Hijab as a Field of Meaning Contest: An Examination of Female Students' Meaning System of Modest Dress

Introduction
Hijab in Iranian society is a multidimensional and complex phenomenon, rooted in religious and cultural teachings on one hand, and influenced by social, political, and discursive transformations on the other. In recent decades, women's clothing, especially among the younger generation, has shifted from being a static and accepted norm to a field of challenge, negotiation, and identity redefinition. This research aims to explore and analyze the meaning system of clothing from the perspective of the agents themselves – female university students. The central question is: How, and based on what concepts, experiences, and social contexts, do female students currently construct meaning for their clothing, and how does this meaning system form in interaction or confrontation with dominant discourses? This study focused on female students at the University of Hormozgan. This university was chosen due to the border and multicultural context of Hormozgan province, which provides a dynamic setting for examining the plurality and interaction of meanings.
 
Method
This research employed a qualitative approach using the Thematic Analysis method. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 female undergraduate students at the University of Hormozgan. Participants were selected via purposive sampling, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted in three main phases (familiarization and description, interpretation and conceptualization, and integration and reporting) based on the model by King and Horrocks. To ensure the validity of the research, techniques such as peer review and member checking were utilized.
 
Findings
The analysis of the interviews led to the extraction of one core category and eight organizing categories. The core category was: "Clothing as a Field of Self-Recreation in Confrontation with Compulsory Discourses." This category indicates that, for the participants, clothing is a dynamic and contentious arena where they redefine themselves and their identity in opposition to imposing formal, religious, and social discourses. The eight organizing categories are as follows:

Hijab as Representation of Awareness in Opposition to Compulsion: Participants clearly distinguished between "voluntary hijab" and "compulsory hijab." Voluntary hijab was described as a reflection of awareness, personal belief, and agency, leading to satisfaction and lasting commitment. In contrast, compulsory hijab was described as devoid of meaning, accompanied by feelings of dissatisfaction, resentment, and internal resistance.
Rethinking the Body at the Intersection of Compulsion and Volition: Clothing was perceived as a tool for reclaiming the body from social judgments and gendered gazes. Through their clothing choices, participants attempted to define bodily boundaries, maintain privacy, and counteract the instrumentalization of the body.
Symbolic Negotiation and Soft Resistance Against Symbolic Order: Clothing had become a field for daily negotiation with power institutions such as family, university, and social norms. Resistance often manifested not necessarily as overt protest, but in the form of subtle choices, minor changes in style, and evasion of stereotypes.
Reorganizing the Boundaries of Self and Other: Participants used clothing as a mechanism to regulate social and psychological distance from others. Specific clothing could act as a shield against intrusive gazes or delineate the individual's identity boundaries in public spaces.
Aesthetics of Choice within the Context of Compulsion: Despite limitations, clothing had become an arena for expressing personal taste, creativity, and individual aesthetics. Combining religious elements with modern fashion trends was an example of this "beauty within constraint."
Lived Experiences and Memory in the Layers of Clothing: Clothing was understood as an evolutionary path layered with personal memories. Gradual changes in clothing style reflected narratives of personal growth, the experience of maturation, and the revision of beliefs.
Reflexive Action in Confrontation with Judgmental Structures: Clothing served as a tool for critical response to formal institutions (such as schools or official religious discourse) and social judgments. Experiences of exclusion and labeling sometimes led to the formation of clothing-related acts of protest.
Recreating Feminine Identity in the Context of Intersecting Discourses: The participants' feminine identity was shaped at the intersection, and sometimes conflict, of religious, cultural, generational, and media discourses. Clothing was their primary tool for navigating these intersecting fields and constructing a flexible and complex identity.

 
Discussion
The findings of this research indicate that for female students, clothing – particularly the hijab – is not a passive act or merely subject to imposed norms, but an active field of meaning-making, agency, and resistance. In this field, they use clothing as a symbolic medium for expressing the self, negotiating with power structures, creating distinction, and recreating their feminine identity within complex social conditions. Concepts such as "voluntary hijab," "soft resistance," "cultural negotiation," and "aesthetics within the margins of compulsion" are key to understanding this dynamic meaning system. These results align with the findings of similar domestic studies (such as those by Daneshmehr and Hassankhani(2024), Bolboli Qadikolaei and Parsania(2022), and Alineghian et al(2014).) which emphasize the fluidity, polysemy, and role of clothing in redefining identity. They also show consonance with international research (such as the study Dakkak & Mikulka(2012) in Palestine and Tawfiq & Ogle(2024) in Malaysia) that analyze hijab as an identity statement and a tool for self-redefinition. Final Summary and Policy Implication: This research demonstrates that solely legal imposition and compulsion may not only fail to yield desired outcomes but can also lead to dissatisfaction, covert resistance, and even disillusionment with religious values. Conversely, recognizing semantic plurality and women's agency, and creating dialogical and persuasive spaces instead of uniform, prescriptive approaches, can pave the way for a deeper internalization of beliefs and a more conscious acceptance of clothing. Given Iran's multicultural context, policymaking in this area requires flexibility and attention to the diverse lived experiences and meaning systems in different regions