Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

The Role of Cultural Memory in Facing Disasters; A Case Study of the Experience of War and Earthquake in Sarpol-e Zahab

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Minoo Salimi
Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jasi.2026.2080016.1597
Abstract
A disaster is an event—whether natural or human-made, sudden or prolonged—that disrupts Disasters may be natural or human-made, sudden or prolonged. In the aftermath of such events, societies attempt to preserve individuals’ lived experiences and coping practices. Cultural memory plays a significant role in shaping how people respond to disasters, engage in coping strategies, and accept relief assistance. The city of Sarpol-e Zahab has experienced two major disasters: a human-made disaster, the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), and a natural disaster, the 2017 earthquake. Since relatively few studies have examined the role of cultural memory in reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience, further research in this area is essential.This study addresses questions such as: What forms do the tangible and intangible cultural memories of the war and the earthquake take among the people of Sarpol-e Zahab? To what extent have these memories functioned as resources for strengthening resilience and facilitating recovery? The aim of this research is to examine the role of cultural memory in disaster response through the lived experiences of the people of Sarpol-e Zahab, using a phenomenological approach.Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 individuals who had experienced both the war and the earthquake and who were selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed by identifying significant statements and clustering them into thematic categories. The findings indicate that the cultural memory of the war had a direct influence on how the people of Sarpol-e Zahab responded to the earthquake, increasing their level of resilience. For these individuals, the cultural memory of war functioned as a resource that enabled them to demonstrate greater adaptability and to complete the recovery and reconstruction process more rapidly after the earthquake. The study concludes that cultural memory can serve as a valuable resource for reducing vulnerability and improving the management of future disasters.
Keywords
Cultural Memory
Disaster
Earthquake
Sar-pol-e Zahab
War
Subjects
-       Alizadeh, E., & Baghban Moshiri, N. (2018). Along the Old Suffering: The Meaning of the Sarpol-e Zahab Earthquake in the Lived Experience of Its Narrators. Social Work Research Journal, 5(17), 29–55. (in Persian).
-       Assmann, J. (2008).“Communicative and Cultural Memory”, in A. Erll and A. Nunning (eds) Cultural Memory Studies. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
-       Assmann,A. (2015).“Collective Memory and Cultural Identity”, New German Critique, 65: 125-134.
-       Barthel,B.D. (2015).“Cultural heritage: tangible and intangible markers of collective memory”,Malata: A publication of the National Archives of Malta.
-       Bigdashian, M. (2014). Determining the Characteristics of an Earthquake-Resilient Urban Community (Case Study: Sarpol-e Zahab City). Master’s thesis in Disaster Management, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran. (in Persian).
-       Bin, X. (2016).“Disaster,Trauma and Memory”, Routlege International Handbook of Memory Studies.
-       Boyer, P. and J. W. Wertsch.(2009).“Memory in Mind and Culture”,UK: Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-       Cashman, K. V., & Cronin, S. J. (2008). Welcoming a monster to the world: Myths, oral tradition, and modern societal response to volcanic disasters. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 176(3), 407-418.
-       Creswell, J. W. (2023). Research Design (A. Kiamanesh, Trans.). Tehran: Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (Jahad Daneshgahi). (in Persian).
-       Farzab, M. M., & Janalizadeh Choub Basti, H. (2018). Collective Memory of Generations of the Eight-Year Iran–Iraq War. Cultural and Communication Studies, 14(50), 35–58. (in Persian).
-       Jonnes. A. (2007). Memory and material culture. London: Cambridge University Press.
-       Kamari, M., & Jamshidi, R. (2013). Sarpol-e Zahab Through History. Kermanshah: Cheshmeh-e Honar va Danesh. (in Persian).
-       Levine, A.Peter. (2015). Trauma and Memory. US: North Atlantic Books.
-       Mohammadpour, A. (2013). Qualitative Research Method: Anti-Method. Tehran: Jame’ehshenasan Publications. (in Persian).
-       Moulton, S. (2015). “How to remember: The Interplay of Memory and Identity Formation in the Post- Disaster Communities“,Applied Anthropology of Risk Hazards, and Disasters, 74 (4): 319-328.
-       Salimi, M. (2023). An Anthropological Study of Children’s Lived Experience in Disaster: A Case Study of the Sarpol-e Zahab Earthquake. Iranian Journal of Anthropology, 20(36), 309–336. (in Persian).
-       Smith, J. A. Flowers, P. Larkin. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research. Us: SAGE Publications.
-        Tajdini, K. (2020).  A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of 25–50-Year-Old Men Affected by the Kermanshah Earthquake to Understand Its Psychological Consequences on Their Lives. PhD dissertation in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University. (in Persian).
-       Ulberg, S. (2014). Thinking Disaster through Memory, Newark:University of Delaware.
-       Yari, A., & Parishan, M. (2017). The Role of Education in Natural Hazard (Earthquake) Risk Management: A Case Study of Rural Areas of Qazvin County. Spatial Analysis of Natural Hazards, 4(1), 49–62. (in Persian).
-       Zokaei, M. S. (2011). Cultural Studies and Memory Studies. Iranian Journal of Social Studies, 5(3), 72–96. (in Persian).
Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 May 2026