شمارۀ جدید فصلنامه (بهار 1405) منتشر شد
Volume 16, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Social Problems of Iran 2025, 16(4): 285-326 |
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Nademi M, Rezaei A, Ebadollahi-Chanzanagh H. (2025). Post-War Traumatic Existence: A Study of Collective Memory among war-stricken Residents of Ilam Province. Social Problems of Iran. 16(4), 285-326. doi:10.61882/jspi.16.4.285
URL: http://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3887-en.html
URL: http://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3887-en.html
1- Ph.D Student, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
2- Associate Professor in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran ,a.rezaei@umz.ac.ir
3- Associate Professor in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
2- Associate Professor in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran ,
3- Associate Professor in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Abstract: (707 Views)
The Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), as one of the longest and most perilous wars of the 20th century, left profound impacts on Iranian society, particularly in border provinces such as Ilam. The aim of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions of the people in this region regarding their experience of the war. Notably, the psychological traumas stemming from war gradually transcend the individual level over time, and these same painful narratives will shape the collective spirit of the war-stricken inhabitants. This study seeks to answer the following question: What does war mean to the residents of Iran's war-torn western border regions, and how have they experienced it? The present study was conducted using an interpretive-qualitative approach and a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Purposeful sampling of the convenience and theoretical types was used. Theoretical saturation was achieved when the sample size reached 27 individuals. For data analysis within the framework of the constructivist grounded theory method, the text was coded in three stages: primary, focused, and theoretical. Findings indicated that the experience of war and displacement, beyond disrupting daily life, has confronted post-war existence with various crises, the psychological damage of which continues to persist. In the collective memory of the people of Ilam, the war is recalled as a traumatic catastrophe that has affected various dimensions of individuals' lives across generations. Moreover, being war-stricken, as a collective identity, has led to the inhibition of individual, social, economic, and cultural development.
Extended Abstract
2.Methodology
In this study, considering the exploratory objective of the research, Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory method has been utilized. This approach is situated within the interpretive paradigm. Constructivists study how and sometimes why participants construct meanings and actions in particular situations. Charmaz believes that in the constructivist approach, we try to get as close as possible to the essence of an experience, but we cannot exactly replicate the participants’ experiences. The constructivist approach means that we must look for something beyond how individuals perceive their own situations. Researchers collected the necessary data by referring to individuals who had direct and firsthand experiences of war and displacement. Based on this, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the participants’ narratives of war and displacement. In order to understand how narrators recall their past and experiences of war and displacement, questions were asked about how they became aware of the war, their experiences of displacement and forced migration, how they chose a new place to live, and their first-hand experiences of war scenes, among others. In this study, purposive sampling, using availability and theoretical sampling, was used to select participants. The average duration of each interview ranged from 50 minutes to 3 hours. The number of participants was determined based on the logic of qualitative sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. In this way, 28 participants were interviewed to reach theoretical saturation.
To analyze the data within this framework, first, each interview was transcribed. After multiple readings of the text, we moved on to the coding and analysis phase. The text was coded in three stages: open, focused, and theoretical coding. In the open coding stage, each section of the interview text was assigned a conceptual code. Then, in the focused coding stage, more important and frequently occurring concepts were selected, and similar concepts with shared meanings were merged to form categories. In the final theoretical stage, the most important categories were selected and discussed in the data analysis. This process was iterative and involved constant comparison of raw data with concepts and categories. To assess the credibility of the findings, we used member-checking. In this way, after coding and analyzing the data, the findings were presented to some of the participants for their evaluation.
3.Findings
The feeling of being a victim (individual or collective) is a fundamental part of the Ilamis’ narratives of the war. This trauma is perceived as unjust, unfair, and unethical, and the government failed to prevent it. Post-war traumatic living is a concept that emerges from the narratives of the people of Ilam province who were affected by the war. Experiences such as confronting death, living in the shadow of death, psychological trauma, and war-related trauma have created invisible wounds, the constant presence of non-being, and hidden psychological wounds, all of which are different dimensions of the Ilamis’ experience of war trauma, ultimately leading to the concept of post-war traumatic living.
