Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Journal of Social Sciences

Reflection on the Signs of Commodification of the Sacred Affairs with Emphasis on Pilgrimage

Document Type : Review article

Authors

Zahra Bostan 1
Ali Yousefi 2
Sepideh Parsapajouh 3

1 Ph.D. Student in Economic and Development Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 Senior Researcher, CNRS-CéSOr/EHESS, Paris, France

https://doi.org/10.22067/social.2023.81140.1314
Abstract
The process of commodification refers to the transformation through which objects, events, places, and true narratives are converted into commodities or services with exchange value. The commodification of the sacred, particularly within the domain of pilgrimage, challenges the authenticity and sanctity of the pilgrimage experience. Despite the growth pilgrimage sites, the expansion of ritual practices, and the accelerating commodification of pilgrimage in Iran, a paucity of studies on this process is felt. This paper aims to systematically analyze the definitions, components, and indicators of commodification of the sacred in the literature on pilgrimage. The findings sugegst that research on the commodification of pilgrimage exhibit geographic diversity, methodological variety, and multiple research perspectives. Moreover, the indicators of commodification can be categorized into six interconnected main dimensions: “monetization,” “spectacularization,” “popularization,” “bureaucratization,” “digitalization,” and “politicization.” Further, the commodification of the sacred is a multifaceted phenomenon that encompasses both overt economic dimensions and complex non-economic layers, with this transformation primarily reflected via changes in religious spaces, objects, symbols, and rituals. Lastly, the existign ltierature has paid scant attention to the process of commodification of the “pilgrimage experience” from the perspective of the pilgrims, as well as how this micro-level process interacts with broader political, economic, and institutional changes. This article, by offering a six-dimensional classification and identifying research gaps, proposes a preliinary framework for more in-depth and contextually grounded studies on the commodification of pilgrimage in Iran.
 

Keywords

Commodification
The Sacred
Religious Rituals
Pilgrimage
Systematic Review
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  • Receive Date 15 February 2023
  • Revise Date 25 April 2023
  • Accept Date 01 May 2023
  • First Publish Date 01 May 2023
  • Publish Date 22 November 2025

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