دانشگاه اصفهان جامعه شناسی کاربردی 2008-5745 37 3 2026 09 23 A Phenomenological Study of the Religious Lifeworld of Women Participating in Quranic Classes: A Case Study of Women in the City of Lar مطالعۀ پدیدارشناختی زیست‎‌جهان دینی زنان مشارکت‎‌کننده در کلاس‎‌های قرآن (نمونۀ مورد مطالعه زنان شهر لار) 1 28 30218 10.22108/jas.2026.146034.2679 FA آرمان حیدری دانشیار، گروه جامعه‌شناسی، دانشکدۀ ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه یاسوج، یاسوج، ایران فاطمه نوروزی استادیار، گروه علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه پیام‌نور، تهران، ایران Journal Article 2025 07 27 Introduction One of the most prominent processes of religious socialization in Islamic countries, including Iran, is active participation in informal religious classes that have been held for several years. These classes provide instruction on religious ideas, beliefs, principles, and rituals. Typically, the majority of participants in these informal sessions are married women from diverse age groups, educational backgrounds, and social classes. Despite their daily household responsibilities, these women willingly engage in the classes on a part-time basis. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the effects and implications of such religious education within society. Most analyses have approached these classes from an external ideological standpoint, relying on the perspectives of researchers, religious experts, and cultural policymakers. Consequently, the varied impacts of these classes from the internal viewpoints of the participants themselves have not been adequately explored. It is crucial to evaluate the effects and outcomes of these classes by considering the perspectives of those who actively engage in them. Given these gaps in understanding, this article aimed to describe and analyze the perceptions and experiences of Lari women attending Quranic classes from a phenomenological perspective. The women involved in this study participated in such classes during the years 2019-2020. The primary research questions were: How do Lari women participating in Quranic classes perceive and articulate their world? What insights do these women have into their social and emotional relationships, and how, influenced by religious concepts and beliefs, do they establish, regulate, and frame their interactions with others? Additionally, how do these women express and interpret the tangible effects of religious education in their actions and mental states? Materials & Methods The research employed a phenomenological method and was regarded as the most suitable approach for exploring the depth and essence of experience and the meaning of religion as a complex phenomenon. This study utilized an empirical phenomenology approach, consisting of 7 fundamental steps: defining the research question, conducting a preliminary study, selecting a theoretical framework to guide the design, examining first-order constructs (and bracketing existing theories), developing second-order constructs, controlling for unintended effects, and relating the findings to existing scientific literature and the empirical field. To reach women participating in these classes, purposive and non-random sampling techniques were employed. Subsequently, open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women involved in the classes. To uphold ethical standards and enhance the validity of the research, the study objectives were discussed with the interviewees prior to data collection. They were assured that their identities would remain confidential. The interviews lasted an average of 40 to 60 minutes, with individual sentences serving as the unit of data analysis. After the data collection process, the key themes from the participants' responses were conceptualized and subsequently categorized at a more abstract level. To validate the findings, the final themes were presented back to the interviewees, who confirmed that the results aligned with their experiences. Discussion of Results & Conclusion The youngest participant in the study was 35 years old, while the oldest was 70. Most participants were married housewives with either a diploma or a bachelor's degree. Only 3 women possessed a university education—holding qualifications ranging from a higher diploma to a master's degree. Among the group, one participant was employed and another was retired from a career in education. The women attended Quran classes intermittently or continuously, with