Journal of Women Interdisciplinary Researches

Abstract The Quranic perspective on women’s identity symbols, in both their internal and external dimensions, aligns their performance and behavior with values, respect, dignity, and protection within the faithful community. These symbols not only have a deep connection with Islamic culture and teachings but also manifest the religious values and beliefs, as well as the dignity and status of Muslim women. The present study aims to answer the question: Based on Quranic foundations, what symbols encompass the external identity of women in the faithful community? A descriptive-analytical examination of this issue indicates that the symbolic behavior of women, rooted in their innate nature and inner self, is particularly emphasized through actionable symbols, especially for Muslim women. The expression of human external behaviors is the result of their inner inclinations, and every inner inclination stems from rational and practical insight. Cultivating and refining these inner characteristics, in alignment with the specific roles of women in the human social system, leads to the emergence and manifestation of virtuous traits in them. Due to their unique creation, these manifestations are more prominent in women than in men. The significant function of Quranic symbolism in presenting and elucidating the external identity of Muslim women lies in conveying meaning and fostering a sense of identity through symbols such as chastity, modesty, compassion, and devotion. Faithful women, by embodying the symbols of their external identity within the faithful community, can effectively be introduced as role models for all of humanity.

Abstract Spirituality and religious beliefs are among the most important factors that can protect individuals against various physical and psychological problems. Therefore, considering the significance of this issue, the present study aimed to examine the spiritual and religious factors that influence the reduction of illness anxiety disorder symptoms in Iranian women.This research was qualitative in nature and employed the latent content analysis method. The study population included seven mental health specialists and seven Iranian women, who were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using a semi-structured format until theoretical saturation was achieved.Analysis of the findings led to the identification of five main categories: having hope and motivation, inner belief and faith in God, adherence to religious principles, serenity and tolerance, and having meaning in life.The results indicate that spiritual and religious components can be effectively utilized to reduce psychological problems such as somatic symptom disorders, particularly illness anxiety disorder, among women.

Abstract The present study aimed to examine the impact of family cultural capital on daughters’ marital quality, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of communication skills. The research problem was formulated in light of the increasing marital challenges in contemporary Iranian society and the pivotal role of the family institution in enhancing marital quality. This study employed a descriptive–analytical design using a survey method. The statistical population consisted of married women aged 20 to 35 in Tehran who had been married for at least one year. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires measuring cultural capital (based on Bourdieu’s theory), communication skills, and marital quality (researcher-made questionnaire). Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).The findings indicated that family cultural capital has a direct and significant effect on daughters’ marital quality. Furthermore, communication skills play a substantial mediating role in strengthening this relationship. The results suggest that daughters raised in families with higher levels of cultural capital demonstrate stronger communication skills, which in turn enhance marital interactions and improve marital quality.By emphasizing the mediating function of communication skills, this study clarifies the causal pathways between variables and offers important implications for family policy-making and premarital education programs.

Abstract The present study aimed to examine the impact of studying at coeducational universities on factors related to successful marriage among female students. This research was quantitative in nature and employed a descriptive–survey methodology. The statistical population consisted of female students of Islamic Azad University in Eqlid County, from whom 100 participants were selected through convenience sampling. The data collection tool was a 24-item Marriage Interest Questionnaire, designed based on a five-point Likert scale, measuring four main components: feedback on marriage, readiness and willingness to marry, attitudes toward marriage outcomes, and marriage barriers. The internal consistency of the questionnaire, assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, was 0.89, indicating satisfactory reliability and validity. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests in SPSS software. Results showed a significant difference in the mean scores of the components of feedback on marriage, attitudes toward marriage outcomes, and marriage barriers among students in the coeducational environment (p < 0.05), whereas the readiness and willingness to marry component did not reach a significant level. The findings suggest that studying at a coeducational university can enhance female students’ awareness and attitudes toward marriage; however, converting positive attitudes into practical readiness for marriage requires targeted educational, cultural, and supportive interventions. Accordingly, designing skill-development programs, pre-marital counseling, and institutional support can play an effective role in facilitating informed and successful marriages among students.

Abstract The social transformations of the 2010s, and particularly the events of 2022, demonstrated that women have become one of the most significant focal points of perceptual and media confrontation against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nevertheless, prevailing analyses often either reduce women to emotional and reactive actors or frame them within the narratives of foreign media as drivers of social rupture. Employing a descriptive–analytical method and relying on documented data, the present study seeks to reveal the actual role of women in the perceptual and normative dynamics of Iranian society through a three-level theoretical framework encompassing post-crisis institutional damages, patterns of women’s agency during periods of crisis, and mechanisms of social order reconstruction in the post-crisis phase. The findings indicate that cognitive operations targeting women through the salience of issues such as dress, dignity, social vitality, maternal roles, and civic participation aim to undermine perceptual cohesion and generate identity fragmentation. However, women’s soft capacities within the family sphere, women-centered social institutions, and local networks have largely neutralized these operations and facilitated the restoration of perceptual and normative fractures. The analysis further shows that by strengthening emotional authorities, redefining the boundary between legitimate protest and disorder, stabilizing the national narrative, and reproducing social capital, women have emerged as key actors in guiding society from perceptual instability toward social organization. Accordingly, the study concludes that understanding the role of women in contemporary Iran must move beyond emotionalized analyses and be rearticulated within the frameworks of “post-crisis order-building” and “collective perception management” a shift that renders the empowerment of women within governance and social institutions a strategic necessity for social security and national stability.

