https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/ Social Studies and Research in Iran en daily 1 Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105549.html Introduction A common assessment in examining the state and quantitative growth of social sciences in Iran posits that, when considering the inherently "self-reliant and self-sufficient nature of the scientific institution," the expansion of social sciences in Iran is more a state-constructed phenomenon than a scientific one. Social science education largely functions as a process channeling a number of young people into universities to obtain degrees, rather than remaining unemployed. A portion of these graduates are absorbed into the bureaucracy, becoming government employees, while another portion rejoins the ranks of the unemployed. However, these unemployed individuals, now holding university degrees, are often unwilling to engage in manual labor. This paper aims to distance itself from this "pessimistic" assessment without falling into the trap of "whitewashing," and instead offer a critical defense of the growth of social sciences and empirical knowledge over a ninety-year period. This implies that shortcomings will not be concealed. The focus here is on explaining this ninety-year span, particularly the last forty-five years of sociology's history in Iran. Prior to the establishment of the Higher Teacher Training College and the University of Tehran (1934), there existed attention and reflection (though not scientific study) on social life in Iran, predominantly documented in the literary and philosophical works of Iran's eminent figures. For instance, it is said that Professor Gholamhossein Sedighi taught a course titled "Social Issues in Persian Literature" in the Faculty of Social Sciences, presenting noteworthy material on these reflections. However, from 1935 onwards, both instruction based on scientific-empirical study of social realities and scientific research commenced. Therefore, this paper concentrates on the social sciences of Iran's modern era, not the ancient period. Method The present study is a descriptive, exploratory inquiry. Based on the author's experiences—six years of undergraduate and graduate study in sociology and nearly three decades of teaching courses on social change and political sociology in the Faculty of Social Sciences—it seeks to develop a profound understanding of the issue of social sciences in Iran. This article does not claim to present a methodical, scientific research project; rather, it offers an evaluation based on the author's experiences, which may prove useful for more systematic research. Findings Focusing on social sciences at the University of Tehran, this study deems attention to ten key spheres essential for a comprehensive examination of this field in Iran: 1) Social science education at the Islamic Azad University, 2) The performance of social science departments in other major universities nationwide, 3) Research conducted by institutes under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, 4) The record of the University of Tehran's Institute for Social Research (1958-1972), 5) The role of the Iranian Sociological Association, 6) The content of scientific and promotional journals and books, 7) Social science productions in the virtual space, 8) The works of Iranian scholars abroad, 9) The permeation of social science concepts into public discourse, and 10) The role of six influential figures (Sedighi, Naraqi, Arianpour, Shariati, Tavassoli, and Ghaeni-Rad). In content evaluation, employing Burawoy's model, four types of sociology are analyzed: Academic sociology, despite facing obstacles such as faculty vetting, self-censorship, and political pressures, has sustained itself through a relative freedom in selecting research topics and the continuity of intellectual circles. Policy sociology has been extensive in the form of empirical studies and surveys by state institutions (e.g., national surveys on values and social capital). Critical sociology has emerged in five main currents: Marxist, Revolutionary Islam (Shariati), Reformist (influenced by Soroush, Bashiriyeh, etc.), the Discourse of Resistance (state-affiliated), and the Discourse of Consensus (emphasizing gradual change and justice), in addition to a feminist critical perspective characterized by discursive plurality and new activism. Finally, public sociology, emphasizing public participation, attention to tangible issues, and connection with civil institutions, although more recent and facing challenges such as security constraints and lack of support, continues to endure. Overall, social sciences in Iran, despite structural pressures and limitations, have persisted across academic, policy, critical, and public spheres, maintaining their influence on the public domain. Conclusion Over ninety years, social sciences in Iran have experienced significant quantitative growth in the number of faculty, students, and publications. This growth has provided the necessary groundwork for qualitative enhancement. The most important achievements include: the expansion of academic institutions, increased public "social literacy," the permeation of concepts such as civil society and citizenship rights into public discourse, and the development of qualitative and mixed research methods alongside quantitative ones. Furthermore, secular and critical social sciences have persisted despite political pressures and the official discourse of religious social sciences, playing a significant role in shifting the paradigm of social change from a revolutionary model towards gradual and peaceful reform. However, numerous structural challenges persist: constraints on researching sensitive topics, theoretical fragmentation, weakness in securing research funding, limited access to data, and the emigration of elites. The future of the discipline depends on its ability to integrate global theories with Iran's local conditions, preserve its critical autonomy, and focus on addressing tangible and emerging societal issues (such as cyberspace, the environment, and youth protests). The path of Iranian social sciences, albeit fraught with challenges, has been fruitful and possesses an undeniable capacity for understanding and improving society. