Shi`i Narratives of Karbalâ and Christian Rites of Penance: Michel Foucault and the Culture of the Iranian Revolution, 1978–1979

Afary, Janet

doi:10.1215/01636545-2003-86-7

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The forms of self-punishment we found were reminiscent of self-flagellation practiced by some religious sects as penance to remind themselves of their sin, depravity or vileness in the eyes of God or to commemorate martyrdom. [ 39 ] Other forms of self-punishment were akin to ‘magical control’ that Osuch et al . had identified as a factor in their Self-Injury Motivation Scale.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative study of motivations for non-suicidal self-injury in a sample of psychiatric outpatients in Singapore

Shahwan

Zhang

Sambasivam

et al. 2021

Singapore Medical Journal

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Introduction: The popular notion that the need for attention drives non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) serves to stigmatise rather than understand this warning sign of underlying psychological/psychiatric disorder. Despite the pervasiveness of NSSI in clinical and community settings, effective treatments for this behaviour are lacking. This qualitative research aims to understand the motivations of NSSI in adolescent/young adults in a mental health facility in Singapore. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 outpatients (6 males, 14 females) of Institute of Mental Health aged 16–29 years who had reported NSSI as part of an earlier survey. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The main themes and sub-themes were identified and described. Results: A preponderance of motivations served intrapersonal emotion-regulating purposes, which were categorised as to: (a) release bottled-up feelings; (b) self-punish; (c) turn aggression inwards; (d) sensitise oneself; and (e) attain a sense of control and mastery. By contrast, a small subset of motivations served the interpersonal motivation of signaling one’s distress, especially when the capacity for verbal expression was limited or attempts to verbalise distress were futile. Conclusion: Committing NSSI solely for attention-seeking is a myth that perpetuates the stigma and hinders those in need of psychological care from seeking appropriate treatment. NSSIs may be warning signs that indicate not only intrapersonal conflicts but external environments that are perceived unsafe to deal with these intrapersonal conflicts. An understanding of the underlying motives will facilitate better treatment of individuals presenting with NSSI.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative study of motivations for non-suicidal self-injury in a sample of psychiatric outpatients in Singapore

Shahwan

Zhang

Sambasivam

et al. 2021

Singapore Medical Journal

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“…For instance, Moaddel () views Muslim Shi'a principles, concepts, symbols, and rituals as having shaped the Iranian Revolution. Some have made meticulous attempts to shed light on different types of Shi'a ideologies and rituals and how they are relevant to politics (Afary, ; Akhavi, ). In one of the few quantitative analyses of the revolution, Rasler () finds that violent repression of demonstrations during the last months of the Shah's regime was followed by an initial decline of protest activity but even more intense protests within a period of roughly 40 days.…”

Section: The Iranian Revolution: Structural Causes Ideological Discomentioning

confidence: 99%

From the Islamic Republic to the Green Movement: Social Movements in Contemporary Iran

Tofangsazi

2019

Sociology Compass

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The Islamic Revolution of 1979, the student protests of 1999, and the Iranian Green Movement are among the most important social movements in contemporary Iran. This tumultuous history makes Iran a prime candidate for any analysis of social movements and collective action. However, a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between studies of Iranian social movements and the larger literature on collective behavior and social movements is yet to be conducted. I divide the literature on Iranian social movements between works focusing on the Islamic Revolution and those addressing movements in post‐revolutionary Iran with a focus on the Iranian Green Movement and point out the major foci of each category. Analyses of the Islamic Revolution mostly emphasize the role of grievances, political opportunities, and Shi'a ideology. Works on post‐revolutionary movements are mainly concerned with analyzing the role of political opportunities and internet and communication technologies. Overall, studies of Iranian social movements seem to be moving towards more connection with and application of mainstream theories of social movements. Nevertheless, I identify four areas with room for improvement: (a) a continuous connection to and dialogue with the mainstream literature on collective behavior and social movements; (b) an emphasis on the use of cutting‐edge analytic techniques, especially quantitative ones; (c) increasing the number of studies that address issue‐specific social movements such as the women's and LGBT rights or environmental movements; and (d) conducting more comparative studies on Iran and a variety of different societies. In addition, I suggest that the scholarship on social movements in contemporary Iran can benefit studies of social movements in general by testing and modifying theories in a sociopolitical setting that is different from where they originally focused on.

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“…The Karbala paradigm has become such an integral part of Iranian Shi'ism that its rituals, practices and political significations have attracted many scholars to write about it. Afary (: 19) reduces the entirety of commemoration and mourning rituals to ‘a collective, dramatic public festival [of] death’ while El‐Aswad (:71) traces Shi'is’ spirituality expressed in Muharram ceremonies as ‘reinvent[ing] their communal identity’. However, few scholars have wondered about the textures of mourners’ experiences during these rituals .…”

Section: Believing the Tears Of Believersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lamenting the real and crying for the really real: Searching for silences and mourning martyrdom amongst Iranian volunteer militants

Saramifar

2018

Australian J of Anthropology

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Martyrdom, sacrifice, and the dedication of one's life to fight for a higher cause are central themes of Shi'i militancy. I recount my journey among Iranian Shi'i youth who fought or enlisted to fight in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, to trace their ineffable experiences and silences, which they used to justify desires for martyrdom. I explore by way of an ethnography of mourning and the lamentation ceremonies of Muharram how individuals’ ineffable experiences and perplexities emerge as explanations of their own commitment to the cause. I call on the Lacanian Real to discuss how people craft the unarticulated, the unsaid and networks to navigate their subjectivity while they encounter the divine. I broaden the Lacanian Real through an exploration of Shi'i mystical notions, in order to address how Lacan's work can be applied in non‐European traditions of the unsaid and the unarticulated.

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Shi`i Narratives of Karbalâ and Christian Rites of Penance: Michel Foucault and the Culture of the Iranian Revolution, 1978–1979

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

A qualitative study of motivations for non-suicidal self-injury in a sample of psychiatric outpatients in Singapore

A qualitative study of motivations for non-suicidal self-injury in a sample of psychiatric outpatients in Singapore

From the Islamic Republic to the Green Movement: Social Movements in Contemporary Iran

Lamenting the real and crying for the really real: Searching for silences and mourning martyrdom amongst Iranian volunteer militants

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