Abstract


Women’s veiling and their agency in society, along with their perceptions of how they express themselves and participate in social life, constitute one of the most contested social issues in contemporary Iranian society. This study adopts a qualitative methodological tradition and employs a grounded theory approach to explore and conceptualize the multiple dimensions of the issue of hijab as a social phenomenon in Iran. The empirical data were collected through two phases of research—an expert phase and a fieldwork phase—comprising a total of 40 in-depth interviews conducted through expert panels and semi-structured field interviews.





The findings indicate that the issue of hijab can be meaningfully understood through the central category of perceived agency. Contextual disembedding, network disconnection, and the absence of persuasive mechanisms emerged as key causal conditions shaping this issue. Moreover, environmental constraints and male-dominated institutional structures were identified as contextual conditions influencing women’s experiences, while meaning-making mechanisms and perceived costs functioned as intervening conditions in the formation of the phenomenon.





In response to these conditions, the strategies adopted by women can be conceptualized within two main categories: identity construction and the enhancement of social and gender-based capital, as well as people-centered cultural governance. The implementation of these strategies is associated with far-reaching and transformative social outcomes, suggesting the need for deep structural and cultural reforms in addressing the issue of hijab in Iranian society.