4.Conclusion
The narratives of the people of Ilam about the imposed war, as one of the most tense and affected areas during the war, contain complex and traumatic layers. These narratives are not only a historical description of events, but also a reflection of deep personal and collective experiences shaped by the war. Ilamis’ narratives are full of signs of collective and individual trauma. The horrific experiences of war, such as aerial bombings, the martyrdom of loved ones, and the destruction of infrastructure, have caused deep psychological wounds in the society of Ilam. The narratives of the Ilamis are a combination of personal and collective stories. In these narratives, individual experiences are intertwined with broader war and resistance stories. These narratives simultaneously express personal pain and suffering, and also serve as tools for preserving collective identity and transmitting experiences to future generations. The experience of war and its resulting suffering has shaped an identity that transcends ethnic and religious groups, and the narrator conveys the endless and irreparable pain of war on the people of war-affected regions. Accepting the non-official narratives of war victims, and paying special attention to war-affected regions in order to promote economic, social, political, and cultural development, can help diminish the traumatic nature of post-war life in this region. In the long run, this can also heal the pain and suffering embedded in the collective memory of the people of these regions.
Extended Abstract
- Introduction
2.Methodology
In this study, considering the exploratory objective of the research, Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory method has been utilized. This approach is situated within the interpretive paradigm. Constructivists study how and sometimes why participants construct meanings and actions in particular situations. Charmaz believes that in the constructivist approach, we try to get as close as possible to the essence of an experience, but we cannot exactly replicate the participants’ experiences. The constructivist approach means that we must look for something beyond how individuals perceive their own situations. Researchers collected the necessary data by referring to individuals who had direct and firsthand experiences of war and displacement. Based on this, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the participants’ narratives of war and displacement. In order to understand how narrators recall their past and experiences of war and displacement, questions were asked about how they became aware of the war, their experiences of displacement and forced migration, how they chose a new place to live, and their first-hand experiences of war scenes, among others. In this study, purposive sampling, using availability and theoretical sampling, was used to select participants. The average duration of each interview ranged from 50 minutes to 3 hours. The number of participants was determined based on the logic of qualitative sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. In this way, 28 participants were interviewed to reach theoretical saturation.
To analyze the data within this framework, first, each interview was transcribed. After multiple readings of the text, we moved on to the coding and analysis phase. The text was coded in three stages: open, focused, and theoretical coding. In the open coding stage, each section of the interview text was assigned a conceptual code. Then, in the focused coding stage, more important and frequently occurring concepts were selected, and similar concepts with shared meanings were merged to form categories. In the final theoretical stage, the most important categories were selected and discussed in the data analysis. This process was iterative and involved constant comparison of raw data with concepts and categories. To assess the credibility of the findings, we used member-checking. In this way, after coding and analyzing the data, the findings were presented to some of the participants for their evaluation.
3.Findings
The feeling of being a victim (individual or collective) is a fundamental part of the Ilamis’ narratives of the war. This trauma is perceived as unjust, unfair, and unethical, and the government failed to prevent it. Post-war traumatic living is a concept that emerges from the narratives of the people of Ilam province who were affected by the war. Experiences such as confronting death, living in the shadow of death, psychological trauma, and war-related trauma have created invisible wounds, the constant presence of non-being, and hidden psychological wounds, all of which are different dimensions of the Ilamis’ experience of war trauma, ultimately leading to the concept of post-war traumatic living.
4.Conclusion
The narratives of the people of Ilam about the imposed war, as one of the most tense and affected areas during the war, contain complex and traumatic layers. These narratives are not only a historical description of events, but also a reflection of deep personal and collective experiences shaped by the war. Ilamis’ narratives are full of signs of collective and individual trauma. The horrific experiences of war, such as aerial bombings, the martyrdom of loved ones, and the destruction of infrastructure, have caused deep psychological wounds in the society of Ilam. The narratives of the Ilamis are a combination of personal and collective stories. In these narratives, individual experiences are intertwined with broader war and resistance stories. These narratives simultaneously express personal pain and suffering, and also serve as tools for preserving collective identity and transmitting experiences to future generations. The experience of war and its resulting suffering has shaped an identity that transcends ethnic and religious groups, and the narrator conveys the endless and irreparable pain of war on the people of war-affected regions. Accepting the non-official narratives of war victims, and paying special attention to war-affected regions in order to promote economic, social, political, and cultural development, can help diminish the traumatic nature of post-war life in this region. In the long run, this can also heal the pain and suffering embedded in the collective memory of the people of these regions.
Keywords: Collective memory, War, Traumatic life, War-stricken, Experience of disruption, Constructism
Type of Article: Original Research |
Subject:
Social problems
Received: 2025/05/20 | Accepted: 2025/06/29 | Published: 2026/01/28
Received: 2025/05/20 | Accepted: 2025/06/29 | Published: 2026/01/28
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