Iranian Journal of Sociology

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 The present article aims to examine and analyze 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 (UTAUT), one of the most comprehensive and validated models for investigating the adoption of new technologies. The research method employed in this study is survey-based. Data were collected using a standardized, adapted questionnaire. The statistical population consists of journalists working in news agencies based in Tehran. Using the modified Cochran formula, a sample of 200 individuals was selected through simple random sampling. The findings indicate that journalists' familiarity with and usage of AI tools are relatively low. Various factors—such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and price/value—have a significant impact on the actual use of this technology.

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.
 
 

Abstract People in the society suffer more from mental feeling or perceived inequality than from real inequality. To explain the issue, in this research, we sought to investigate the social factors affecting the feeling of social inequalities and we tried to answer this question: what are the social factors affecting the feeling of social inequality in Isfahan city? In terms of controlling the research conditions, this research is a mixed method (survey and grounded theory). The statistical population of the current study is all citizens aged 18 and older living in Isfahan city. According to Cochran's formula, the sample size was 400 people, which was selected by random sampling according to the size. The data was collected with a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 28 items for independent variables and 18 items for the feeling of social inequality (dependent variable). Ensuring the validity of the questionnaire questions was done through the face validity method to ensure the quality of the instrument, the researcher used two criteria, checked its reliability and validity. Retest reliability was used to check the reliability, and the 99% reliability obtained indicated a very high reliability of the tool. To check the reliability, content validity was used (according to the Sen H Laushe formula - CVR coefficient) and the CVR coefficient was equal to 68%. To analyze the data, statistical methods of one-way analysis of variance and independent t-test were used. Based on the obtained results, there is a significant difference between the feeling of social inequality and the variables of social opportunities, geographical area and media programs. However, there is no significant difference between the feeling of social inequality and the variables of ethnicity, religion, social bases and education levels.  

Abstract Academic participants given the dominance of constructivist theories in academia, they use constructivism to describe this problem And because of the possibility of exacerbating the subject's disability by relativism of the constructivist approach, they make a cognitive turn towards the critical approach, but behaviorally and emotionally, due to the experience of the intervention of power blocs in the idea of indigenous science, they turn to a positivist approach and adapt the solution to a predetermined and standard sociology. According to the process analysis of the systematic grounded theory, this dichotomy and shift from a constructivist to a critical, and then a positivist, approach is more a function of a political and pragmatic move to conservatively critique power in Iran. But the adoption of this paradoxical model can lead to the reproduction of the current state of sociology in Iran by intensifying the lack of adherence to intellectual traditions and paradigms

Abstract  A song is a poetic-musical format that has been in line with people's requests and interests throughout history. These songs belong to the mass of people and as a result They have the most influence from popular culture. In the 1950s, coinciding with the end of Pahlavi rule, a kind of religious belief was formed among the intellectuals, which was defined exclusively in the face of tyranny; As a result, dealing with sacred images and religious myths became a kind of protest. Therefore, the main focus of this research is document analysis of the dominance of religious beliefs among modern songwriters and how these songwriters deal with sacred images and analysis of prominent songs with the theme of religious myths. The result of this research shows that the interest in depicting religious images in the songs of the second Pahlavi era has an apocalyptic aspect, and the singer seeks to find similarities between his era and the era of the saints with an allegorical view.  

Abstract Convenience and anonymity in choosing a spouse online helps people to achieve one of their main goals without the knowledge of family and friends, which is to create a romantic and committed relationship. The methodology of this article is based on the qualitative research strategy based on the method of thematic analysis of the collected data of 34 members of online dating groups was designed. For this purpose, relying on targeted sampling, interviews were conducted and theoretical saturation was obtained. Then the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The main themes identified are motivation (with two sub-themes of external motivation and internal motivation), anonymity (with concepts of entertainment and pastime, false goal, dishonesty, expected girls and distrust), deception (fake and concealment). The mentioned themes are associated with the theories of diffusion of innovation, use-satisfaction, and presumption of truth. Based on the conversations obtained, choosing a spouse online was divided into two groups: "avoidance of binding environments" and "avoidance of isolating environments".

Abstract The management of the development process, characterized by unequal interventions and access by elites, along with the performance of political institutions as drivers of development, is considered a significant factor influencing the distribution of development benefits between regions. The disparity in benefitting from developmental opportunities will result in population mobility and increased migration to urban centers and metropolises, consistently directing development policy towards central areas. In this article, alongside referencing theoretical foundations and reviewing previous research, we have examined the empirical aspects and governmental development measures based on an inductive approach, utilizing a mixed method incorporating two qualitative methodologies: document analysis of registered data and information, and qualitative interviews. In exploring the structural factors and political decisions influencing migration, registered data from documents compiled by the Budget and Planning Organization have been utilized, while qualitative interviews have been employed to elucidate the reasons and primary motives driving individuals' inclination towards migration. The research findings indicate the predominance of a centralized pattern in development policymaking. Examination of indicators reveals that a balanced and equitable distribution of development among provincial cities has not been achieved, with migration stemming from the unequal allocation of resources commensurate with the potentials and capacities of regions. Until there is a shift towards balancing the distribution of resources and acknowledging regional capacities in the implementation of development policies by policymakers and executors, the issue of population distribution imbalance will persist unresolved.  

