Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Fariba Seddighi 1
- Zeynab Bafkar 2
- Atena sadat zargarcgi 2
- Seyyed Matin Parsaeyan 3
- Mahta Baghshahi 3
- Mobina Shaterzade 3
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Yazd University
2 Master's degree student in Anthropology, Yazd University
3 Bachelor's degree student in Anthropology, Yazd University
Abstract
Vow, as a common religious ritual, serves diverse functions within various cultural and social contexts. This study aims to understand the meaning of vow from the perspective of women in Yazd and to explore the different purposes and layers of this ritual act. The theoretical framework draws on Marcel Mauss’s concept of gift, Victor Turner’s social drama, Peter Berger’s sacred canopy, Jan Assmann’s cultural memory, and Mary Douglas’s notion of purification. The research employs a qualitative ethnographic approach, including fieldwork, observation, and semi-structured interviews with women who make vows in Yazd. Findings reveal that for Yazdi women, vow is not merely a religious act but a multilayered practice encompassing psychological, social, cultural, and religious meanings. Participants described vow as a "bridge to the sacred," a "support system," a "conditional act," and a "ritual memory." Moreover, vow operates within a kind of ritual moral economy where prayers and vows made on behalf of others are seen as conditions for individual well-being and peace. The goals of vow in women’s experiences can be analyzed on three levels: the micro (individual), involving desires such as success in education or employment; the meso (family), related to family health and maintaining generational bonds; and the macro (cultural-religious), connected to reclaiming religious identity and participating in alleviating cultural poverty through awareness-raising vows. Overall, vow in the lived experience of Yazdi women functions as a mechanism for meaning-making, restoring personal dignity, and coping with everyday uncertainties.
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