Journal of Iranian Cultural Research

Journal of Iranian Cultural Research

Behaviors and attitudes of funeral procession participants and attendees at burial and mourning ceremonies

Document Type : Scientific Research Manuscript

Author
PhD in Social Psychology and Psychometrics, Department of Sociology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
10.22035/jicr.2027.3451.3696
Abstract
Funeral and mourning ceremonies are collective rituals that serve to alleviate individual grief and strengthen social solidarity. Field observations, however, indicate that participants do not exhibit uniform behaviors or attitudes; rather, a wide range of responses, from deep empathy to indifference and self-interest, may coexist within the same ceremony. This study examines and categorizes this behavioral diversity and seeks to explain the underlying psychosocial mechanisms that shape it. The study employed a qualitative, exploratory ethnographic approach. Data were collected over a two-year period through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 21 participants across 125 ceremonies—including funerals, third-day, seventh-day, and fortieth-day mourning ceremonies—in nine provinces of Iran. Purposive sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis and ATLAS.ti software. The analysis resulted in two overarching categories, namely “the attentive” and “the indifferent,” encompassing six subcategories: the compassionate, the empathetic, the altruistic, the indifferent (spectators), the reciprocal, and the self-interested. This categorization is strongly associated with the participants’ familial relationship and degree of intimacy with the deceased. The compassionate are predominantly immediate family members, while the empathetic tend to be individuals who have experienced a similar loss. By contrast, the indifferent and self-interested are found across a broader range of relationships. Participation in mourning rituals is a multifaceted phenomenon shaped by the interplay of unconscious processes, observational learning, social exchange, and rational choice. This diversity reflects the tension between collectivist and individualist values in contemporary Iranian society. The findings may be useful to sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, and cultural policymakers in designing supportive policies and promoting the psychological well-being of bereaved individuals. The principal limitation of the study was the scarcity of previous research directly relevant to the subject.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 September 2027

  • Receive Date 10 February 2026
  • Revise Date 23 August 2026
  • Accept Date 11 September 2026