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105849.html https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_103949.html Iran has undergone unique demographic changes in the recent decades. This paper aims to project the natural population growth rate -NPG over the next decade (2024–2034), which would offer a comprehensive perspective into the future of Iran's population dynamics. In this regard, to accomplish the above task, this work deals with the projection of most important demographic measures that characterize the population process, namely the Crude Birth Rate -CBR, the Crude Death Rate -CDR, and the Population Doubling Time- PDT. To this end, a deep neural network modeling approach was developed and applied. Forecasting with deep neural networks is one of the most important and influential techniques used in machine learning and artificial intelligence. The data-driven model, based on data obtained from the Statistical Center of Iran, was subsequently implemented for model development in MATLAB.Results from the paper indicate that the CBR drops from 11.3 per thousand in 2024 to 9.3 per thousand in 2034. On the other hand, the CDR increases from 5.2 per thousand in 2025 to 6.1 per thousand in 2034. With this effect, the NPG decreases from 6.1 per thousand in 2025 to 3.2 per thousand in 2034. Lastly, PDT for the population is forecasted to rise from 114 years in 2025 to 218 years in 2034.This study presents a deep neural network model for describing and forecasting the complex dynamics of population changes in Iran. Constructing this model helps policy-makers and planners use the forecasted population dynamics to design and implement programs and policies with greater precision. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105550.html Introduction:Pluralistic cultural patterns within any society invariably create conditions that, on the surface, distinguish certain individuals from others. In the context of collective life, it must be considered that just as every society possesses specific values and norms, certain groups also maintain accepted standards that they impose upon their members, thereby giving rise to variable cultural patterns. Since these cultures exist within the broader, distinct framework of the general society, they are identified as "subcultures." These marginal cultures may align with the mainstream culture or, conversely, stand in opposition to it, to the extent that they may even be labeled as "deviant subcultures"—groups that disrupt the conventional social order by promoting a particular lifestyle. Although these individuals appear distinct from the general public, they are, in fact, definable only in relation to that very society. Through subtle commonalities with the dominant culture, they maintain a link and interaction with mainstream life. This "conformity within non-conformity" can manifest in various forms, each of which, however minute, prevents the total isolation of these groups from the broader public. Focusing on a specific subcultural group that has emerged from the heart of conventional society yet ostensibly falls into the category of social non-conformists, the present study seeks to identify moments where, despite their non-conformity, they achieve a sense of alignment. The "Lats", who have had a significant presence in Iran’s social history, are the subject of this research. There are moments when this non-conformist group aligns with the desirable values of conventional culture and engages in rituals accepted by society. This very phenomenon constitutes the primary question of this research: How do social non-conformists exhibit conformist behavior during specific moments, which at times coincide with religious occasions? Method: In the present study, Mayring’s qualitative content analysis was adopted to guide the research process. Data collection was conducted through observational techniques, semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 "Lats" and their close associates, and a content analysis of 15 highest follower counts Instagram profiles belonging to prominent figures within this subculture. Due to the challenges of accessing this specific population, purposive sampling methods—specifically snowball sampling and convenience sampling—were employed. Access to the subjects and the achievement of an optimal sample size were facilitated through intermediary links, including previous researchers, social media platforms, and, most crucially, the elders (influential figures) of these groups. Furthermore, for the digital content analysis component, the Instagram pages of 15 individuals with the highest follower counts were selected and examined. The follower bases of these accounts range from 100,000 to 5 million, with the established dates of these profiles spanning from 2014 to 2019. Findings: This subcultural group emerges from within the broader society; consequently, its cultural beliefs are traceable to the society's fundamental cultural roots. However, in adopting these cultural beliefs, it appears that certain transformations occur. This group maintains its own distinct value system, even if its origins align with the overarching value system of society. Precisely for this reason, individuals from different religious backgrounds who join this group adopt its specific beliefs and rituals. An illustrative case is a Sunni member of the Lat subculture who, by his own account, practiced Qama-zani (self-flagellation with a blade) for several years out of devotion to Imam Hussain. Consequently, we observe a form of "micro-religious conformity" among members of this group. Yet, the question remains: which version of religion? It appears that the Lat subculture approaches religion through its own unique lens, engaging in a process of selection. Religion manifests as a specific form of Shiite rituals