Iranian Journal of Anthropological Research

Iranian Journal of Anthropological Research

Social Cohesion as a Way of Life: A Phenomenological Analysis of the Lived Experience of Yarsan Followers in Karaj City

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Kurdistan
2 Master's degree in Sociology, University of Kurdistan
10.22059/ijar.2026.407477.459952
Abstract
Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of a phenomenological analysis of the mechanisms of production and reproduction of social solidarity among followers of the Yarsan faith in the city of Karaj. The significance of this study arises from the fact that, for the Yarsan community as one of Iran’s religious-cultural minorities, social solidarity is not merely a normative value but a vital mechanism for cultural continuity, the preservation of collective identity, and the strengthening of social resilience. The main question of the study is how the Yari faith, as a belief, ritual, and moral system, institutionalizes social solidarity among its followers, and what dimensions this solidarity has in their lived experience.
Method: This study adopts a qualitative approach using interpretive phenomenology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 Yarsan followers residing in Karaj, selected through purposive sampling. To enrich the data, field observations were also conducted in ritual spaces such as jamkhaneh. Data analysis was carried out using Colaizzi’s seven-step method, including the extraction of initial codes, categorization of concepts, and the identification of core themes.
Results:The findings reveal that social cohesion among the Yarsan community is reproduced through six main themes: charismatic authority and spiritual hierarchy, highlighting the role of religious leaders in regulating social relations and transmitting traditions; a peace-oriented disposition and social tolerance, emphasizing values such as equality, nonviolence, and coexistence; ritual-centered cohesion, in which collective practices such as jam, dhikr, and votive offerings generate shared emotional experiences and reinforce collective identity; ethical duty-orientation, which commits individuals to responsibilities toward the transcendent, the religious structure, and the community; intragroup social capital, manifested through trust, support networks, and the practice of selfless giving (yarbakhshi); and ritual cohesion and identity reproduction, sustained through sacred spaces, symbolic elements, and digital social networks.
Conclusions: social cohesion among Yarsan followers is a multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon grounded in the interplay between meaning, structure, and practice. Beyond its social functions, this cohesion operates as an active strategy for survival, resistance to external pressures, and preservation of collective identity.
Keywords
Subjects

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