مطالعه کیفی دینداری به مثابه میدان چانه زنی ارزشی؛ تحلیل تجربه زیستۀ دانشجویان دختر براساس نظریه ارزشهای شوارتز (مورد مطالعه دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد اصفهان)

Extended Abstract
 
Introduction and Objectives: In the contemporary world, the younger generation—particularly university students—find themselves at a complex crossroads between religious traditions and modern values, which significantly influence their religiosity. This generation, within today’s social and cultural context, strives to establish a balance between prevailing traditional values and emerging individual and collective aspirations. The internal dialectic among youth between commitment to religiosity and acceptance of modern lifestyles paints a multilayered and complex picture of their religious identity and its relationship with life choices. Examining this issue is of great importance, as a precise understanding of how religiosity intersects with a generation’s lifestyle can assist cultural, educational, and social planners in developing policies congruent with the realities of youth.
The present study, utilizing Schwartz’s theoretical framework of basic values—one of the most reputable constructs in value studies—seeks to deeply analyze the relationship between the experience of religiosity and the lifestyle choices of university students in a selected sample. The main objective is to identify fundamental themes and mechanisms through which the younger generation navigates the field of value tensions, as well as to provide a cognitive map of generational fault lines and their coping strategies. Specifically, this study investigates how religious values and social norms coexist and align with individual orientations or lead to conflict, and how this conflict is reflected in behaviors and life choices. Moreover, the research aims to demonstrate that religiosity for the young generation has become an active project for adapting and integrating different value systems, rather than merely an imposed or traditionally restrictive matter.
Methods: This research was conducted as a qualitative study using thematic analysis, a well-established method in humanities and social sciences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, with 12 key questions designed to examine the experience of religiosity and the impact of values on life choices. Over 200 undergraduate female students from Islamic Azad University, Isfahan Branch, participated in this research, and their responses were meticulously recorded and categorized. Data were analyzed using inductive coding, meaning concepts and categories were derived from the data without prior assumptions or hypotheses. Data processing included careful reading of interview transcripts, extraction of initial codes, development of themes, and final organization according to Schwartz’s theoretical framework, which encompasses ten value dimensions each representing a set of beliefs and motivations. This approach allowed for a systematic uncovering of relationships between values, religiosity, and lifestyle. To maintain validity, multiple measures were employed, including data triangulation, peer review, and ensuring accuracy and reliability of analyses. The combination of a substantial number of participants and rigorous qualitative methodology enabled the study to provide a realistic and reliable depiction of the current situation.
Results: The analysis of collected data revealed seven pervasive themes regarding the relationship between the experience of religiosity and lifestyle choices. First, self-transcendence was identified as the main foundational axis of students’ religiosity; they experienced religiosity as a moral and spiritual role related to personal excellence and character development. Second, part of their spirituality had an affective nature, emphasizing feelings of closeness and heartfelt commitment to religion. Third, tradition preservation was a significant theme, encompassing adherence to religious-social values expected by society. Nonetheless, these values conflicted with the fourth theme, practical negotiation—a strategy whereby students try to reconcile traditional values with personal and modern desires. Practical negotiation is essentially a process in which youth attempt to balance through personal flexibility and creativity. Fifth, openness to change emerged as a desire for innovation, independence, and personal advancement, which stood in opposition to tradition preservation. Sixth, self-expansion indicated aspirations for personal growth, realization of ambitions, and social development. Seventh, resistance to social control represented a desire to maintain independence from external pressures concerning domains such as religiosity.
These findings demonstrate that students exist in a tension between adherence to religious teachings and traditional values on one side, and modern values emphasizing independence and flexibility on the other. The dominant strategy among this generation is the integration of these conflicting systems through intelligent negotiation, enabling them to preserve their religious identity while simultaneously reducing its constraints. Additionally, viewing religiosity as a dynamic project—wherein ethical and spiritual values replace superficial and imposed forms of tradition—is recognized as a key outcome of this research.
Discussion and Conclusion: The present analyses indicate that the religiosity of young university students forms in a space of interaction and conflict among diverse values, primarily based on the dual opposition of tradition preservation and openness to change. This finding provides a deeper and more coherent interpretation of the common notion of the religion-modernity dichotomy, showing that the conflict is not merely between “religion” and “worldliness” but rather within competing value systems themselves. According to the results, youth employ an effective and active strategy of integration and negotiation to cope with these structural tensions, reflecting dynamism in their religious identity. Religiosity for them is not merely a rigid and limiting tradition but a meaningful and ethical project aimed at self-transcendence.
The approach whereby individuals seek to balance respect for religious norms with the desire for personal independence establishes a significant distinction that may serve as a guide for cultural and religious policies. From a policymaking perspective, the results emphasize that programs promoting religiosity should lean toward enhancing ethically-based and spirituality-oriented religiosity that better aligns with the tastes of youth and provides a constructive space for questioning and intergenerational dialogue. Such approaches can prevent superficial, hypocritical, or confrontational religiosity and deepen the authenticity of faith. Furthermore, identifying fault lines and sensitive tension points—such as veiling, gender relations, and lifestyle choices—is essential, as coercive and mandatory policies may yield adverse outcomes. Instead, redefining religious discourse in terms of rationality, ethics, and flexibility is necessary to nurture a generation with informed and balanced religiosity. Ultimately, the research acts as a mirror reflecting a real, complex, and honest image of the inner world of young people, demonstrating that the path to adapting religiosity in youth is an active one involving “negotiation” and “integration,” rather than mere submission or confrontation.