Introduction
Lifestyle changes in contemporary society are rooted in the economic, social, and cultural shifts of the late twentieth century—a transition often described as the move from modernism to postmodernism (Bell and Hollows, 2005: 5). The most significant aspect of this shift has been the movement of society’s center of gravity from production to consumption and from economy to culture. Today, body management is viewed as a social construct intertwined with concepts such as power, culture, and identity (Sæle, Sæther, & Viig, 2021). The body is not merely a biological category but a symbolic entity upon which—and through which—power relations, class dynamics, and individual and collective identities are shaped and reflected. This approach is rooted in an effort to transcend the traditional mind-body dichotomy, emphasizing that the body is produced through social and cultural processes and reproduced by power relations and norms. The concept of embodiment demonstrates that the body is not only a vehicle for social action but also a product and reflection of social and cultural structures (Shilling, 1400).
Clothing and grooming, as the most prominent forms of embodiment, play a key role in the process of constructing and displaying individual and group identities, carrying significant sociocultural implications (Tanaka, 2022). Clothing—as a set of elements complementing the body—serves as a primary tool for social construction; it consciously or unconsciously conveys messages to others and influences the formation of impressions (Johnson, Lennon, & Rudd, 2014). Grooming is a profound means of embodying social norms, often driven by a desire to conform to socially constructed beauty standards heavily promoted by the media, advertising, and the fashion industry (Al-Samydai et al., 2021).
Methodology
This qualitative study employed the Strauss-Corbin grounded theory approach and involved 22 young adults (aged 18–35) residing in Mashhad between 2023 and 2024. A theoretical sampling method was used, selecting a diverse group of participants to achieve theoretical saturation. The data analysis process was conducted in detail, thoroughly examining the interview content from the participants' perspectives to capture their views. Research validity and rigor were ensured through the criteria of credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. To ensure credibility, extensive rapport was established with research participants and throughout the interview process; furthermore, triangulation was employed by drawing upon diverse sources—such as articles, books, documentaries, and news media—as well as expert insights. To ensure dependability, coding underwent repeated reviews incorporating necessary consultations. To ensure confirmability, the accuracy of collected data was assessed by meticulously documenting conversations and providing sufficient details to the participants. Finally, to ensure transferability, the research context, conditions, and interview details were fully described, and the code structures and extracted themes were continuously compared against the raw data.
Findings
Concepts represent the understanding of phenomena achieved by breaking down information into independent conceptual components through the technique of labeling. Once formulated, these concepts constitute the contextual, causal, and intervening conditions, as well as the consequences and strategies regarding the clothing and grooming choices of young people.
In this context, norms characterized as traditional, modern, hybrid, and individualistic interact with one another. Adherence to traditional norms does not necessarily imply purposeful, fully conscious behavior; rather, it often serves as a reaction to other types of norms. Modern norms—driven by a desire to transcend tradition and inspired by transnational standards—rapidly and vigorously challenge traditional practices, a conflict most visibly manifested in choices regarding clothing and personal grooming. Nevertheless, the blending of norms has enabled some young people to navigate the space between tradition and modernity.
Despite sweeping social changes, the influence of religious norms and Iranian traditions remains a key causal factor shaping choices regarding clothing and grooming, compelling individuals to a certain extent to conform to them. Consequently, individuals cite religious beliefs as the basis for their choice of attire; while the underlying roots of these beliefs vary from person to person, they nonetheless result in similar behaviors. These roots can be identified as deep-seated conviction, fear of social sanctions, and the pursuit of greater benefits. Also, The body serves as a symbolic arena for expressing social protest, manifested to society through clothing and personal grooming. Such acts of protest are primarily directed at the ruling system and its traditional supporters. Dissatisfaction with the establishment has instilled a sense of unease in some young people, leading them to reject the norms associated with the ruling power. Young people perceive their bodies through the lens of reference groups. The diversity of such groups has led to a variety of styles in clothing and grooming.
One of the intervening factors has been a health-oriented lifestyle.Improvements in the quality of life have brought about diverse changes in lifestyle, with the body serving as a prominent manifestation of this shift. Young people value health and actively strive to align their lives with it; however, the adoption of health-oriented lifestyle practices is shaped by market dynamics and socioeconomic status—factors that act as intervening variables in health outcomes. In a consumer society, the body is subject to the forces of supply and demand. Consumption is an aspect of distinction among citizens of modern society, manifested in their styles of embodiment. To gain social validation from specific groups, young people adopt particular styles of dress and grooming, expecting that conforming to the expectations of their target groups will secure the desired and anticipated status. Thus, at least three primary sources of social validation are considered to inspire three pivotal styles of dress.
The permeable boundaries between various value-normative systems have led to the blurring of tangible distinctions in clothing styles, with the practical manifestation of this trend being the integration of an individual's attire and grooming. Blending the traditional with the non-traditional—or the modern—has been the primary strategy.
The consequences for the lifestyles of young people have also included Intertwining of clothing styles, The Body as a Stage for Performance. In their private spheres, young people adhere to norms rooted in a sense of liberation, a lack of rules, total ease, and disorder; conversely, in semi-formal environments outside the home, they are bound by norms that impose restrictions, entail surveillance, and stem from social pressures , a normative conflict they experience across various social arenas. The body has become the most pervasive symbolic element of youth lifestyles. Its symbolic dimension enhances an individual's symbolic and cultural capital, thereby facilitating rapid upward mobility within the social hierarchy.
Conclusion
Sociological theories offer a partial explanation for the research findings—specifically Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption; Simmel’s perspective on the expression of individuality within objective culture; Weber’s analysis of status and social class; McKay’s subcultural approach; Bourdieu’s concepts of taste, fields, and habitus; and Shilling’s discussion of the "unfinished body" project and the role of structures in its completion. At the same time, the culture and diverse lifestyles in Iran require more precise and in-depth study, as reliance on theory alone is insufficient to fully elucidate their various dimensions.
Despite the spread of global values across various dimensions of social life worldwide, the power of non-modern traditions and norms remains palpable and significant; these have persisted through either conflict or interaction with modernism and—even after undergoing re-evaluation—retain the capacity to shape the lifestyles of diverse social strata. Consequently, driven by the potent presence of three norm-generating sources, the body is navigated at the intersection of plural and conflicting norms—with the individual, the family, the environment, and the global village forming the four vertices of this framework—thereby dominating both the individual's objective reality and subjective consciousness.