University Of Tehran Press Social Theories of Muslim Thinkers 2538-5240 15 3 2025 09 23 The Relationship Between Social Structure and Culture in Robert Wuthnow’s Theory and Its Critique from the Perspective of Ali Shariati’s Thought The Relationship Between Social Structure and Culture in Robert Wuthnow’s Theory and Its Critique from the Perspective of Ali Shariati’s Thought 56 75 103522 10.22059/jstmt.2025.397100.1800 FA Alireza Kowsarnia MA in Philosophy of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Hosein Haj Mohamadi Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 05 10 The relationship between culture and social structure has long been a central debate in sociology: Do social conditions generate culture, or does culture itself drive structural transformation? Some scholars regard culture as the outcome of structure, while others emphasize its transformative role. Robert Wuthnow, adopting an objective approach, treats culture not as a subjective phenomenon but as a tangible and observable product. He explains the connection between ideology and structure within a theoretical framework, though structural factors tend to dominate despite his attention to human agency and the concept of “moral order.” In contrast, Ali Shariati conceptualizes the culture–structure relationship as reciprocal and dialectical. While acknowledging the influence of structure on culture, he also emphasizes culture’s capacity to reshape structure. This article analyzes Wuthnow’s cultural theory and critiques it from the perspective of Shariati’s dialectical thought, demonstrating that although Wuthnow attempts to transcend reductionist explanations, his theory ultimately leans toward structural determinism. Shariati, by contrast, offers a more comprehensive interpretation of the mutual interaction between culture and structure. The relationship between culture and social structure has long been a central debate in sociology: Do social conditions generate culture, or does culture itself drive structural transformation? Some scholars regard culture as the outcome of structure, while others emphasize its transformative role. Robert Wuthnow, adopting an objective approach, treats culture not as a subjective phenomenon but as a tangible and observable product. He explains the connection between ideology and structure within a theoretical framework, though structural factors tend to dominate despite his attention to human agency and the concept of “moral order.” In contrast, Ali Shariati conceptualizes the culture–structure relationship as reciprocal and dialectical. While acknowledging the influence of structure on culture, he also emphasizes culture’s capacity to reshape structure. This article analyzes Wuthnow’s cultural theory and critiques it from the perspective of Shariati’s dialectical thought, demonstrating that although Wuthnow attempts to transcend reductionist explanations, his theory ultimately leans toward structural determinism. Shariati, by contrast, offers a more comprehensive interpretation of the mutual interaction between culture and structure. https://jstmt.ut.ac.ir/article_103522_9f21c5eac618cc3d6594a459c3119b39.pdf