Women’s Semantic Construction of the Tradition–Modernity Dichotomy within Charmaz’s Constructivist Grounded Theory Framework

Rahbarghazi, Mahmoudreza; Sadeghinaghdali, Zahra; Ghorbani, Maryam

doi:10.22059/jwdp.2025.402456.1008571

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

² PhD in Political Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

³ PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.

https://doi.org/10.22059/jwdp.2025.402456.1008571

Abstract

Over recent decades, the tension between tradition and modernity in the lives of Iranian women has generated a dual semantic framework that influences their social and political identities. Thus, the primary research question is how this tension between tradition and modernity influences women’s lived experiences and their approaches to reimagining their identities and social roles. This study employs a qualitative methodology grounded in Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory. Data were acquired via semi-structured interviews with 23 women from diverse social and cultural backgrounds in Tabriz and analyzed through initial, focused, and axial coding. The research suggests that women employ two principal approaches: cautious acceptance, which preserves certain traditional norms while embracing modern, contemporary opportunities; and critical resistance, which challenges traditional constraints and redefines gender roles. These two strategies are grounded in structural foundations (such as gender norms, contemporary values, and lived experiences), various environmental influences (including family, institutions, culture, and the economy), and intervening conditions (social, cultural, institutional, and psychological), which manifest across three levels (individual, group, and societal). The findings illustrate a shift from preserving women’s social legitimacy in accordance with traditional expectations to strengthening agency and promoting social transformation. Results indicate that the dual interpretation of tradition and modernity constitutes a reflective and dynamic process, deeply rooted in the regulation of social security and the expression of individuality, all of which contribute to the gradual evolution of women's political and social culture.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Political sciences

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Women’s Semantic Construction of the Tradition–Modernity Dichotomy within Charmaz’s Constructivist Grounded Theory Framework

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Volume 23, Issue 4January 2026Pages 629-652

Volume 23, Issue 4
January 2026
Pages 629-652