University of Isfahan Journal of Applied Sociology 2008-5745 37 4 2026 12 22 Reasons and Contexts for Keeping Pets in Shiraz: A Qualitative Study Reasons and Contexts for Keeping Pets in Shiraz: A Qualitative Study 103 128 30460 10.22108/jas.2026.147112.2718 FA Abolfazl Karimi M.A. student, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran Yaser Rastegar Associate professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran Hedayatallah Nikkhah Associate professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran Journal Article 2025 11 02 Introduction Pet ownership is a longstanding and widespread practice. Estimates indicate that more than half of the world's population shares their living space and home with one or more pets (GfK, 2016). Pets are often perceived as assets, impulsive purchases, or toys for children. In some cases, an animal is chosen to fulfill unmet needs of adults, even when it appears to be primarily a companion for children (Jalongo, 2023). However, more significant and intentional reasons for acquiring and keeping pets likely exist. On the other hand, the challenges and drawbacks associated with the growing prevalence of this phenomenon are also noteworthy. These include zoonotic diseases (illnesses transmissible between humans and animals), high maintenance costs, unresolved legal issues, control of home environmental hygiene, animal phobias, and other concerns. Furthermore, epidemiologists caution that new zoonotic diseases are emerging and spreading across geographic regions worldwide as a result of changing human lifestyles and increased interactions with animal environments (Damborg et al., 2016; Paghasian, 2005). Ethical issues related to pet ownership have also consistently been a subject of debate (Karimian Saygalani, 2023). In recent decades, the metropolis of Shiraz has witnessed profound structural changes in citizens' behavioral patterns marked by a shift toward a modern lifestyle (Iman & Marhamati, 2014; Soroush & Hosseini, 2013; Khojehnouri et al., 2013; Ganji et al., 2019). One of the most prominent aspects of this cultural transformation is the rapid proliferation of pet ownership across various social strata in the city. The significant increase in the number of veterinary clinics and pet shops, along with the visible presence of pet owners in the public and recreational spaces of Shiraz, indicates that pets have become a key element in redefining concepts of leisure, identity, and social status. However, this behavioral shift within the urban context of Shiraz carries a paradoxical and problematized character. Thus, the decision to keep a pet in Shiraz is not a simple act but a challenging choice situated at the boundary between social acceptance on one side and normative rejection on the other. This phenomenon exemplifies a profound cultural shift, in which animals have moved from the margins to the center of daily human life. Given the aforementioned aspects and considering the exploratory, dynamic, and multidimensional nature of this phenomenon, reliance on pre-existing models and quantitative methods cannot reveal the hidden layers of participants' lifeworld. Therefore, the present study aimed to enter the field of research in Shiraz without imposing presuppositions and extract the processes, reasons, and contexts underlying the inclination toward this emerging lifestyle from the lived experiences of citizens themselves. Materials & Methods A qualitative method based on the grounded theory approach was selected for this research since pet ownership had rarely been examined from a sociological perspective, leaving a notable gap in the research literature. The participants of this study were pet owners residing in Shiraz. Initial field studies revealed that approximately 66 pet service stores (pet shops) were active in Shiraz. After compiling a list of store names, a brief internet search of the city map of Shiraz clearly indicated that the highest concentration of pet shops and veterinary clinics was located in Districts 1 and 6 of the city. This study employed purposive and theoretical sampling methods with sample size determined based on data saturation. Data analysis was conducted following the systematic grounded theory model proposed by Strauss and Corbin (2011), which comprised 3 stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. To ensure research ethics, all participant names were recorded under pseudonyms and informed consent was obtained from each participant for audio recording and using their data for research purposes. Discussion of Results & Conclusion The abstraction of data regarding the contextual conditions of pet ownership yielded 3 categories: history of living with animals, economic hardship, economic barriers to childbearing, and avoidance of parental responsibilities. Furthermore, the causal conditions of pet ownership were categorized under the axial theme of "searching for affection and meaning in non-human connections". Two additional categories—"advisory acceptance" and "unexpected acceptance"—were grouped under the axial theme of "random or coercive acceptance", ultimately coalescing around the core category of "constructing a quasi-familial relationship with the pet". The results indicated that pet owners, when confronted with prohibitions and limitations, adopted 3 main strategies: justificatory, avoidance, and evasion. Finally, the consequences of this phenomenon were identified in 4 domains: living in the moment, filling voids of power and security, communicative consequences, and psychological consequences. These findings demonstrated that pet ownership should be analyzed as part of broader socio-cultural transformations in the lifestyle of Iranian society. In conclusion, the concept of "quasi-family construction" introduced in this study suggested that pet ownership must be examined within a deeper