University of Isfahan Journal of Applied Sociology 2008-5745 24 3 2013 07 23 A Study of Reference Groups of Young Women in Ilam A Study of Reference Groups of Young Women in Ilam 57 70 18315 FA Abolfazl Zolfaghri Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran Goli Soofizad M.A. Graduate of Sociology Journal Article 2016 06 14 Selection of reference group and inclination to it is among those important issues that thinkers consider it under various titles. By referring to criteria of a special group, we always assess our deeds, appearance, values, wishes, lifestyles and ourselves. In a case study, this paper intends to focus on women at the age of 16-29 who live in Ilam city to study their reference group. Identifying reference groups and the effective factors in women’s selection were the main purpose of this paper. So we tried to find the answer of such questions as "what are the reference groups for young women in Ilam?" "What are their characteristic attributes?" "Is there any conflict in the trends of reference group selection?" "What are the effective structural factors in this selection?" "Merton’s reference group theory was selected as theoretical approach because not only is it more comprehensive than Mead's, Cooley's, and Simmer's theories, but it is also able to cover the main questions of this research. The main points of this theory include: relative deprivation, reference group, membership and non-membership, multiple reference groups, negative reference groups, effective structural factors in this selection, the consequences of this reference group selection, conflicts in inclination to reference group Selection of reference group and inclination to it is among those important issues that thinkers consider it under various titles. By referring to criteria of a special group, we always assess our deeds, appearance, values, wishes, lifestyles and ourselves. In a case study, this paper intends to focus on women at the age of 16-29 who live in Ilam city to study their reference group. Identifying reference groups and the effective factors in women’s selection were the main purpose of this paper. So we tried to find the answer of such questions as "what are the reference groups for young women in Ilam?" "What are their characteristic attributes?" "Is there any conflict in the trends of reference group selection?" "What are the effective structural factors in this selection?" "Merton’s reference group theory was selected as theoretical approach because not only is it more comprehensive than Mead's, Cooley's, and Simmer's theories, but it is also able to cover the main questions of this research. The main points of this theory include: relative deprivation, reference group, membership and non-membership, multiple reference groups, negative reference groups, effective structural factors in this selection, the consequences of this reference group selection, conflicts in inclination to reference group https://jas.ui.ac.ir/article_18315_a069cf749e6693d36bd3492e1813ec85.pdf