Iranian Journal of Sociology

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 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 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

Abstract Abstract

Keywords: types of religiosity, ritual religiosity, Sharia-based religiosity, emotional religiosity

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 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 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 The widespread and sudden emergence of Generation Z in recent protests and movements in Iran, particularly in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, has drawn the attention of policymakers and researchers to this generation. The characteristics and distinctions of Generation Z compared to other generations in Iran have become a key question for scholars, intellectuals, and even politicians.
Using the meta-synthesis method, this study examines, analyzes, and integrates various findings from credible scientific articles on Generation Z published over the past decade (2011–2024) to present a clear and well-founded picture of the differences and similarities of this generation in terms of values and perspectives.
The study’s findings, based on categorization and extraction of codes and concepts, identify distinct characteristics of Generation Z in four areas: family, religion, workplace, and politics. These findings form the central theme of this study: Decline of Compliance / Reduction of Submission, referring to the diminishing respect for authority across all four domains—family, religion, politics, and professional environments.
In the family domain, the decline in respect for authority is reflected in critiques of patriarchy and a stronger sense of identity independence. In politics and the workplace, it manifests as distrust of institutions. In the religious sphere, disenchantment and rejection of tradition are the key concepts that best describe the characteristics and distinctions of Generation Z in contemporary Iran.
Based on the analysis of existing research on Generation Z’s generational relations with preceding generations, two perspectives—continuity and disillusionment—can be considered. This suggests a relationship with parents that is both conciliatory and distinct, while tensions exist with the ideological and revolutionary generation that shaped the dominant discourse.
 

Abstract This article explores the social network Instagram as a part of neoliberal power technologies. Accordingly, five different readings of Instagram as a part of the neoliberal organization have been presented. The method of this article is documentary and the study of scientific texts related to the research topic. The findings of this article are based on the views of theorists such as Nick Sernichek, Janis Varoufakis, Byung chul Han, Zygmunt Baumann, Jean Baudrillard,  and etc. The story of five readings: "Instagram as a space for the accumulation of virtual capital", "Instagram as a virtual tool", "Instagram: the crisis of freedom and transparency", "Instagram: celebrity and self-branding", and "Instagram is a manifestation of the postmodern state and the fluidity of life". Also, the results of this article show that Instagram, as an ideological space, seeks to promote neoliberal values and has a structural position in the cultural and economic arena in neoliberal organizations.
 

Abstract Max Weber is a multidisciplinary thinker. The aim of this article is to historically examine and understand Max Weber's works in Iran. The main question of the research is how Max Weber has been narrated in different historical periods in Iran? Based on the research findings, the understanding of Max Weber in Iran is not the same in different periods. At the beginning of the establishment of sociology in Iran and the predominance of the Komtian-Durkheimian discourse, Max Weber did not have a significant position in the academic and non-academic environment. In the second period, in addition to the narrative and positivist discourse (Durkheimian), Marxist discourse in Iran, and gradually some of Weber's concepts and ideas were used to explain historical events In the third period, many developments took place in the internal and international fields. Marxist metaphors and concepts decreased and Weberian concepts increased.
 
 
 

Abstract People without an Identity Document (ID) Card, however, are referred to as the "other" in this article. lack of an ID card has caused them to be denied their right to human life and to be shunned by millions of people—not because they have different opinions, are male or female, or speak a different language. In spite of this, not much research has been done on the situation of this group to date, and scholars have remained silent for a long time regarding the lives of these individuals. What is the reason for Iranian sociologists' lack of attention and silence about the problems of this life—that is, the lives of others and those without identification cards? We have examined the relationship between sociology and the "other" in this article in order to provide an answer to this query. And we have discovered that some prevailing sociological patterns are the source of this silence. Actually, we have examined some of the theories of contemporary theorists in order to respond to the question above. Furthermore, this study demonstrates how mainstream sociology has always found its topic in rigid, recurring laws and regulations. It might be claimed that the focus of this sociology has always been order because of this. The "other" was the first person banished and has abandoned from this land.
 

