Reflection on the signs of commodification of the sacred (With the emphasis on pilgrimage)

علوم اجتماعی دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 May 2023   

Document Type: Review article

DOI: 10.22067/social.2023.81140.1314

Authors

Zahra Bostan¹; Ali Yousofi^{* 2}; sepideh .parsapajouh³

¹Phd candidate ferdowsi university

²Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

³Senior Researcher at the Center for the Study of Social Sciences in Paris, France

Abstract

The rapid changes in modern society and the dominance of utilitarian motives have raised concerns about the loss of the sanctity and authenticity of the sacred. However, the commodification of the sacred in Iran is a virgin and unknown field, and examining it both at the structural level and at the level of individual experience can help to solve its conceptual and theoretical gaps. The purpose of this article is to systematically examine the definitions and signs of the commodification of the sacred in the field of pilgrimage through scientific research. This research is a type of secondary studies and has been done with a systematic review method. The findings of this article indicate the geographical extent, multiple manifestations, and methodological diversity of the aforementioned research on the subject of the commodification of sacred things. Based on the aforementioned research, this research defines and classifies the signs of commodification in six dimensions, which are: generalization, monetization, dramatization, bureaucratization, digitalization, and politicization. A systematic review of the conducted research shows that the commodification of the sacred has economic and non-economic aspects and this transformation is mostly reflected in the form of space and religious objects. However, these researches have not paid much attention to the commodification of the pilgrimage experience among pilgrims (in the form of performing and performing rituals and connection with the sacred matter) and how it is accompanied by macro and medium level changes

Keywords

Commodification; sacred; secularization; pilgrimage; systematic review

References