Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural ResearchJournal of Iranian Cultural Research2008-184718420251222Studying the dialectic of lived experience of alienation and phenomenal perception of the institution of science; a case study of students at Sharif University of TechnologyStudying the dialectic of lived experience of alienation and phenomenal perception of the institution of science; a case study of students at Sharif University of Technology54856010.22035/jicr.2026.3544.3767FAEbrahimEkhlasiAssociate professor of sociology, Faculty of Sicial Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’I University, Tehran, Iran0000-0001-8621-4760MohammadMirzaeeMA in Youth Studies, Faculty of Sicial Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’I University, Tehran, IranJournal Article20250502This study explores the lived experience of alienation among students at Sharif University of Technology and examines its relationship to their phenomenological perception of the university as an institution of science. Using purposive sampling, 19 students were selected based on inclusion criteria, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews following the Claise phenomenological method. Three key themes emerged to represent students’ experiences of alienation: (1) rejection and withdrawal from prior academic choices as gateways to later reflective actions, (2) feelings of contempt toward wasted opportunities and costs, and (3) the prioritization of separation over persistence. The findings indicate that alienation manifests through the interplay between intra-university relations and extra-university contexts. These external contexts include the pressures of the entrance exam system, the commodification of academic success, market-driven field selection, and essentialist notions of elitism. Furthermore, students’ perception of the university as a scientific institution is articulated through four phenomenological constructs: (1) Sharif as a mixer of calculability and market rationality, (2) Sharif as a launching pad to the external world, (3) Sharif as an agent of instrumental socialization, and (4) Sharif as a destroyer of identity pluralities. The study concludes that the alienation experienced by students reflects structural and epistemological divisions within Iran’s higher education system. It recommends developing critical and interdisciplinary frameworks to bridge the gap between the humanities and the sciences, thereby fostering a more cohesive academic environment and reducing student alienation.This study explores the lived experience of alienation among students at Sharif University of Technology and examines its relationship to their phenomenological perception of the university as an institution of science. Using purposive sampling, 19 students were selected based on inclusion criteria, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews following the Claise phenomenological method. Three key themes emerged to represent students’ experiences of alienation: (1) rejection and withdrawal from prior academic choices as gateways to later reflective actions, (2) feelings of contempt toward wasted opportunities and costs, and (3) the prioritization of separation over persistence. The findings indicate that alienation manifests through the interplay between intra-university relations and extra-university contexts. These external contexts include the pressures of the entrance exam system, the commodification of academic success, market-driven field selection, and essentialist notions of elitism. Furthermore, students’ perception of the university as a scientific institution is articulated through four phenomenological constructs: (1) Sharif as a mixer of calculability and market rationality, (2) Sharif as a launching pad to the external world, (3) Sharif as an agent of instrumental socialization, and (4) Sharif as a destroyer of identity pluralities. The study concludes that the alienation experienced by students reflects structural and epistemological divisions within Iran’s higher education system. It recommends developing critical and interdisciplinary frameworks to bridge the gap between the humanities and the sciences, thereby fostering a more cohesive academic environment and reducing student alienation.http://www.jicr.ir/article_560_a9a6653e48976138166de32772b1bf40.pdfIranian Institute for Social & Cultural ResearchJournal of Iranian Cultural Research2008-184718420251222Modes of theoretical engagement in sociological research; A systematic review to identify challengesModes of theoretical engagement in sociological research; A systematic review to identify challenges497255110.22035/jicr.2026.3486.3721FAAbdollahValinejadPhD in Sociology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran0000-0002-5192-0363Journal Article20250408The present study focuses on how sociology students employ theory in their research and aims to identify the challenges associated with this process. Relying on a systematic review of 176 studies in the field of sociology conducted between 2012 and 2021, the research found that the challenges can be categorized into four main areas: (1) Disruption in analytical correspondence (errors in theory selection); (2) Weakness in understanding, interpreting, and applying theoretical concepts (inability to process theory); (3) Disruption in analytical distancing from theory (a deep belief in the absolute truth of theory); and (4) Imposition of theoretical presuppositions onto reality (an emotional inclination toward the validity of theory). The findings indicate that these problems primarily stem from the dominant educational and cultural structures governing knowledge production in the country, although a minor portion can be attributed to individual skills. Therefore, overcoming the current situation requires transformation at three strategic levels: (1) reform in the discourse of theorization; (2) institutional reorganization of the higher education system; and (3) strengthening students’ theoretical training. Achieving these goals is possible only through enhancing