context—namely, cultural shift and the axiological and semiotic transformations of lifestyle and emerging family forms in Shiraz. Analyzing this phenomenon solely through individual intentions or a purely behaviorist lens would be reductionist. Introduction Pet ownership is a longstanding and widespread practice. Estimates indicate that more than half of the world's population shares their living space and home with one or more pets (GfK, 2016). Pets are often perceived as assets, impulsive purchases, or toys for children. In some cases, an animal is chosen to fulfill unmet needs of adults, even when it appears to be primarily a companion for children (Jalongo, 2023). However, more significant and intentional reasons for acquiring and keeping pets likely exist. On the other hand, the challenges and drawbacks associated with the growing prevalence of this phenomenon are also noteworthy. These include zoonotic diseases (illnesses transmissible between humans and animals), high maintenance costs, unresolved legal issues, control of home environmental hygiene, animal phobias, and other concerns. Furthermore, epidemiologists caution that new zoonotic diseases are emerging and spreading across geographic regions worldwide as a result of changing human lifestyles and increased interactions with animal environments (Damborg et al., 2016; Paghasian, 2005). Ethical issues related to pet ownership have also consistently been a subject of debate (Karimian Saygalani, 2023). In recent decades, the metropolis of Shiraz has witnessed profound structural changes in citizens' behavioral patterns marked by a shift toward a modern lifestyle (Iman & Marhamati, 2014; Soroush & Hosseini, 2013; Khojehnouri et al., 2013; Ganji et al., 2019). One of the most prominent aspects of this cultural transformation is the rapid proliferation of pet ownership across various social strata in the city. The significant increase in the number of veterinary clinics and pet shops, along with the visible presence of pet owners in the public and recreational spaces of Shiraz, indicates that pets have become a key element in redefining concepts of leisure, identity, and social status. However, this behavioral shift within the urban context of Shiraz carries a paradoxical and problematized character. Thus, the decision to keep a pet in Shiraz is not a simple act but a challenging choice situated at the boundary between social acceptance on one side and normative rejection on the other. This phenomenon exemplifies a profound cultural shift, in which animals have moved from the margins to the center of daily human life. Given the aforementioned aspects and considering the exploratory, dynamic, and multidimensional nature of this phenomenon, reliance on pre-existing models and quantitative methods cannot reveal the hidden layers of participants' lifeworld. Therefore, the present study aimed to enter the field of research in Shiraz without imposing presuppositions and extract the processes, reasons, and contexts underlying the inclination toward this emerging lifestyle from the lived experiences of citizens themselves. Materials & Methods A qualitative method based on the grounded theory approach was selected for this research since pet ownership had rarely been examined from a sociological perspective, leaving a notable gap in the research literature. The participants of this study were pet owners residing in Shiraz. Initial field studies revealed that approximately 66 pet service stores (pet shops) were active in Shiraz. After compiling a list of store names, a brief internet search of the city map of Shiraz clearly indicated that the highest concentration of pet shops and veterinary clinics was located in Districts 1 and 6 of the city. This study employed purposive and theoretical sampling methods with sample size determined based on data saturation. Data analysis was conducted following the systematic grounded theory model proposed by Strauss and Corbin (2011), which comprised 3 stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. To ensure research ethics, all participant names were recorded under pseudonyms and informed consent was obtained from each participant for audio recording and using their data for research purposes. Discussion of Results & Conclusion The abstraction of data regarding the contextual conditions of pet ownership yielded 3 categories: history of living with animals, economic hardship, economic barriers to childbearing, and avoidance of parental responsibilities. Furthermore, the causal conditions of pet ownership were categorized under the axial theme of "searching for affection and meaning in non-human connections". Two additional categories—"advisory acceptance" and "unexpected acceptance"—were grouped under the axial theme of "random or coercive acceptance", ultimately coalescing around the core category of "constructing a quasi-familial relationship with the pet". The results indicated that pet owners, when confronted with prohibitions and limitations, adopted 3 main strategies: justificatory, avoidance, and evasion. Finally, the consequences of this phenomenon were identified in 4 domains: living in the moment, filling voids of power and security, communicative consequences, and psychological consequences. These findings demonstrated that pet ownership should be analyzed as part of broader socio-cultural transformations in the lifestyle of Iranian society. In conclusion, the concept of "quasi-family construction" introduced in this study suggested that pet ownership must be examined within a deeper context—namely, cultural shift and the axiological and semiotic transformations of lifestyle and emerging family forms in Shiraz. Analyzing this phenomenon solely through individual intentions or a purely behaviorist lens would be reductionist.

https://jas.ui.ac.ir/article_30460_5bbffe5ef0b89685781429c0b565a009.pdf