The Iranian Pilgrim's Length of Stay in Mashhad A Sociological Analysis

This article presents a description and sociological analysis of the Iranian pilgrim's length of stay in Mashhad utilizing action and structural theories. It shows how situational and mental factors influence the independent variable both directly and indirectly. The data in need were acquired using the questionnaire administered with a sample of 1600 pilgrims chosen via cluster sampling method. The findings indicated that pilgrim's average length of stay in Mashhad was 5.5 days in summer, autumn and winter and 6 days in spring. In order to identify the influential factors of pilgrims stay duration, regression analysis was employed.It was found that: firstly, the longer the distance between Mashhad and the pilgrim's place of residence, the more acquainted are pilgrims with Mashhad and that the more often they have visited Mashhad, the longer they will stay in Mashhad. Moreover, village dwelling pilgrims stay in Mashhad more than those who live in cities and towns. Also the pilgrims who prefer to pay little for accommodation will stay longer than the others. Finally, two variables of family monthly income and total fellow travelers affect the stay duration negatively.