Abstract The aim of this research is to study the sociological problematic of family conversation, which was collected using survey method and questionnaire technique. The statistical population was citizens in District 3 and 15 of Tehran and the statistical sample was 384 people, selected by cluster sampling method. The findings showed that the level of conversation in the family is average (40.4). There is a significant relationship between personality, family, economic, social and cultural barriers and family conversation. Also, in structural equations, the level of relationship between each of the problematic indicators and family conversation are respectively: personality barriers (0.42), family barriers (0.54), social barriers (0.42), cultural barriers (0.22), and economic barriers (0.55). In total, the indicators of this research affect (0.83) of the factors of problematic and family conversation, and the remaining (0.17) is affected by other factors.

Abstract The most common theory in religious studies regarding official and popular religion considers the former as the view of the official religious institution, and the latter as the beliefs and practices prevalent among the masses. Given the lack of official religious organizations in Islamic societies, a different formulation has been proposed that considers official religion as the normative opinions of religious scholars. In the case of Kurdistan, we are faced with a different form of Islam called Sufi Islam, which poses different problems in applying the former mentioned theory. Accordingly, we have attempted to use a different analytical framework that defines the distinction between popular and official based on the form of religious experiences. To this end, we have first examined the historical processes that influenced the formation of Sufi Islam, and finally we undertook a theoretical analysis of a new formulation of the distinction between popular and official Islams
 

Abstract The book «Revisiting the Frankfurt School: Essays on Culture, Media, and Theory», edited by David Berry and released in 2012, explores the Frankfurt School’s influence on the critique of contemporary culture and media. Berry, a noted expert in critical theory, references the concepts of thinkers like Adorno and Horkheimer to examine how media plays a role in perpetuating power dynamics and social control. By merging traditional theories with current topics, the book looks at the function of media in shaping identities and values, connecting the critical viewpoints of the Frankfurt School to today's challenges.
The current article is one of the pieces in this volume, written by Robert E. Babe, a media studies professor at Western University in Ontario. Babe, who has authored nine influential books, including «Cultural Studies and Political Economy», concentrates on analysing the connections between media, power, and societal structures in his research.

Abstract This study examines the positive and negative consequences of the migration of specialists in three fields—technical and engineering, healthcare, and the humanities—across three specific organizations in the city of Mashhad. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the migration of specialists has led to decreased productivity and effectiveness, increased labor replacement costs, disruptions in knowledge transfer, reduced job satisfaction, and a growing desire to migrate among the remaining workforce. In addition, the perception of migration as a marker of success, declining organizational commitment, and the emergence of unstable work relations represent key cultural and institutional consequences of this phenomenon. However, in some cases, organizations have developed a degree of resilience by improving documentation practices and knowledge transfer systems. Overall, the results highlight the need to reassess human resource policies and strengthen intra-organizational capacities to address the consequences of migration.

Abstract This research examines the role of social organization among rural migrants in the city and its impact on local development, focusing on the perspectives of Portes and Boomsma within the Tehran-Vila neighborhood in Tehran's District Two. The study employed a qualitative approach with a grounded theory strategy. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and narratives from 40 individuals (comprising three generations of migrants, including 13 women and 27 men) in Tehran-Vila (destination) and Bidok Yazd (origin), along with insights from 6 key informants, focus group sessions, field observations, and analysis of secondary statistical data. The resulting analysis identified the core category as "Migrant Social Organizations as Facilitators of Local Development." The findings indicate that the social organizations of rural migrants have acted as democratic institutions; by creating support networks and strengthening a sense of belonging to the neighborhood, they have contributed to improving the quality of life, enhancing social solidarity, and facilitating residents' participation in local development processes.