and beliefs, glazed with the principles of chivalry and Looti-gari (traditional gallantry), particularly during specific periods of the year such as the months of Muharram and Safar. This specific form of "selective religiosity" encountered among the Lats establishes a degree of normative and evaluative linkage between them and conventional society. In the case of this subcultural group, while a bond between the individual and society may be maintained, non-conformist behavior does not necessarily cease. In fact, although we witness conformity and social bonding, this conformity occurs simultaneously with non-conformity. This situation can be explained by the shift in the position of religious matters among the Lats due to two functional dimensions; whereby the sacred and purely cultural aspects of religion are superseded by its functional utility. It appears that religious rituals have been transformed into an arena for the manifestation of Lat subcultural behaviors. These rituals, which find their social expression primarily in Heiats (religious organizations) and mourning processions, serve first as a "hangout" (Patogh) for members to congregate. Secondly, they play a crucial role in determining the hierarchical status within the group. For instance, the Gonde-lats (top-tier toughs) demonstrate their prominence and maintain their leadership status by organizing and leading these processions and religious circles. Resualt: Broadly speaking, the mechanism of this conformity is such that, on the surface, conformist religious behavior is observed. However, what transpires beneath the surface is a functional dimension that has become increasingly prominent among the Lats. In effect, religion is transformed into a conventional "playing field" utilized for unconventional objectives. The fundamental point is that this micro-conformity, which facilitates a bond between the subcultural group and the core of society, does not necessarily terminate non-conformist behavior. For various reasons, while the outward manifestation remains conformist, non-conformist behaviors are increasingly exhibited in a more overt manner behind the scenes. This phenomenon represents the precise moment of "conformity within non-conformity. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_104074.html Economic precariousness, as a key structural characteristic of Iran’s economy in recent decades, has had widespread effects on the labor market and the life practices of young people. In this context, resilience can be analyzed as a cultural-social mechanism for confronting unstable conditions—rather than merely a return to a prior state. This study aims to identify the components of the discourse of resilience among Iranian youth facing precarious employment and to analyze how these components are represented in experiential narratives.The research follows a qualitative design and employs Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis. Data were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews with students who are employed or seeking work in Tehran and were analyzed thematically.Findings indicate that resilience is represented through four major discursive components: “a shared understanding of labor market dysfunction,” “internalization of instability and acceptance of hardship,” “micro-resistance and innovation,” and “meaning reconstruction through humorous engagement.” These components are interpreted using approaches from critical sociological theories, including Bourdieu’s habitus and symbolic capital, Foucault’s governmentality and subjectivity, James C. Scott’s notion of everyday resistance, Asef Bayat’s concept of viable action, and Butler’s reconceptualization of agency within vulnerability.The results suggest that the discourse of resilience under conditions of economic precariousness, while internalizing existing circumstances, also enables the creation of meaning and micro-scale agencies; rather than being a passive coping mechanism, resilience becomes a mode of living within crisis. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_106452.html Introduction This qualitative study investigates the emerging phenomenon of Iranian men's increasing use of beauty centers, framing it as a significant site for renegotiating masculine identity within a society in transition. Situated at the intersection of entrenched traditional values and pervasive modern, consumer-oriented influences, men's aesthetic practices are analyzed not as mere vanity but as complex acts of "identity bargaining." The research is prompted by observable trends, including global statistical increases in male cosmetic procedures and local evidence of rising demand in Iranian cities like Arak. It seeks to move beyond superficial consumption narratives to ask fundamental questions: How do men construct meaning around these beauty practices? What identity tensions arise between traditional masculine norms—which often prize indifference to appearance—and modern imperatives that treat attractiveness as a form of social and professional capital? The study positions itself within broader theoretical frameworks of the sociology of the body, gender studies (drawing on Connell's theories of masculinity), and consumer culture, while aiming to fill a gap in localized, non-Western analyses of male beauty and identity. Method The research adopts a qualitative, exploratory design grounded in the Classic Glaserian version of Grounded Theory. This methodology is chosen for its strength in generating theory directly from field data, allowing for the discovery of processes and meanings as constructed by the actors themselves. The study population consisted of men over 18 who had visited beauty centers in Arak at least once between 2021 and 2023. Data was collected through a triangulation of methods: in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 28 male clients, non-participant field observations within the centers, and content analysis of promotional materials (e.g., Instagram posts, brochures). Purposive sampling initiated the