Iran

Hajar Ghorbani Hajar, Iran

Hajar Ghorbani Hajar is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology at the University of Alberta, where she holds the esteemed title of Killam Scholar. Her academic focus centres on the field of death studies within the context of Iran.

Throughout her academic journey, which spans six years, she has engaged in extensive fieldwork primarily based in Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, with additional research conducted in Isfahan and Shiraz. Her research bifurcates into two primary areas of inquiry: The Modernization of Death and The Politicization of Death in Iran.

Hajar strives to amplify the discourse surrounding the topic of death in Iran on a global scale, particularly within Western academic circles. Her hard work is evident through her keynote speech, including a presentation on The Politicization of Death in Iran at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, UK.

Currently engrossed in her Ph.D. studies, Hajar explores the agency of dead bodies. Departing from traditional anthropological perspectives that often treat the departed merely as symbols or political markers, she pioneers an innovative approach that attributes agency and voice to the dead, emphasizing their intrinsic ungovernability.

Hajar’s research contributes a fresh perspective to the contemporary understanding of Iran, presenting novel insights into the agency and authority of dead bodies and enriching the global dialogue on this captivating subject.

Email address: hghorba1@ualberta.ca

Website: www.death-and-culture.com