collective will within universities, rethinking established academic traditions, and fostering a spirit of critical dialogue. Otherwise, the use of theory among some academic circles will remain superficial, formalistic, and unproductive.The present study focuses on how sociology students employ theory in their research and aims to identify the challenges associated with this process. Relying on a systematic review of 176 studies in the field of sociology conducted between 2012 and 2021, the research found that the challenges can be categorized into four main areas: (1) Disruption in analytical correspondence (errors in theory selection); (2) Weakness in understanding, interpreting, and applying theoretical concepts (inability to process theory); (3) Disruption in analytical distancing from theory (a deep belief in the absolute truth of theory); and (4) Imposition of theoretical presuppositions onto reality (an emotional inclination toward the validity of theory). The findings indicate that these problems primarily stem from the dominant educational and cultural structures governing knowledge production in the country, although a minor portion can be attributed to individual skills. Therefore, overcoming the current situation requires transformation at three strategic levels: (1) reform in the discourse of theorization; (2) institutional reorganization of the higher education system; and (3) strengthening students’ theoretical training. Achieving these goals is possible only through enhancing collective will within universities, rethinking established academic traditions, and fostering a spirit of critical dialogue. Otherwise, the use of theory among some academic circles will remain superficial, formalistic, and unproductive.http://www.jicr.ir/article_551_7f24d240521d99071c93af3917215ef7.pdfIranian Institute for Social & Cultural ResearchJournal of Iranian Cultural Research2008-184718420251222Meaning-making and discourse construction of ethnic identity in social media: A case study of InstagramMeaning-making and discourse construction of ethnic identity in social media: A case study of Instagram7310255610.22035/jicr.2026.3348.3615FAAliJafariAssistant Professor, Department of Partnerships and Communications, Research Institute for Education Studies, Organization for Educational Research and Planning (OERP), Tehran, Iran0000-0001-9296-5077SaeidFaramarzianiAssistant Professor of Communication Sciences, Department of Social Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, IranBehnamRezagholizadehPhD Candidate in Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, IranJournal Article20240714This study explores how Turkic ethnic identity-seeking is represented in cyberspace, with a particular focus on the social media platform Instagram. The significance of this research stems from the fact that modern social networks, especially Instagram, with their high capacity for producing and disseminating content, have become important arenas for promoting ethnonationalist discourses and can influence national cohesion. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, drawing on Barthes’ and Peirce’s semiotics combined with directed content analysis. The study population consisted of Instagram pages belonging to Pan-Turkism supporters. From among dozens of available profiles, three accounts with more than two thousand followers were purposively selected. Data were collected through direct observation and semiotic analysis of the posts, and then examined using qualitative coding and categorization. The findings revealed that the content of the studied profiles consistently emphasized the reinforcement of ethnic identity and the reproduction of ethnonationalist discourse. Through references to cultural and historical elements, the images and texts sought to create in-group solidarity and strengthen a sense of belonging to a unified ethnic community. The analysis further showed that a variety of persuasive communication strategies were employed, including the arousal of emotions, evocation of nostalgia, and the use of affective and emotional appeals to influence audiences. The results indicate that Instagram functions as an effective platform for reproducing resistance identities and ethnic discourses. This underscores the urgent need for cultural policymaking, comparative studies across other social networks, and systematic assessment of how such representations shape public opinion.This study explores how Turkic ethnic identity-seeking is represented in cyberspace, with a particular focus on the social media platform Instagram. The significance of this research stems from the fact that modern social networks, especially Instagram, with their high capacity for producing and disseminating content, have become important arenas for promoting ethnonationalist discourses and can influence national cohesion. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, drawing on Barthes’ and Peirce’s semiotics combined with directed content analysis. The study population consisted of Instagram pages belonging to Pan-Turkism supporters. From among dozens of available profiles, three accounts with more than two thousand followers were purposively selected. Data were collected through direct observation and semiotic analysis of the posts, and then examined using qualitative coding and categorization. The findings revealed that the content of the studied profiles consistently emphasized the reinforcement of ethnic identity and the reproduction of ethnonationalist discourse. Through references to cultural and historical elements, the images and texts sought to create in-group solidarity and strengthen a sense of belonging to a unified ethnic community. The analysis further showed that a variety of persuasive communication strategies were employed, including the arousal of emotions, evocation of nostalgia, and the use of affective and emotional appeals to influence audiences. The results indicate that Instagram functions as an effective platform for reproducing resistance identities and ethnic discourses. This underscores the urgent need for