process, followed by theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. The data analysis rigorously followed the three-stage coding process intrinsic to Grounded Theory: open coding to generate initial concepts, axial coding to organize these concepts into broader categories and subcategories, and selective coding to integrate everything around a central, core category. Findings The core category that emerged from the analysis is "Selective Masculinity" . This concept captures the dynamic and strategic process through which men navigate the conflicting demands of traditional and modern masculine ideals. The findings are organized around several pivotal themes that illustrate this negotiation: Diverse and Strategic Motivations: Men's reasons for visiting beauty centers were multifaceted. A primary motivation was the pursuit of social and professional capital, where an improved appearance was linked to career advancement and social credibility. Younger participants were heavily influenced by digital media standards, emulating idealized male looks from Instagram and celebrity culture. Another significant, and strategically crucial, motivation was the framing of beauty as health and self-care. Procedures like laser hair removal or skin treatments were justified not as "cosmetic" but as matters of hygiene, skincare, or preventative health, a strategy termed the "medicalization of beauty." Navigating Identity Tension and Stigma: A central challenge for participants was managing the social stigma and fear of feminization. Many reported anxiety about being labelled "less of a man" for engaging in traditionally feminine-coded practices. To mitigate this, they employed deliberate discursive strategies. Beyond medicalization, they engaged in "blending traditional-modern traits," consciously combining modern attention to appearance with traditional markers of masculinity like being a financial provider or rational decision-maker. This created a "layered masculinity" that was more socially acceptable in the Iranian context. The Influential Role of Class and Digital Media: The study highlighted how socio-economic class shaped this negotiation. Affluent men used access to luxury, advanced procedures (e.g., HIFU, hair transplants) as a marker of symbolic distinction and social status. In contrast, men with lower incomes were often limited to basic services, which they framed as a necessary "investment" for future mobility. Simultaneously, digital media, particularly Instagram, played a key role in normalizing male beauty consumption. Advertisements strategically portrayed aesthetic procedures as part of the identity of the "successful urban man," the "athlete," or the "family-oriented man," using slogans like "Be modern, remain a man!" to reduce cognitive dissonance. The Paradigm Model: The research culminated in a paradigm model that visually maps the process of Selective Masculinity. Causal conditions (media pressures, job market expectations, health discourses) create a structural contradiction. This leads to the core phenomenon of men experiencing tension between social acceptance and preserving traditional gender identity. In response, men adopt strategies/actions (medicalization, concealment, blending traits). The consequences of these actions are the redefinition of masculinity as a dynamic identity, a gradual reduction in social stigma, and an increased rate of men visiting beauty centers. The model emphasizes that social class acts as a significant contextual and moderating variable throughout this entire process. Conclusion  The discussion synthesizes these findings, arguing that men's engagement with beauty centers in Iran represents a profound, agentive process of "identity bargaining" rather than passive conformity or simple rebellion. The concept of Selective Masculinity aligns with but also extends Connell's theory of multiple masculinities by highlighting the active, strategic selection and fusion of identity elements from competing discourses. The strategic "medicalization of beauty" finds resonance in global trends where men legitimize aesthetic work through health frameworks, as noted in international systematic reviews (Morison & Whitehead, 2021). Similarly, the class-based consumption patterns echo studies from other developing contexts, where global beauty culture interacts with local social hierarchies (Elias & Gill, 2020).The study concludes that the male body in contemporary Iran has become a "field of negotiation." Here, bodily capital is sought to enhance social and professional standing, but its acquisition must be carefully managed to avoid devaluing traditional gender capital. The research provides a novel understanding of masculine transformation in transitional societies, moving beyond a simple East-West or tradition-modernity binary. It reveals the sophisticated adaptive mechanisms men employ to reconcile contradictory expectations.The practical implications are significant. The findings call for a rethinking of cultural policy discourses to better reflect the evolving realities of male identity and consumption. Furthermore, they highlight the necessity for the beauty industry itself to redesign its services and marketing to sensitively address the specific needs, motivations, and challenges faced by its growing male clientele, particularly within culturally specific contexts like Iran. Ultimately, this study contributes a nuanced, empirically grounded perspective to the global conversation on the changing landscapes of masculinity in the 21st century. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_104444.html The Rentier State Theory, the Dutch disease Paradigm, and the natural resource curse are some of the dominant perspectives developed to explain the sociopolitical and economic conditions of oil-rich countries. But the important issues, neglected by these theoretical frameworks, are the high effects of intense budget dependence on oil revenues, revenue fluctuations, and the institutional framework in which policies are made. These factors determine the outcome of oil revenues to society and under this circumstance, efficient policies to deal with socioeconomic problems such as inequality are not taken. This paper aims to elucidate the mechanism of interaction between oil revenue dependency, income fluctuation, and the lack of efficient institutions to address the problem of inequality in Iran, an oil-rich country. We ask: what consequences has reliance on oil revenues had for inequality in post-revolutionary Iran?This study adopts a documentary analysis approach, relying on data drawn from reports issued by official institutions including the Central Bank of Iran, the Statistical Center of Iran, and OPEC to investigate the dynamics under consideration.The results demonstrate that both the extent and the trajectory of inequality in post-revolutionary Iran have been closely linked to fluctuations in oil revenues. Two important patterns are particularly noteworthy. First, during periods of revenue windfalls, the upper strata capture a disproportionate share of the benefits. Second, the economy’s structural dependence on oil income, together with the volatility inherent in such revenues and the absence of robust institutional frameworks, has entrenched persistent inequality, while simultaneously generating shifts in inequality that mirror the cyclical changes in oil revenues. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105399.html This study examines privatization as a regime of truth in post-war Iran. To analyze this historical subject, a constellation approach combined with archaeo- genealogical methods has been employed. Theoretically, it draws on Koselleck’s conceptual history theory and Elden’s idea of spatial history. The central question of this article is: How has this regime of truth become possible and evolved? Temporally, the focus is on post-1979 Revolutionary Iran. The most significant findings of this study are as follows: The reinterpretation of the past through the entry of free market power technology necessarily elevated privatization from one of its techniques to the status of a regime of truth. This process was legitimized by the emergence of conceptual dualities such as the public-private binary under this reinterpretation. The institutionalization of this new technology of power in Iran was mediated by a semi-colonial science/knowledge system, which—through educational and research institutions—dominated and permeated the policymaking sphere of development in Iran. The source of this dominance lay in its prevalence in core and developing countries, their educational/research institutions, and global organizations. Even the crises in Iran’s international relations and the heightened role of Islamic political theology—rooted in the necessity of jihadist mobilization and the internalization of the economy—alongside the fading horizon of economic globalization as the ultimate aim of the ruling technology of power, not only failed to weaken the dominance of this regime of truth but also reinforced it by assimilating semantically equivalent concepts such as popularization, resistance, and economic/managerial jihad. Ultimately, the hegemony of this regime of truth has generated broader societal consequences, manifesting in the valorization of corporeality within resistances, social movements, and even anti-desire teachings tied to the greater jihad. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_104447.html By an approach of the sociology of time, this article seeks to examine the consequences of transformations in the space-time order of society ensuing rapid modernization processes for Iranian intellectuals in the decades succeeding to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. First, it explores how certain Western thinkers and philosophers confronted the spread of “empty time,” and then turns to the works of three influential Iranian intellectuals of that period -Dariush Shayegan, Ali Shari‘ati, and Jalal Al-e Ahmad, aiming to compare their positions. It also asks: How did they during that period engage with the category of modern time? How did it touch their assessment and understanding of the West? And can a kind of relationship be discerned between their time-based assessments and their demand for political changes?This paper takes on a document-based approach, applying the theoretical sampling to analyse the primary texts of three intellectuals under studyThe findings suggest that the dominance of modern empty time constituted a these intellectuals’ discontent with the West, and that their concerns were closely tied to their dissatisfaction with modernity and autocratic modernization processes. Their dissatisfaction, in turn, promoted their estrangement from the Shah’s regime and its western-oriented social reform projects and their receptivity to a fundamental transformation of society grounded in religion and tradition as well.It concludes that while Western philosophers grappled with the hollowing out of time in modernity, seeking to reclaim meaningful moments through Diogenic temporalities or expressive dimensions of modern life. Iranian intellectuals also attempted to offset and fill the unbearable lightness of modern time with the weight of tradition. Despite the post-revolutionary slowdown of processes of modernization and a return to tradition, additionally, the problem of the emptiness of modern time has yet remained an unavoidable and open-ended challenge for Iranian thinkers and intellectuals. