A Critical Discourse Analysis of “Ritual and Superstition” in the Works of Khosrow Hamzavi: A van Dijkian Approach

Document Type : Persian Research Article

Author

Ph.D. in Persian Language and Literature of Qom, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Critical discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary approach that treats discourse not merely as language, but as a means of representing and critiquing power relations, social cognition, and cultural structures. In contemporary Iranian literature, the works of Khosrow Hamzavi stand out as texts that, by focusing on ritual and superstition, open a space for critiquing traditional beliefs and religious practices. Despite their significance, previous scholarship has largely addressed their stylistic and narrative features, with little critical discourse analysis—an omission that constitutes a serious gap in contemporary literary studies. This study aims to uncover the discursive mechanisms of ritual and superstition in Hamzavi’s works and to examine how discourse, cognition, and social power interact in his texts. Its importance lies in showing how fiction can move beyond narrative to play an active role in critiquing social beliefs and superstitions, and in representing the interplay of language, meaning, and social structures. The research is qualitative and grounded in Teun van Dijk’s theoretical framework, particularly his socio-cognitive discourse analysis, which investigates how beliefs are reproduced and how texts resist them within a social context. The scope is limited to the components of religion and superstition. Owing to their shared engagement with power, society, and intellectual–ideological oppositions, Hamzavi’s oeuvre is treated as a single body of work. At the level of ideology and values, he draws a clear contrast between critical rationality and blind faith. By representing the conflict between traditional beliefs and enlightened characters, his works possess a strong capacity for social and cultural critique and for exposing inequality and social control.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 12 January 2026
  • Revise Date: 26 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 27 February 2026
  • Publish Date: 27 February 2026

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