cultural policymaking, comparative studies across other social networks, and systematic assessment of how such representations shape public opinion.http://www.jicr.ir/article_556_11b921ef080f7736089c757404650e40.pdfIranian Institute for Social & Cultural ResearchJournal of Iranian Cultural Research2008-184718420251222Investigating the contexts of women's agency Formation in single-gender religious gatheringsInvestigating the contexts of women's agency Formation in single-gender religious gatherings10313055710.22035/jicr.2025.3383.3643FAMahsaLarijaniAssociate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran0000-0003-4491-6080AfsaneKamaliAssistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, IranMersedeModiriMaster’s Degree in Local Development, Department of Social Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, IranJournal Article20250206Short Urban spaces become successful places when they can be the product of collective actions by people and play a role in shaping them. The concept of the “third space” is an innovative approach that emphasizes space, the formation of social phenomena, diversification of everyday life, interaction with peers, and perception of one’s position, revealing the production of urban space. Women, by participating in religious gatherings, fulfill the need for “being together” in a place where there is a collective consciousness of “fulfilling religious duties” and produce their social communication spaces in conformity with official beliefs and socially defined values. This research employed a qualitative approach using grounded theory methodology. The target population included 11 women who participated as either promoters or attendees of religious gatherings and were purposively selected. The findings show that women are not passive toward urban spaces and continuously create their own meanings. By positioning themselves within a spatial structure compatible with the official value system, they reproduce conventional beliefs and demonstrate their agency through selecting different types of religious gatherings.Short Urban spaces become successful places when they can be the product of collective actions by people and play a role in shaping them. The concept of the “third space” is an innovative approach that emphasizes space, the formation of social phenomena, diversification of everyday life, interaction with peers, and perception of one’s position, revealing the production of urban space. Women, by participating in religious gatherings, fulfill the need for “being together” in a place where there is a collective consciousness of “fulfilling religious duties” and produce their social communication spaces in conformity with official beliefs and socially defined values. This research employed a qualitative approach using grounded theory methodology. The target population included 11 women who participated as either promoters or attendees of religious gatherings and were purposively selected. The findings show that women are not passive toward urban spaces and continuously create their own meanings. By positioning themselves within a spatial structure compatible with the official value system, they reproduce conventional beliefs and demonstrate their agency through selecting different types of religious gatherings.http://www.jicr.ir/article_557_6e2713a6efee97bacb63e52c54f0ada0.pdfIranian Institute for Social & Cultural ResearchJournal of Iranian Cultural Research2008-184718420251222Women teachers in the orbit of precarity: A qualitative study in Tehran’s non-governmental schoolsWomen teachers in the orbit of precarity: A qualitative study in Tehran’s non-governmental schools13116355810.22035/jicr.2026.3546.3769FAShaghayeghYousefi MoghadamPhD Candidate, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, IranSomayehShalchiAssistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, IranNahalNafisiAssistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, IranJournal Article20250430In recent years, the privatization of public education and the expansion of private (non-governmental) schools in Iran have reshaped employment relations, intensifying precarious work—particularly among women teachers. The present study aimed to explore the characteristics, dimensions, and consequences of precarity from the perspective of women teachers in Tehran’s non-governmental and “special” schools. Using a qualitative design and thematic analysis, we analyzed 19 semi-structured, in-depth interviews following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. The analysis yielded an overarching theme—an entangled, multilayered experience of precarity—supported by three core themes: precarity as a tool of domination and the reproduction of inequality; precarity and the postponement of life; and women teachers’ experiences of precarity and exclusion. Participants reported temporary and fragile contracts, incomplete or absent social insurance, job insecurity, and unequal power relations, all of which produced burnout, anxiety, diminished social status, and an inability to plan for long-term life trajectories. For these women, precarity extends beyond employment insecurity to shape identity, social status, and future prospects. Importantly, the findings reveal that precarity is deeply entangled with the dominant gender ideology that governs educational institutions. This ideology is reflected in restrictive hiring and selection processes, strict dress codes, reinforcement of traditional female roles, and constant monitoring of women’s agency, which reproduce structural inequalities, restrict professional autonomy, and exacerbate women teachers’ vulnerability in both their working lives and personal trajectories. Overall, the findings indicate that women teachers’ precarity is not merely a temporary or individual issue but a structural, multilayered phenomenon, arising from the intersection of macroeconomic policies, weak state regulation, and the dominant gender order. Ultimately, these dynamics threaten not only the quality of public education and the preservation of cultural capital in society