Ritual, the state, and the transformation of emotional discourse in Iranian society

Abstract

This paper explores the social and cultural organization of Iranian emotional discourse and its transformation in post-revolutionary Iran. First, the Moharram dramas we participated in during field research are described, indicating how these performances organized a 'prototypical' view of the social order, the self, and the passions. Using Kapferer's distinction between "transcendental" and "transformative" rituals, we argue that these dramas were traditionally organized as "transcendental" rites. Second, data on grieving rituals and depressive illness among Iranians is introduced, focusing on the "transformative" qualities of mourning rites and suggesting an interpretation of depression as a failure of the "work of culture." Third, the appropriation of these symbolic forms of society, self, and the emotions by the current Iranian Islamic state and the role of the state in defining the meaning and legitimacy of emotions and their expression is analyzed.