Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Ph.D student of Art Research, Department of Art Research, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2
Associate professor, Department of Art, University of Tarbiat Modarres, Tehran, Iran
3
Associate professor, Department of Art, University of Tarbiat Modarres, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/scart.2026.143216.1701
Abstract
Ta'zieh, recognized as the most significant ritual-religious performance tradition in Iran, is far more than a cultural event; it constitutes a cultural field where various forms of cultural, social, and symbolic capital interact between performers and spectators. This interaction mirrors the deeply rooted religious consciousness of Iranian society and reinforces collective identity, particularly among devout and semi-devout segments, within the framework of the ritual-phenomenological experience of Ta'zieh.The purpose of this paper is to examine the social relations embedded within the ritual structure of Ta'zieh, applying the phenomenological lens of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and the sociological field theory of Pierre Bourdieu. The study aims to interweave Bourdieu’s concept of the cultural field with Merleau-Ponty’s focus on embodiment and lived experience, to analyze how socio-cultural relations materialize during the performance. Drawing on theoretical concepts such as habitus, field, embodiment, and perception, this research seeks to address the central question: how can Ta'zieh as a ritual performance be interpreted through the combined frameworks of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology and Bourdieu’s sociology? Employing a qualitative, descriptive-analytical methodology, and relying on credible library sources and online databases, the study explores the philosophical underpinnings of Merleau-Ponty and Bourdieu as analytical frameworks. Special emphasis is placed on understanding Ta'zieh as a ritualized form of mourning that not only commemorates historical religious narratives but also serves as a dynamic space for the reproduction and redefinition of religious and social identities
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