Jalaleddin Rafifar Information

Jalaluddin Rafifar (born February 5, 1952, Amirieh Street, Tehran) is an Iranian anthropologist, archaeologist, and retired professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran. He is a prominent figure in the fields of anthropology and Iranian folk culture, having founded the Iranian Anthropology Association and made significant contributions to the institutionalization of anthropological studies in Iran. Rafifar is also recognized for his international collaborations, notably with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (C.N.R.S), and his extensive involvement in cultural and academic projects.

Education

Jalaluddin Rafifar earned his high school diploma in the natural sciences from Kharazmi High School No. 1 in Tehran in 1969. He began his university education in archaeology at the University of Tehran, obtaining his bachelor’s degree in 1974. He then pursued further studies in France, earning a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Nanterre, Paris, in 1979, followed by a master’s degree in anthropology from the Sorbonne (Panthéon) in 1981. Rafifar completed his Ph.D. in anthropology and ethnology at the Sorbonne in 1988.

Academic and Professional Activities

Rafifar served as a professor in the Anthropology Department at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, and is an affiliated member of the university’s Institute of Archaeology. Since 1992, he has been an affiliated faculty member of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (C.N.R.S), contributing to international research projects. He founded the Iranian Anthropology Association and served as its president during two periods (2011–2017 and 2020–present). Rafifar has held numerous academic and administrative roles in universities, conferences, and scholarly journals, significantly shaping anthropological research in Iran.

Academic and Professional Roles

• Faculty Member: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran
• Affiliated Member: Institute of Archaeology, University of Tehran
• Affiliated Faculty Member: French National Centre for Scientific Research (C.N.R.S) (since 1992)
• President of the Iranian Anthropology Association: 2011–2017 and 2020–present
• Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director: Anthropology Letter (scientific research journal)
• Member of the Scientific Council: Persian Gulf Encyclopedia, Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia
• Senior Consultant and Member of the Scientific Council: Farnam, Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia
• Member of the Scientific Council: Encyclopedia of Iranian Folk Culture, Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia
• Member of the Oversight and Evaluation Council: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran
• Member of the Doctoral Program Committee in Sociology: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran
• Senior Consultant: Encyclopedia of Iranian Folk Culture, Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia
• Instructor of Short-Term Ethnography Course: Iran International Documentary Film Festival “Cinema Verité”
• Member of the Social Sciences Theory-Building Committee: Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology (since 2011)
• Member of the Specialized Social Sciences Task Force: Research Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies
• Representative of the Faculty Recruitment Board: Anthropology Competency Task Force, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran (since 2014)
• Secretary of the Specialized Committee for Educational Planning of Development Studies in Iran: Alborz Campus, University of Tehran (since 2017)
• Member of the Scientific Group for Social Sciences and Communications: 7th Farabi International Festival (2013)
• Head of the Anthropology Department: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran (2012–2014)
• Member of the Committee for Honoring Dr. Rouholamini: 2012
• Member of the Scientific Committee: 3rd International Conference on Psychology, Counseling, Education, and Training
• Member of the Scientific Committee for Prehistoric Archaeology: 4th National Conference on Iranian Archaeology, University of Birjand (2019)
• Member of the Scientific Committee: 2nd National Conference on University Culture, University of Birjand (2019)
• Member of the Scientific Council: 3rd Conference on Conceptual and Theoretical Explorations of Iranian Society, Iranian Sociological Association (2016)

Publications

Rafifar has conducted extensive research in anthropology, folk culture, and archaeology, with his works published in domestic conferences and journals.

Conference Papers

• An Anthropological Study of Azerbaijani Ashiq Music in Epic Singing and Playing in the History of the Iranian People from the Safavid Era to the Sacred Defense, 1st National Congress on Religious Thought and Research, 2014

Journal Articles

• An Anthropological Study of Gūt: Traditional Housing of the Sangsari Nomads in the Summer Pastures, Iranian Indigenous Knowledge (bimonthly), 2016