Abstract This articl aims to examine and analyze, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by Iranian journalists, and to identify the factors influencing this usage based on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model. As one of the most comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and validated models for investigating the acceptance of emerging technologies, UTAUT2 was deemed appropriate for analyzing journalists' adoption of AI tools due to its consideration of a wide range of individual and social factors.
The research employs a survey methodology, with data collected via a modified standard questionnaire. The statistical population consists of journalists working in news agencies based in Tehran, from which a random sample of 200 individuals was selected using simple random sampling.
The findings reveal that journalists' familiarity with and use of AI tools are relatively low. Various factors—including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and price/value (the study variables)—have a significant impact on behavioral intention and actual use of these technologies.
The results suggest that although Iranian journalists generally hold a positive attitude toward using AI tools, their actual usage remains limited. This indicates a gap between the potential and the real-world application of artificial intelligence in Iran’s media industry.

Abstract The present study was conducted to identify students' social demands and how they are formed, using a qualitative network analysis approach. To collect information, semi-structured interviews were conducted with (24) girl and boy students in the second year of high school in Kermanshah City. Participants were selected from schools (three educational districts) using purposive sampling. According to the research findings, students' social demands have been extracted into four overarching themes: " rotating traditional paradigms ", "balance of rights/responsibilities", "opportunity to be seen", and "liberation from the image of an accepting student", and are coherent with the final theme of "life with the joy of this world". Data analysis showed that adolescents' social demands do not form in a vacuum; rather, they examine and compare opinions by establishing connections and exchanging opinions with actors in their situational and preferred networks. During the exchange of ideas with network members, they learn about new ideas that cause them to rethink their mental interpretations of the meanings of demands. This leads to the formation of new desires in them. Although the range of relationship density in situational networks is greater than in preferential networks, due to the internal content of preferential networks (Extensiveness of relationships, diversity of topics, intimacy and belonging in selected relationships) The impact of opinions on these networks is deeper.

Abstract This study explores the portrayal of women in 1990s newspapers through the lens of social semiotics. This study aims to explore how female subjects are turned into passive subjects through stereotypes, cultural codes, and semiotic mechanisms. To achieve this, nine images were purposefully chosen and examined across three levels which are as follows: representational, interactive, and compositional. At the representational level, the images portray women as social victims, ideological subjects, or as being tied to power discourses. At the interactive level, the viewing angle, distances and missing gazes highlight the passivity and detachment of women from the social environment. Moreover, at the compositional level, the application of colors, layout, the inclusion or emphasis on certain elements, and lighting highlight the social and cultural restrictions imposed on women. The findings of the study reveal that the portrayal of women in this era was predominantly shaped by patriarchal, masculine and ideological discourses, which transformed female subjects into passive subjects.

Abstract The main purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of organizational culture and organizational health on the social responsibility of the employees of Fajr Energy Gulf Company. The method of this research is a quantitative survey. The statistical population of this research includes all the employees working in Fajr Energy Company of the Persian Gulf, numbering 1337 , and 298 people were selected as a statistical sample based on Cochran's formula and by simple random sampling.
the results of this research showed that there is a significant relationship between organizational health variables and organizational culture with social responsibility. The results of the regression analysis showed that 24% of the variables of the research problem are explained by the variables included in the model, i.e. organizational culture and organizational health.

Abstract This research tries to answer these questions that who is an addict? And what makes addicts stay in recovery? The data of this research has been collected by documentary and qualitative methods. Samples in the direct observation method were the recovering addicts-sessions at NA, travelers of Congress60, group therapy sessions at Samen, addicts' family-sessions at, Nar-Anon, Cmanon, and co-travelers. Samples in the depth interview method were clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers at specialized addiction treatment clinics, and Chitgar,Neday-Aramesh,Verdij camps. The results of research show that the addicted had the"mental illness of addiction" before addiction. In other words, he is "lazy" of Levinas. Based on the research results, we present the theory of Network of Social Relations in Addiction. Based on this theory, the addict has acquired the "mental illness of addiction" from his defective his/her social relations network, and in order to recover and stay in recovery, he must be placed in a network of new relationships with improved addicts.