but also women teachers’ well-being.In recent years, the privatization of public education and the expansion of private (non-governmental) schools in Iran have reshaped employment relations, intensifying precarious work—particularly among women teachers. The present study aimed to explore the characteristics, dimensions, and consequences of precarity from the perspective of women teachers in Tehran’s non-governmental and “special” schools. Using a qualitative design and thematic analysis, we analyzed 19 semi-structured, in-depth interviews following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. The analysis yielded an overarching theme—an entangled, multilayered experience of precarity—supported by three core themes: precarity as a tool of domination and the reproduction of inequality; precarity and the postponement of life; and women teachers’ experiences of precarity and exclusion. Participants reported temporary and fragile contracts, incomplete or absent social insurance, job insecurity, and unequal power relations, all of which produced burnout, anxiety, diminished social status, and an inability to plan for long-term life trajectories. For these women, precarity extends beyond employment insecurity to shape identity, social status, and future prospects. Importantly, the findings reveal that precarity is deeply entangled with the dominant gender ideology that governs educational institutions. This ideology is reflected in restrictive hiring and selection processes, strict dress codes, reinforcement of traditional female roles, and constant monitoring of women’s agency, which reproduce structural inequalities, restrict professional autonomy, and exacerbate women teachers’ vulnerability in both their working lives and personal trajectories. Overall, the findings indicate that women teachers’ precarity is not merely a temporary or individual issue but a structural, multilayered phenomenon, arising from the intersection of macroeconomic policies, weak state regulation, and the dominant gender order. Ultimately, these dynamics threaten not only the quality of public education and the preservation of cultural capital in society but also women teachers’ well-being.http://www.jicr.ir/article_558_1bb91f73e9d31ea2830a5e73ce3ed328.pdfIranian Institute for Social & Cultural ResearchJournal of Iranian Cultural Research2008-184718420251222The culture of digital nomadism: An ethnographic study among Iranians in TürkiyeThe culture of digital nomadism: An ethnographic study among Iranians in Türkiye16520255910.22035/jicr.2025.3520.3746FAQazaleHosseiniPhD Candidate in Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran0009-0003-2963-9043ZohrehAnvariAssistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran0000-0001-6945-1027AbouAliVedadhirProfessor, Department of Anthropology and Health Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, IranKushaGorji SefatAssistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, IranJournal Article20250207Digital nomadism is a lifestyle built on digital technologies and travel, primarily characterized by mobility and remote work. Despite its seemingly free and enjoyable appearance, it carries inherent risks due to a "live-in-the-moment" ideology that often overlooks traditional and modern life planning. To understand Iranian digital nomads in Istanbul, Türkiye, we conducted a six-month ethnographic study with autoethnography approach, supported by thirty in-depth interviews. Participants were recruited using the snowball sampling method. Iranian digital nomads in Istanbul can be categorized into four groups based on their remote work arrangements: business owners, investors and experienced professionals; Salaried professionals with long-term remote contracts; Project-participants with short-term remote contracts; Novice and No-Contract Nomads. While many digital nomads seek freedom from restrictive rules, Iranian nomads place greater importance on achieving a better life and accessing global markets. This form of "no-destination migration", though seemingly escaping labor regulations and social boundaries, paradoxically demands a higher degree of self-organization and self-control. Sustaining a nomadic lifestyle necessitates a thorough understanding of domestic and international laws concerning visa issuance, residency, taxes, and insurance across various countries. Though seemingly borderless, the movement and freedom inherent in this life appear to create more fluid political, social, and cultural boundaries.Digital nomadism is a lifestyle built on digital technologies and travel, primarily characterized by mobility and remote work. Despite its seemingly free and enjoyable appearance, it carries inherent risks due to a "live-in-the-moment" ideology that often overlooks traditional and modern life planning. To understand Iranian digital nomads in Istanbul, Türkiye, we conducted a six-month ethnographic study with autoethnography approach, supported by thirty in-depth interviews. Participants were recruited using the snowball sampling method. Iranian digital nomads in Istanbul can be categorized into four groups based on their remote work arrangements: business owners, investors and experienced professionals; Salaried professionals with long-term remote contracts; Project-participants with short-term remote contracts; Novice and No-Contract Nomads. While many digital nomads seek freedom from restrictive rules, Iranian nomads place greater importance on achieving a better life and accessing global markets. This form of "no-destination migration", though seemingly escaping labor regulations and social boundaries, paradoxically demands a higher degree of self-organization and self-control. Sustaining a nomadic lifestyle necessitates a thorough understanding of domestic and international laws concerning visa issuance, residency, taxes, and insurance across various countries. Though seemingly borderless, the movement and freedom inherent in this life appear to create more fluid political, social, and cultural boundaries.http://www.jicr.ir/article_559_3a0772443a0739141292a5429b952fe6.pdf