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105398.html In recent decades the issue of generation and discussions related to biographical and life span analysis have become important in Iran, and various events are attributed to generational factors but the necessary distinctions and theoretical precision in this regard are lacking. In an attempt to clarify the concepts of this field, this article first reviews the history of biographical studies in the social sciences. Then, it introduces the paradigmatic principles and basic concepts of this field. Then, it outlines the importance of distinguishing three factors of "age", "cohort", and "Period" in biographical studies. Some of the characteristics of individuals are a consequence of their age, in which biology has a determining effect. However, the “cohort effect” means age differences that result from being born in different times and having different experiences, and the social factor is more decisive in it. The effect of “Period”, beyond the characteristics of individuals, affects the structure of the biography itself. "Period" means the shared social meanings that are common to everyone in any time period or the common ways of facing social events in a specific time period. Finally, the article deals with the developments of biography in the transition from the premodern to the modern era and then to the post-modern era. The third period has been called by different theoretical approaches with different names such as postmodern, late modernity, fluid modernity and neoliberalism. Finally, the article, focusing on the characteristics of the post-Keynesian era, explains and expands on the characteristics of biography in the third period and explains that the characteristics of the neoliberal era, including atomism, the decline of political community, the dominance of the narrative of success and competition, fluidity, university-centeredness and present-centeredness, have shaped today's biographies. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_104445.html Hope and hopelessness are reflections of an individual's consciousness and understanding of society and the way they interact with the social order, not a mere emotional understanding. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the problematic nature of hope and hopelessness to recognize the conditions that cause hopelessness and prevent the realization of youth's hope, their lived experiences, and the interpretations they make of their situation.Qualitative research and data were collected by the purposive sampling method, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 youth from Tabriz city to gather data, which were then analyzed using thematic analysis techniques.The results indicate that the live experience of youth of hope and hopelessness is influenced by conditions such as living in the shadow of economic instability, living with political adversity, and the lack of subjectivity. The youth's strategy to avoid hopelessness and achieve hope is pragmatic-critical activism: individual activism, confrontational compromise, and migration. They seek to create and reconstruct possible alternatives and give meaning to their lives by adopting this activism according to the real and practical conditions of life and in opposition to structural constraints. Hope, and even for some, hopelessness, is seen as a feasibility for activism in confronting social, political, and economic inequalities and the unfair distribution of opportunities and life chances.Therefore, policymakers must expand opportunities for youth agency and reduce structural limitations, as well as develop strategies to strengthen and facilitate these conditions and encourage their participation in the process of social meaning-making. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105548.html In recent years, for various reasons, the sale of prime rural land to non-village residents, or so-called outsiders, has become common. This has led to the division of rural land ownership between villagers and outsiders, and thus villages face various challenges. The aim of this study is to introduce villages that are resistant to land sales to outsiders and examine how their strategies for preserving land in the village are formed. The research approach of this study is qualitative, and the collected information is analyzed based on the thematic analysis method. The research participants were selected through two forms of purposive and theoretical sampling, and on this basis, open and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 residents of the villages of Gaskareh, Kochichal, and Kandehsar in the Sardar Jangal district of Fouman city in Gilan province. The findings of this study showed the existence of a desirable local community among the villages in question, which is regulated and strengthened through five components: belonging and territorial dependence, spontaneous local social management, strengthening intra-group social capital, preserving the cultural identity of the village, and harmonious communal life. The desirable local community has left various consequences in the villages under study, the most obvious of which is the joint action to prevent the sale of land to strangers. By creating strong dependence and a constructive communication network, this community has been able to pave the way for a strategy of resistance against the sale of land to strangers through three components: building a culture of land preservation, experiencing the sale of rural land to strangers in other villages, and prioritizing the sale of land to fellow villagers, and to a large extent preventing the acquisition of rural land by strangers https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_104446.html With the expansion of migration flows in recent decades, one of the major challenges facing host societies is shaping public attitudes toward international migrants and patterns of interaction with them. This study examines the attitudes of Iranian citizens toward international migrants and the factors that influence these attitudes.To this end, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey, implemented in Iran in 2020, based on a sample of 1,499 respondents. More recent data on attitudes toward migrants are not collected in any national surveys; therefore, up-to-date information is unavailable, and we relied on the 2020 survey.The findings indicate that 25.5% of respondents hold negative attitudes toward migrants, while 17% express positive attitudes. Analyses show that materialist values, social trust, and exposure to mass and digital media are significantly associated with more favorable attitudes toward migrants. Conversely, feelings of social insecurity and a high sense of Iranian national identity are linked to more negative attitudes. Path analysis further reveals that social trust has the strongest effect on the formation of positive attitudes toward migrants.Accordingly, strengthening social capital, reducing perceptions of insecurity through public education, and promoting positive narratives about migrants in the media can contribute to improving societal attitudes. This is particularly important given the anticipated rise in migration flows in the coming years. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105396.html Students, as human capital, play a crucial role in the economic and social development of a country. Virtual migration, as a novel form of migration, refers to a process in which individuals, particularly scientific elites, participate in research and professional environments of other countries through online platforms and scientific social networks without physical relocation. The present quantitative study aimed to examine the intention toward virtual migration and its associated factors among 376 graduate students at Shiraz University in 2025. The sample was selected using stratified proportional and systematic random sampling methods. Data were collected through a questionnaire. Regression analysis results indicated that digital literacy, perceived relative deprivation, and the use of scientific social networks had a significant positive effect on the intention toward virtual migration. Doctoral students exhibited lower intentions for virtual migration compared to master’s students. The findings highlighted the key role of cognitive, psychological, and technological factors in shaping virtual migration, which can serve as an alternative to the physical mobility of scientific elites under structural constraints in the country. It can be concluded that, although virtual migration provides the opportunity to benefit from global scientific networks without physical relocation, in the absence of appropriate policy and institutional frameworks, this phenomenon may lead to the gradual loss of human capital at the national level. It is recommended that policymakers pursue the following prioritized actions: first, enhance digital literacy and develop digital education programs at universities; second, strengthen international scientific communication infrastructures and provide sustainable platforms for online collaboration https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_103950.html Becoming a victim of crime is a major concern for citizens of any society. Fear of crime is a real, logical or illogical concern that arises from the inference that a person is at risk of being victimized. The Purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of victimization on fear of crime, relying on Routine activities and lifestyle theories. The research method is a survey and the data collection tool is a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study consists of all students studying at the University of Mazandaran in 1403-1404, of which a total of 400 students were selected using a stratified sampling method.The description of the dependent variable shows that 30.3% of respondents experienced fear of crime at a low level, 57.5% at a medium level, and 12.3% at a high level. This rate was higher among girls than among boys. The results of the study show that of all the variables included in the regression model, the intensity of attachment to deviant friends and social ties had a significant effect on student victimization. The variable of intensity of attachment to deviant friends had a positive relationship and social connection had a negative relationship with victimization. The variable of intensity of attachment to deviant friends was also the most important explanatory variable of victimization. In addition, the variable of victimization as a mediating variable had a significant effect on perceived fear of crime.Students who are most concerned about the risk of being a victim of crime are the ones who fear crime the most. The fear of crime, the symbol or symbol of being a victim, is criminal, so that payment and abundance of victims become crimes, the intense feeling of fear of crime leads to crime. explained. However, fear of crime varies between individuals, depending on factors such as the individual's status, type, and environment, as well as important social and psychological factors. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105393.html The age group of 9 to 12 years old (Late Children) is an age group of audience and media users that is less studied. This age group is not considered as child and on the other hand, they are on the threshold of adolescence and according to their own conditions, they have characteristics of adolescence and characteristics of childhood. The exposure of this group of children to the media and media productions, especially games and the Internet, has made serious concerns and challenges for families. On the other hand, late children in the mentioned age range face problems related to the teenage age group, earlier and want to change the style and context of their relationship with their parents. Thus, this study aims to answer these questions: what is the approach of this age group to media consumption? And how does this age group interact with their parents in the field of media consumption and the rules set by parents in this field? and how is their desire to pursue behaviors outside the scope of the rules established by their parents realized? In order to study this topic, different parenting styles have been described from the Bamrind point of view. To collect data, 32 Tehrani students aged 9 to 12 were interviewed. The data collected from the interviews have been analyzed through thematic analysis. From the point of view of the mentioned children, their parents supervise their media consumption in various discriminatory, tolerant, negligent and conciliatory ways. Faced to the imposition of parental control rules, children experience tensions over the amount of consumption, the consumption situation and the content of media consumption, and they experience these tensions in different ways. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_103976.html Greenwashing is one of the emerging social harms in industry and companies, which can be considered a form of organizational hypocrisy and dissemination of misleading information to deceive citizens; in other words, greenwashing is the instrumental use of the concept of environmental protection with the aim of gaining economic profit.The purpose of this study is to identify and sociologically analyze the social factors influencing greenwashing, employing the Grey DEMATEL technique to determine the causal and interactive relationships among these factors. The statistical population of the study includes professors of the faculty of economics, management, and social sciences of Shiraz University. The sampling method was purposive sampling and the sample size was determined to be 12 people. Data were collected using library research methods and the questionnaire instrument.The results of the analysis using the Grey DEMATEL technique showed that the variables of social stress, social isolation, feeling of social insecurity, and decreased social participation had the greatest impact on greenwashing. It was also found that the variables of social distrust, physical and psychological risks, environmental risks, and reduced organizational creativity received the greatest impact from the greenwashing variable. In addition, in terms of importance, the variables of social distrust with a value of 6.52, physical and psychological risks with a value of 6.38, environmental risks with a value of 6.12, decreased organizational creativity with a value of 5.97, and decreased social participation with a value of 5.80 have the most importance.By reinforcing distrust and increasing social stress, greenwashing negatively affects both the mental and physical health of individuals and weakens the dynamism and efficiency of organizations, ultimately creating an obstacle to achieving sustainable development https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105397.html Hijab is a multidimensional issue. On one hand, it is a religious, ethical, and identity-based matter; on the other, it is a social, political, and cultural phenomenon. The phenomenon of modest dress (Dressing) and hijab in Iranian society, within the context of generational, cultural, and discursive interactions, has distanced itself from its traditional form and transformed into a field of meaning contestation. This research aimed to qualitatively analyze the meaning system of modest dress among female students at Hormozgan University. The present study adopted a qualitative approach based on thematic analysis. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 30 undergraduate students at Hormozgan University, using purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted using King and Horrocks proposed model in sex stage. The research results led to the extraction of one core category, "Modest Dress as a Field for Self-Recreation in Confrontation with Obligatory Discourses," and night organizing categories, including "Hijab as Representation of Awareness in Opposition to Coercion," "Reflexivity of the Body at the Intersection of Obligation and Agency," "Soft Resistance and Symbolic Bargaining in the Cultural Fields," "Redrawing the Boundaries of Self and Other," "Aesthetics of Choice in a Context of Coercion," "Lived Experiences and Memory in the Layers of Modest Dress," "Reflexive Action in Confrontation with Judgmental Structures," and "Recreation of Female Identity in the Context of Intersecting Discourses." Participants experienced modest dress as an elective action, a medium for cultural negotiation, psychological protection, reconstruction of female identity, and a response to judgmental structures. https://jisr.ut.ac.ir/article_105329.html The introduction of technology into various areas of social life, including sports and sports competitions, has grown significantly in recent years. One of these technologies is the video assistant referee (VAR) in football matches, and the present study aims to investigate the sociological nature of this technology and its impact on the social structure of Iranian football.This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and using thematic analysis method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 sports experts (including referees, coaches, university professors, veterans and analysts of the Iranian Premier Football League).The findings showed that VAR makes sense at three levels: from the perspective of technological determinism as a determining force in behavior and decision-making; from the perspective of technological effects as a tool for promoting justice and social control; and from the perspective of social constructionism as a phenomenon whose meanings and functions are redefined in the interactions and lived experiences of actors. On the one hand, this technology has led to a relative enhancement of the sense of justice and increased social trust in referees, but on the other hand, it has brought consequences such as weakening the referee's symbolic authority, reducing collective emotion, transferring the locus of protests from the field to the media, and creating cultural inequality due to differences in infrastructure. Also, institutional distrust and poor media transparency were identified as the main obstacles to the full acceptance of VAR in Iran.VAR technology in Iranian football has a dual effect: on the one hand, it increases the accuracy of refereeing and the sense of justice, and on the other hand, it causes psychological tensions and changes in social and cultural interactions. The findings of this study can be beneficial for sports policymakers, the Football Federation, and the media in optimizing the implementation of VAR and reducing its negative consequences.