The articles in this issue, while diverse, share a central concern: understanding social life as a dynamic field for constructing meaning and identity. From kinship, migration, and youth to religion, mourning, violence, space, and material culture, these studies show that identities, social relations, and lived experiences are shaped through historical, situational, and mediated processes. Bodies, objects, spaces, rituals, and technologies actively contribute to meaning-making, challenging boundaries between the material and symbolic, individual and structural, and mundane and sacred.
With new editorial leadership, Journal of Anthropology has redefined priorities to enhance quality and international impact. Key initiatives include strengthening peer review, ensuring transparency, expanding global scholarly networks, and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. Regular themed issues with guest editors and gradual bilingual publication further support engagement at national and international levels while preserving the journal’s scholarly identity.
Anthropological research in Iran faces structural challenges. Limited institutional support often makes research dependent on personal funding and individual commitment, constraining time, resources, and academic freedom. Macroeconomic pressures further affect prospects for scientific development. The journal anticipates conditions allowing researchers to focus on scholarly advancement beyond livelihood concerns.
This issue also commemorates Professor Javad Safinejad, an influential and modest scholar of Iranian anthropology and cultural studies. His field-based work forms a crucial part of the discipline’s collective memory, documenting local knowledge, social experiences, and ways of life. The journal honors his contributions to shaping the field and transmitting anthropological knowledge to future generations.
Journal of Anthropology relies on the collective engagement of the scholarly community, built on trust, collaboration, and shared responsibility. Its continuity depends on critical, patient, and professional participation, preserving space for scholarly dialogue even under limiting conditions. We hope this issue continues to provide a forum for reflection, discussion, and reconsideration, strengthening this shared academic resource.
 
Mehrdad Arabestani,
Editor, Journal of Anthropology  
1.1.2026