwork conducted in two Turkish cities, Şanlıurfa and Giresun.

As a grantee of a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) within COST Action CA22167 (PAAR-net), I conducted fieldwork at DAKME Alevitisches Kulturzentrum e.V. in Dortmund, Germany, between 23 March and 5 April 2026. The STSM focused on older Alevi migrants’ participation in community life and their role in community co-production processes. Drawing on a combination of participant observation and participatory discussion groups, I examined how older adults contribute to collective life, cultural continuity, and social solidarity within this minority community organisation.

The STSM at DAKME was an experience that shaped me both as a researcher and as a person. Spending time at the association, attending workshops, ceremonies, and informal gatherings alongside older members, gave me a kind of understanding that is simply not available through academic literature alone. What I did not fully anticipate before arriving was how actively older adults are involved in sustaining the community: they organise, they remember, they deliberate, and they make things happen. This became even clearer through the discussion groups, where participants did not simply respond to my questions but took an active role in shaping the research process itself. This research has given me a richer sense of what participatory research means in practice. Without the support of PAAR-net, conducting this kind of fieldwork in Germany would not have been possible for me, and I am grateful for that opportunity !