Abstract The texts of the founders of sociology are intertextual, created in dialogue and debate with other texts. Classical and neoclassical economics texts are one of the most important texts that played role in the formation of sociology. The discussion of sociological texts with economic texts has sometimes been in the form of adaptation and sometimes critical, but this view of textually has been discussed inadequately after classical sociologists. Using the intertextuality method, this article shows how the classic sociology have faced the economics texts in terms of the two components of anthropology and analysis style. Sometimes the textually and dialogue of the texts is explicit and clear and sometimes it is hidden and not announced. The adaptive and critical dialogue of the founders of sociology with the founders of classical and neoclassical economics also shows the differences in the way of looking at human beings and the style of analysis.

Abstract The proper confrontation with new spiritual groups in the contemporary society is based on the scientific knowledge of this fact and the recognition of the path of their possible developments. Influenced by the growing process of globalization, emerging religious developments have common roots that help to identify the path of future developments. In this article, an attempt has been made to identify the roots of contemporary developments and speculate about their future path by examining the intellectual movements that have had decisive effects on new spiritual groups. For this purpose, the method of analysis and logical inference from some of the most important social researches is used (meta-analysis). Spiritual therapy, emphasizing inner talents and turning attention from an external source for salvation to the human self has been the most important legacies of pioneer movements on the growth of new spiritual groups.

Abstract Validity issues in phenomenological research are what this article investigates. Phenomenology is an attempt to enrich the world as it is experienced, and for its method -a mere emphasis on pure "description"- an alternative has been found, "to interpret" the experience. Descriptive phenomenology ensures that descriptions reflect the phenomenon as it was first experienced by the participants. Interpretive phenomenology, however, wants to determine the meanings of the phenomenon just as they appear in the participant's mind. In descriptive phenomenology, validity issues have been investigated in different ways: (1) a fundamental description of the phenomenon must be able to correctly capture the essence that has been intuited; (2) experts can be used to judge phenomenological analysis; (3) return to participants. In interpretative phenomenology, what is important is whether the phenomenological interpretations of meaning structures are valid, and the themes and the insights inferenced from the descriptions are appropriate and novel?

Abstract
Abstract:
The emergence of inclusive and income-generating social networks such as Instagram in today's era, which has provided the ability to display and share daily life events for its users; This has caused us to face the novel and new phenomenon of "virtual working children" or "Instagram working children", children who actually work as virtual workers under the command of their employers, including their parents or first-degree relatives, in these virtual social networks. Therefore, the sociological analysis of the social contexts of the formation and emergence of this phenomenon in society has been the main goal of this research. The research method is qualitative and based on foundation data, and the subjects were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. The participants are actually the parents of children who, as their employers, manage their work-advertising activities in the Instagram virtual network. Therefore, 20 parents answered the researcher's questions through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The type of activities and tasks done by children on the Instagram social network are classified into three categories: A- Advertising works, B- Demonstration works and C- Service works. The data from this research was extracted after the three stages of coding, including open, central and selective, a total of 255 concepts, 22 sub-categories and 4 main categories. The categories are: "virtual bio-business, virtual child, fluid identity and the ultimate desirability of parent-centered" and finally by combining the obtained models. The core category of "virtual slave child" was introduced. A type of modern slavery and virtual exploitation that is carried out in the streets by street children to provide a minimum livelihood and survive, but in cyber space with the aim of earning millions, becoming a celebrity and displaying all aspects of their lives by the parents-employers of virtual children. It is visible.

Abstract The people of Isfahan have consistently faced the challenge of economic sanctions while living in post-revolutionary Iran. Since 2011, sanctions have intensified and have seriously impacted the everyday lives of Iranians with the goal of causing paralysis. This article aims to interpret the everyday lives of young people in Isfahan during the period of economic sanctions. The conceptual framework of the paper is inspired by Berger and Luckmann's social constructionism theory. The method used is narrative analysis. Episodic interviews were conducted with 16 young men aged 20 to 35, and the data were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis. The findings indicate that the main feature of everyday life during this period is a loss of agency. Although economic sanctions have disrupted the axiomatic aspects of everyday life, other axiomatic routines have been constructed through the struggles and experiences of the actors in this situation.