An Ethnographic Study of Women&#039;s Mourning Gatherings in the Arbaeen Walking Ritual (Case study: Description and analysis of two women&#039;s mourning gatherings in the city of Karbala / 1402AH.2023AD)

Garousi, Akram; Tavoosimasroor, Saeeed

doi:10.22083/scsj.2026.551399.1315

An Ethnographic Study of Women's Mourning Gatherings in the Arbaeen Walking Ritual (Case study: Description and analysis of two women's mourning gatherings in the city of Karbala / 1402AH.2023AD)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

akram garousi ¹

saeeed tavoosimasroor ²

¹ PhD student in sociology, Kharazmi University

² Faculty member of Allameh Tabatabaei University

10.22083/scsj.2026.551399.1315

Abstract

Mourning rituals around the event of Ashura, have always formed one of the central pillars of Shia religious rituals throughout history. In this regard and in the last decade, the Arbaeen walk has become one of the most prominent rituals surrounding the event of Ashura. A ritual that is held with the presence of different strata of people and from many nationalities and ethnic groups, most of whom are from the two countries of Iraq and Iran. Holding mourning meetings (Mainly with the presence of women and men next to each other, and sometimes among only men, and in less cases, exclusively in women's groups) is one of the field events of the Arbaeen walking ritual. This research is a case study of people/sociology about two examples of women's mourning sessions formed during the establishment of this ritual. The establishment of assemblies with their own format and forms, along with special content, has many consequences, one of the most important of these is the cross-cultural fusions that arise from them. Continuous presence, observation, collaborative observation, interview, image recording, sound recording, note taking, etc. They are among the tools that help in recording the data found. In line with the findings, it is necessary to pay attention to the preparation of public speech and mourning gatherings, in accordance with the language of the nationalities and ethnic groups present at the meeting, and to use, as much as possible, common inter-religious materials, poems, and laments in these gatherings, for the better use of male and female mourning pilgrims.

Keywords

Ethnography, Women'

s mourning gatherings, Arbaeen walking ritual, Sociology of women'

s mourning gatherings, Anthropology of women'

s mourning gatherings, Holy life

Subjects