The Basseri of Iran

The Basseri of Iran
Eric Szabo
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 101
April 22, 2013
Instructor Dr Mario Tovar

The Basseri of Iran
Throughout different cultures there are many things that seem to be similar but at the same thing can be very different. For instance every culture has a concept of kinship, gender, beliefs and values as well as sociopolitical organizations which includes political organizations, social change and social organization. Even though all cultures have things like this all cultures look at these aspects in different light. Throughout this paper I will be getting to know these different concepts of the Basseri of Iran.
The Brasseri are very traditional pastoral nomads, which inhabit the Iranian province of Fars and tend to migrate along the steppes and mountains near the town of Shiraz. Pastoralism is an economy that is based primarily on herding. The tribe would follow the herds in search of food and water. Some of the animals that the Basseri raised animals such as goats and sheep where the donkeys and camels were used to do work. Horses only tended to be used by the wealthy. They are clearly a delineated group. Many of the Basseri tribe speak the dialect of Faris but some speak Turkish and Arabic as well.
The pasture essentials is important to the economy of the Pastoral Basseri culture. For instance the flock could not survive without a pasture so they would have to migraine to other locations to look for good pastures or their herds. Weather would play a big part as well. For example during the winter the snow covers the mountains in the north causing bad pastures. But in March in the south the pasture slowly dies out. The best pastures are during the summer. This would cause the tribes to have to migrate seasonally.
In all aspects of family life and matters, we all marry into our in-laws families very differently. Some will do so the as we call it “the old fashioned way” by going through the courting process. This means, you ask the father and mother permission to date their daughter. If granted the permission to court their young, the man would have to then prove himself before going to her father for permission to have the daughters hand in marriage.
Much like the Basseri whom do so the same way, with some slight differences. Women of the Basseri become disowned (or frowned down upon) if they choose to marry outside of their tribal community. If, this is so chosen by the woman the flocks and kinship are not transferred over to the man of the outside tribal community (or other tribes). The grandchildren of the mother or son which marry outside do not receive any inheritances.
Within the tribal communities of the Basseri, their sociopolitical organizations run off of their kinship, flocks, housing and, chiefdoms. Did you know that, one of the most important social stand points of their society is the group of members whom share a single tent? They also keep count of their numbers and describe the groups in terms of tents or referred to as “sing, khune” also known as a house. All khune is occupied by an independent household, normally consisting of a nuclear family. In each of the tents it is run by the male head, this is due to the male being the one that represents the household in the sociopolitical foreground. The males are the head (or rulers of, man of the house) of said tents, the residents that live within the Khune have and hold the rights over all of the personally owned movable properties.
For instance, flocks can even act as an independent unit for political purposes. Moveable properties like flocks when used for purposes more than efficient herding, these households combine into small herding units. Where then the composition of such which depends on their expediency over their kinship or other such basic principles of organization.
In the Basseri tribe there are not many different roles due to the gender of the person in the tribe. When looking at the Basseri tribe there are three different categories of tasks and they are; Domestic work, daily cycle migration and the herding and tending to the animals. Women and girls tend to do the domestic tasks. Some of the domestic tasks may include thins such as washing or mending clothes, spinning and weaving, and prepare food. Men sometimes with help with the preparing of the food, washing their own clothes but if a man tries to help with the spinning and weaving the male will be ridiculed. Men tent to handle most of the repairs of different equipment as well as repairs to the tent. The boys in the family are in charge of providing wood and water. As a whole with all family member they will heard the animals when it is needed. All roles are important in each house hold to make sure everyone is getting what they need.
Although the Basseri may be familiar with Islamic laws, that is not the case with the Islamic religion. Yes their tribe mainly migrates seasonally throughout Iran they do not practice Iran’s religion of choice. With that being said they do, however, celebrate the cycles of life, i.e. birth, marriage and death. Seeing how they do not have any religious leaders, to help them with the celebrations of the life cycle they need to get said leaders from the comities that have taken a more permanent settlement. It seems that the only belief that the Basseri cherish is life itself, all that deity type belief system just is not all that important to them.
In conclusion with as different as cultures are there are still similarities with each. Every culture has its own set of beliefs and values, although they may not be the same as others they are unique to each culture. In every culture we see kinship. Kinship helps to understand family values and family relationships and values. Learning other cultures kinship will help to understand other cultures. With every culture you can find different gender roles. Even though most cultures have a set gender role some are very different as others. I feel that with all different cultures we can still see similarities with others when looking at beliefs and values, kinship as well as gender roles.

Reference:
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Coon, C. S. (1962). Nomads of South Persia: The Basseri Tribe of the Khamseh Confederacy. Fredrik Barth. American Anthropologist, 64(3), 636-638.
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