Abstract This article analyzes the pre-modern state of Iran in the Qajar period by describing and using historical data. Its method is descriptive-analytical with the approach of historical sociology, which has used the technique of document review. The findings show: 1. Taxes and customs duties were the only sources of government revenue; Weak taxation and widespread corruption put the government in incurable financial straits. 2. The inability to pay the troops and maintain them permanently made it impossible to form military forces independent of the tribes, and the government was incapable of defending its borders and internal control. 3. The judicial system did not have a  unified procedure for passing and enforcing a law. These matters were left to influential people and local authorities outside capital and regional centres. 4. Power of bureacracy was almost limited to Tehran and it was not able to defend national borders. 5 On the other hand, the society was powerful. With different modes of production, military power and great solidarity, the tribes were  power centers independent  of established government. The above characteristics show that pre-modern government of Iran is inconsistent with the claim of the Asian mode of production theory that the state is powerful and has a comprehensive and centralized bureaucracy.Iranian society was also a strong and decentralized. Therefore, in order to understand Iranian society better, we should search for other more explainig theories and avoid orientalist perspective. 

Abstract One of the basic concerns in historical sociology is how the West developed with an emphasis on Britain. Despite the current belief that the time for such discussions has passed, this question is still one of the most basic and lively questions in various debates in historical sociology. Although Orientalism influences the current literature in this field, but it is totally different from what has been popularized under the title of Orientalism in Iran. This article aims to introduce one of the most controversial theories in the last two decades, which has simultaneously affected the fields of economic history and historical sociology. First, it is tried to explain the theoretical foundations of the Asian revisionism (California School) and its relationship with the theory of the great Divergence, then the empirical studies that have been carried out in the last two decades in this field are examined, and finally, some of the most important criticisms of the above theory are reviewed. Also, in a critical discussion, we examine the relationship of this current of thought in historical sociology with Foucault's view that dominates some works of historical sociology in Iran.
 

Abstract “Conflict" is seen as the essence of the employee -employer relationship in all conventional discourses as dialectic of polar and Hegelian type, where conflict is essentially transformed into contradiction. However, Simmel and Gurvitch attention and understanding of dialectic can bring about fundamental changes in the relationship between employee and employers. The discovery, recognition, and examination of the existing backgrounds and issues and their role in the worker-employer relationship are among the objectives of this research. The research was conducted using an inductive fieldwork strategy with a grounded theory approach. Non-formal observation tools were employed, and the researcher participated fully. Formal and informal interview techniques were also used, and discourse analysis and situational analysis were employed in data analysis. The results demonstrate that understanding roles in the relationship between employee and employers and overcoming the contradictory view of each party can lead to confusion between employee and employers. In other words, the emergence of a multidimensional dialectic instead of a unidimensional or polar dialectic recognizes contradictions and differences, and understanding it can distance oneself from the strategy of constant struggle and replace it with a strategy of negotiation. This strategy can facilitate the interests and demands of both groups.
 
Conflict of interest: According to the authors, the article did not have any conflict of interest.
 

Abstract  This article aims to study the structure of the guilds (vocational interest groups) as one of the most important group organizations in the cities of pre-modern Iranian society. The "embedded networks" approach borrowed from the new economic sociology has been used to study this question. It is a case study about guilds  in the marketplace of Tehran in the period of 1800-1906 AD. In order to study the "form of governance" of the structure of guilds in the Tehran bazaar in this period, three characteristics, namely durable relations, multiplex interactions, and crosscutting ties, have been considered. Studying these characteristics showed that guilds in the Tehran bazaar in the 19th century enjoyed a network structure in the form of "Cooperative hierarchies". The Guilds made the Tehran Bazaar an orderly complex of organized networks. Therefore, the Tehran Bazaar of the 19th century was not a formless and disorderly mass but a structured and orderly complex composed of organized and integrated guild networks.
 

Abstract Marriage under the age of 15 is called early marriage or child marriage, which is a sign of discrimination and violence against women. This phenomenon is a global problem and it is increasing in developing countries due to economic and cultural factors The paper aims at discovering the relationship between macroeconomic indicators and early marriage during .2010-2013 based on the data provided by Iran Statistical Centre. This is a "secondary analysis" based on previously collected data. The statistical population of the study are all 31 provinces of the country and the time interval between 2011 to 2021 have been studied. Excel and SPSS 25 data analysis tools and Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regressions were used. Pearson's test shows that provinces with higher unemployment rate (r=0.366) and higher fertility rate (r=-0.363) had the highest rate of early marriage. Finally, the regression model indicates that the macroeconomic index variables (coefficient Gini = 0.334, unemployment rate = 0.321, changes in inflation rate = 0.297, and changes in the Gini coefficient = 0.282 have a significant effect on the rate of early marriage in all provinces respectively. As a result, it can be said that increase in the rate of inflation and unemployment as well as Gini coefficient between 2012 and 2021 are significant factors in explaining increase the proportion of marriages under 15 in all provinces of the country

Abstract In the Safavid focal point, we saw the birth of a new discourse in which happiness was linked with the subject of salvation in the afterlife. The primary propositions of this discourse appeared in various speeches and numerous acceptance and refutation Jurisprudence treatise and were visible in various forms. In the present study, we intend to answer the question by showing the levels of emergence and genesis of the subject, through places which happiness have become problematic and turned from a marginal matter into a focus of attention in the Safavid focal point? The research method is based on Foucault's discourse analysis approach, which has archaeological and genealogical dimensions. Therefore, in the Foucaultian way, by digging the history of Safavid era, we started to "accumulate propositions" about happiness in decrees, laws, royal rules, letters of repentance, acceptance and refutation Jurisprudence treatise, dedication letters,  deeds of endowment and travelogues, in which matters are related to the place of discussion. , the law, jurisprudence or government decrees, or it was manifested in the methods of judicial settlement or the structure of administration of affairs. In this way, by showing the changes of existing rationality at the three levels of concepts, attitudes, and knowledge, we explained the problematization of happiness. These changes mainly in the three bases of Sufism, Tarab and jurisprudence and in connection with the subject of salvation led to the accumulation of propositions about happiness