some exclusively participating in neighborhood classes, while others also attended sessions at religious venues, such as Hosseiniyeh, Mahdiyyah, and Maktab (traditional Quranic classes). Based on the analysis of their statements, the participants' religious perceptions and experiences were organized into 6 main categories: 1) Living within Quranic boundaries; 2) Expanding the scope and enhancing the quality of social interactions among women's groups; 3) Finding meaning in life and achieving a sense of self-fulfillment; 4) Engaging in charitable economic activities; 5) Belief in sacred symbols and their efficacy; and 6) Experiencing discomfort at customary (non-religious) ceremonies and venues. The study findings indicated that, following their participation in Quranic classes, the women exhibited increased commitment to obligatory religious practices (Vajebat), including prayer, fasting, hijab, and khums (donating one-fifth of agricultural products to the poor). Their commitment also extended to recommended practices (Mostahabbat), such as performing non-obligatory prayers and fasting. While these women largely considered themselves devoted to religious moral obligations, there were instances—especially during events like wedding celebrations—when they either overlooked these obligations or failed to fulfill them despite having the desire to do so. In Quranic classes, values, such as honesty, sincerity, empathy, altruism, and continual reminders of religious teachings, instilled a sense of meaning, peace, and purpose in life for the participants. These women reported significant emotional growth and positive outcomes as a result of their involvement in these classes. Contrary to popular belief, they engaged in economic activities alongside their religious pursuits. However, their motivation for these economic endeavors was not profit-driven; rather, they viewed their actions as a means to earn rewards and compensation in the hereafter. In essence, they saw their economic activities as acts of compassion and benevolence aimed at supporting their community and helping those in need. Regarding their belief in sacred symbols and their efficacy, participants expressed faith in the sanctity and intercessory power associated with specific times, places, and objects. This belief contributed to feelings of peace, contentment, and satisfaction when they encountered particular objects, visited certain locations, carried symbols, or consumed specific foods and drinks. Such perceptions had established a kind of intersubjective consensus that shaped the attitudes and lived experiences of these women across various individual, social, and economic dimensions of their lives. Overall, it could be observed that these women had organized their actions and beliefs in alignment with religious concepts, values, principles, and rituals. However, influenced by the broader social context and the need to adapt to modern attitudes and values, there were times and places where they had to navigate away from the religious standards emphasized in Quranic classes. In such instances, they might find themselves re-evaluating the religious teachings provided in these classes. آموزش و یادگیری مفاهیم و اصول اعتقادی، مناسکی و کرداری هر کیش و آیینی برای بازتولید و تداوم آن امری گریزناپذیر و ضروری است. دین اسلام نیز از این قاعده مستثنی نیست و اصول و آیین‎‌های انتقال و فراگیری دانش و اعمال مذهبی در آن جایگاه خاصی دارد. یکی از مهم‌ترین راه‌های نهادی چنین انتقالی وجود کلاس‌های قرآنی غیررسمی در اقصی نقاط کشور است. هرچند می‎‌توان آثار چنین کلاس‌هایی را از منظرهای مختلف بررسی کرد؛ از منظر کیفی توصیف و شناساییِ تجربۀ زیستۀ مشارکت‌کنندگان از چنین کلاس‌هایی یکی از مهم‌ترین راه‌ها برای درک اهمیت و آثار آنها است؛ بر این اساس، تحقیق حاضر با روش کیفی از نوع پدیدارشناسی به توصیفِ زیست‎‌جهان زنان مشارکت‎‌کننده در کلا‌س‌های قرآن‎‌ سازمان‎‌یافته و نیمه‎‌ ‎‌سازمان‎‌یافتۀ شهر لار پرداخته است. مشارکت‌کنندگان 15 نفر از زنان شرکت‎‌کننده در کلاس‎‌های قرآن مناطق قدیمی و جدید شهر لار بودند که با روش نمونه‎‌گیری‎‌ هدفمند انتخاب شدند. براساس تحلیل مضامین مصاحبه‎‌ها، عناصر و ماهیتِ تجربۀ زیسته این زنان ذیلِ 6 مقولۀ اصلی توصیف و تحلیل شد. این مقولات شاملِ زیستن در حدود قرآنی، گسترش دامنه و تعمیقِ کیفیتِ تعامل اجتماعی با گروه‎‌های زنانه، معنابخشی به زندگی و احساس خودشکوفایی، انجام فعالیت‎‌های اقتصادی خیرخواهانه، اعتقاد به نمادهای مقدس و میمنت آنها (اثربخشی)، و احساس اجبار در مکان‌های عرفی بودند.

https://jas.ui.ac.ir/article_30218_8ad4dc04a30bcb0054485e79d7ae626c.pdf