The Lived Experience of Poverty in the Lifeworld of Afghan Women: A Phenomenological Study in Bamyan City

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd City.

2 Department sociology, faculty of social science, yazd university, yazd.iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

4 Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

Abstract

This qualitative study, employing an interpretive phenomenological approach, aims to uncover the structure of the lived experience of poverty among female-headed households in Bamyan City, Afghanistan. The theoretical framework is grounded in the concept of "lifeworld" and the subjective perceptions of Afghan women regarding poverty. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 Afghan women selected via purposive and snowball sampling. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis within a phenomenological framework. The findings reveal that the core of the poverty experience for these women is encapsulated in three interconnected main themes: "Livelihood Distress" (the daily struggle for survival), "Psychosocial Exhaustion" (erosion of self-esteem, shame, and social exclusion), and "Biosocial Pressure" (the destructive interplay of these factors). Together, these themes form a unified structure in which poverty is not merely an economic deficit but a pervasive, multilayered, and debilitating existential condition that undermines the individual and social identity of Afghan women, trapping them in a vicious cycle of material and psychological deprivation.

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Journal of Applied Sociology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 June 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 11 April 2026
  • Revise Date: 30 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 20 June 2026
  • Publish Date: 20 June 2026

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