همبستگی اجتماعی به‌مثابه شیوه‌ای از زیستن: واکاوی پدیدارشناختی تجربه زیسته پیروان آیین یارسان در شهر کرج

This study provides a phenomenological analysis of the mechanisms through which social cohesion is produced and reproduced among followers of the Yarsan (Ahl-e Haqq) faith in the city of Karaj. The significance of this research lies in the fact that the Yarsan community—one of Iran’s religious-cultural minorities—has historically faced patterns of marginalization, structural discrimination, and symbolic exclusion. For this group, social cohesion is not merely a normative value but a vital mechanism for cultural continuity, collective resilience, and the reproduction of religious identity. The core question guiding the study is how the Yari religion, as a belief, ritual, and ethical system, institutionalizes cohesion within the community, and how Yarsan adherents experience and interpret this cohesion in their lived reality.

The theoretical framework draws on classical and contemporary approaches in the sociology of religion, including Durkheim’s theory of solidarity, Parsons’ analysis of the action system, Geertz’s interpretive symbolism, and Berger’s social constructionism. Additionally, Chalabi’s concept of social concord provides a localized lens for examining cohesion within religious-cultural collectivities. This framework enables a multi-dimensional analysis of cohesion across semantic, functional, and cultural-spatial levels.

Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative design informed by van Manen’s interpretive phenomenology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 Yarsan adherents in Karaj, selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis followed Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method, complemented by field observations in jamkhaneh (Yarsan ritual spaces) and communal gatherings. The analytic process yielded 45 initial codes, 35 secondary codes, and six overarching thematic categories that illuminate the major dimensions of social cohesion within the Yarsan community.

Findings indicate that the first major theme is charismatic authority and spiritual hierarchy. Religious leaders (pirs, sayyeds, elders) play a foundational role in transmitting ritual traditions, regulating social relations, establishing symbolic order, and reinforcing group cohesion. Their authority is rooted in symbolic capital, charismatic legitimacy, and historical trust, producing an affective-spiritual bond between leaders and followers.

The second theme is peace-oriented disposition and social tolerance. Yarsan teachings emphasize equality, nonviolence, reverence for nature, and historical patience, which collectively constitute core ethical markers of Yarsan identity. This disposition not only organizes interpersonal relations but generates an “ethical mode of living” that strengthens internal solidarity and functions as a cultural strategy of resistance against discrimination.

A third theme, ritual-centrism and event-based cohesion, highlights the centrality of collective rituals—such as jam, dhikr, sama, votive offerings, kalam recitation, and fasting periods—in creating shared emotions and reaffirming collective identity. These rituals perform the Durkheimian function of generating “moral energy” and sustaining the collective conscience.

The fourth theme is ethical duty-orientation. The concept of duty manifests at three levels: responsibility toward the transcendent truth, responsibility within the religious structure (the pir–murid relation), and responsibility toward the community and humanity. Duty-orientation strengthens the normative dimension of cohesion and motivates individuals to participate in communal action, solve collective problems, and maintain ritual traditions.

The fifth theme is intragroup social capital, expressed through trust networks, shared identity, communal support systems, and the practice of yarbakhshi—giving without expectation of return. In the urban context of Karaj, this social capital operates as an adaptive mechanism for coping with external pressures and enhancing collective resilience.

The final theme, ritual cohesion and identity reproduction, is enacted through sacred spaces (jamkhaneh and the household), symbolic elements (tanbur music, prayers, recitations), digital social networks, and the active role of elders. Modern communication technologies further facilitate intergenerational transmission of values, helping sustain cohesion in contemporary settings.

Overall, the study demonstrates that social cohesion among the Yarsan is a multi-layered and dynamic phenomenon grounded in the interplay between meaning, structure, and practice. Beyond its social functions, cohesion operates as an active strategy of survival and meaning-making, enabling the community to preserve its collective identity amidst historical challenges. Ultimately, the findings reveal that the Yari religion reproduces a distinctive pattern of cultural-ritual cohesion that adapts traditional elements to modern contexts.