Iranian Journal of Sociology

Abstract
The dominant aspect of researches of religiosity in the world and Iran has been focused on the measurement of religiosity and also the important issue of secularization. These two areas of study are closely related and both seek to show the status of religion and religiosity in a society. Therefore, it is not possible to find a wide-ranging tradition of research on the topic of religiosity, and this topic has not been pursued except in a random way and according to personal interests. In this article, the author has first tried to provide a local typology of religiosity and then, based on this typology, examine the transformation of religiosity in Iran based on the research done so far. The researcher has concluded that religiosity is transforming towards becoming non-shariah-based, and ritualistic and emotional types of religiosity are increasing.

Abstract Rites of passage consist of three stages: the beginning, the middle, and the end. These rites involve the roles of a mentor and spectators, and the inability to complete them leads to frustration and social stigma. There is no return to the previous stage in rites of passage. A similar situation can be observed in migration, where a specific decision marks the start of the rite of passage. Individuals go through hard stages like legal and regulatory preparations and soft stages like changing habits and lifestyles. Preparing for migration can be seen as a kind of rite of passage, where the mentors, rituals, and rules gradually become defined and recognized. Entering the rites of migration involves a suspension of life that can be brief or prolonged. Migration without any changes in lifestyle is rare

Abstract This study explored the political activism of women during the 2022 protests in Iran through a phenomenological approach, based on in-depth interviews with 21 female participants in Tehran. The analysis identified ten key themes: resistance to gendered domination, digital mobilization, diverse civil resistance strategies, protest discourse construction, communicative cohesion, resource mobilization, street-centered activism, rejection of religious authority, familial solidarity in the civic sphere, and emergency support networks. These were integrated into the overarching theme of a “networked movement of resistance,” characterized by the fusion of creative organization and physical presence. The findings reveal that the intersection of digital and on-the-ground activism, tactical creativity, and the use of social capital underpin the continuity and effectiveness of women’s political engagement. This form of activism reflects a shift toward everyday, decentralized action that challenges dominant power structures. Enhancing multilayered support systems can further sustain and empower this evolving mode of collective action.

Abstract Focusing on the representation of "the people" in key cinematic works of the second Pahlavi period, this article investigates how the populace was represented in Iranian New Wave cinema during the 1940s and 1950s [the 1340s and 1350s SH decades]. Grounded in the dual theoretical framework of representation/reflection and shaping within the sociology of art, and employing a qualitative content analysis of fifteen landmark films by five defining directors of the Iranian New Wave, the paper examines a wide spectrum of theoretical readings regarding Iranian people's agency through these cinematic representations. Regardless of the breadth of these representations—spanning a continuum from "self-conscious and creative people" to "alienated and passive people"—the study demonstrates that the reflection of the populace in these cinematic works has been constructed primarily around two central identities of class and religion. Most films depict the people as alienated, unawakened, and passive.

Abstract The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has exposed Generation Z to risks, yet their representation in Iranian policy documents remains unclear. This study examined patterns of policy coverage of AI-related risks to Generation Z and identified policy gaps. Using a qualitative design, the study applied documentary research and directed qualitative content analysis to nine policy documents adopted or issued between 2020 and 2026. Data were analyzed through deductive and inductive coding and within-document and cross-document comparisons. Findings showed that policy coverage was selective, uneven, largely indirect, and insufficiently differentiated by age. Information-related, security, and privacy risks received greater attention than algorithmic bias, cognitive dependency, mental health, academic integrity, employment transition, youth participation, and mechanisms for appeal and redress. A development-oriented approach predominated over risk-based governance, while Generation Z was not recognized as a distinct policy constituency. The gap concerned translating normative risk recognition into coherent, generation-sensitive, measurable, and accountable policies.

Abstract This study is based on the premise that a problem in contemporary social science research is the inversion of its logical architecture and, consequently, a shift in the roles and relationships among paradigm, problem formulation, theory, and methodology. The theoretical framework draws on the philosophy of science and the philosophy of social science, with emphasis on Kuhn’s concept of paradigm and Lakatos’s notion of the research programme. This study uses documentary research, conceptual analysis, theoretical reconstruction, and critical analysis to formulate the concept of "methodological dominance" and reconstruct the relationship among paradigm, theory, problem formulation, and methodology. Methodological dominance refers to a condition in which methodology moves beyond its subordinate role within research design and becomes a reference point for designing, conducting, and evaluating research. The study argues that the primacy of methodology, and consequently of methods and techniques, weakens sociology’s capacity for problem formulation, conceptualization, and theory building