Abstract Academic stress, as one of the main factors affecting students’ mental health, can influence their choice of coping strategies. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between academic stress and problem-focused coping strategies with the mediating role of dysfunctional attitudes among students of Fatemieh (S) Institute of Higher Education in Shiraz. This research employed a descriptive-correlational design and was fundamental in purpose. The statistical population consisted of 350 female master’s students, of whom 175 were selected through convenience sampling based on Morgan’s table. The research instruments included the Academic Stress Questionnaire (Zajacova et al., 2005), the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (Weissman & Beck, 1978), and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations – short form (Endler & Parker, 1990; CISS-21). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software through path analysis. The results indicated a positive and significant relationship between academic stress and problem-focused coping (β = 0.681, p < 0.001). Moreover, academic stress had a direct and significant effect on dysfunctional attitudes (β = 0.692, p < 0.001); however, the effect of dysfunctional attitudes on problem-focused coping was not significant (β = 0.049, p = 0.516). Therefore, the mediating role of dysfunctional attitudes in this relationship was rejected. The findings suggest that academic stress directly increases the use of problem-focused coping strategies. These results emphasize the need to focus on direct interventions for managing academic stress. It is recommended that educational programs be implemented in universities to strengthen students’ problem-focused coping strategies.

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between body shame and problematic use of social networking sites, considering the mediating role of perfectionism, among female applicants for cosmetic surgery in Shiraz in the year 2025. This study employed a descriptive-survey design based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of all female applicants for cosmetic surgery who visited beauty clinics in Shiraz during 2025. Out of this population, a total of 257 participants were selected using a non-random purposive sampling method and completed the Body Shame Scale (Littleton), the Perfectionism Scale (Hill), and the Social Networking Addiction Questionnaire (Khaje Ahmadi) through both paper-based forms and online surveys. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics, with Pearson’s correlation coefficient employed to examine the relationships between variables, and SPSS 27 and AMOS 26 software used for final analysis. The findings indicated that body image shame positively and significantly predicted problematic social networking use (B = 0.202). Furthermore, perfectionism had a significant positive relationship with problematic use of social networking sites and predicted it to some extent (B = 0.097). In addition, body image shame had a positive and significant relationship with perfectionism, predicting it with a coefficient of (B = 0.091). The path analysis results supported the main hypothesis of the study, indicating that perfectionism plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between body shame and problematic social networking site use. Accordingly, individuals who are dissatisfied with their body image or experience body shame are more likely to engage in excessive and harmful use of social networking platforms, and individuals with perfectionistic tendencies are also more likely to develop problematic social networking behaviors. Therefore, perfectionism can act as an intermediate factor that amplifies the impact of body shame on problematic social media use and intensifies individuals’ negative perceptions of their bodies, ultimately leading to excessive and unproductive engagement with social media. Based on these findings, the main research hypothesis was confirmed.

Abstract Surrealist literature, as one of the influential movements of the twentieth century, represents an endeavor to penetrate the layers of the unconscious and reveal the hidden logic of the human mind. By merging dream and reality, this school blurs the boundary between the mind and the external world, creating a space where lived experience, imagination, and memory intermingle. In such a context, the concept of space transcends its physical limits and transforms into a manifestation of psychology, gender, and human inner life. This approach provides, not only in literature but also in other arts including architecture, a framework for rethinking spatial experience. The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat, as a prominent example of surrealist literature in Iran, creates mysterious and mental spaces that enable the analysis of concepts such as time, perception, and gender. In this work, the representation of women plays a central role in shaping psychological and unconscious spaces and symbolically organizes the spatial structure of the narrative. This study, adopting an interdisciplinary approach and employing qualitative semiotic analysis, investigates the mental spaces and the representation of women in The Blind Owl and explores the reflection of its surrealist concepts in the language of architecture. Through the analysis of the text’s visual and symbolic layers, spatial patterns resulting from the fusion of reality and dream are extracted and translated into spatial design concepts. The findings indicate that the application of surrealist concepts in the design process can facilitate the creation of multi-layered, introspective, and experience-centered spaces in contemporary architecture—spaces that are not merely functional but reflect the human mind and psyche.