The Influence of Social Networking Technologies on Female Religious Veil-Wearing Behavior in Iran

Abstract

Social networking technologies can influence attitudes, behaviors, and social norms. Research on this topic has been conducted primarily among early adopters of technology and within the United States. However, it is important to evaluate how social media might affect people's behaviors in international settings, especially among countries with longstanding, government recommended, cultural and religious traditions and behaviors, such as Iran. This study seeks to assess whether Iranian women who have been using social networking technologies for a longer time (compared to those who have recently joined) would be less likely to cover themselves with a veil and be more comfortable publicly displaying pictures of this behavior on Facebook. Iranian females (N = 253) were selected through snowball sampling from nongovernmental organizations in November 2011 and asked to complete a survey assessing their use of Facebook, concerns about not wearing a veil in Facebook pictures, and their actual likelihood of wearing a veil. Items were combined to measure lack of interest in wearing a veil. Length of time as a Facebook user was significantly associated with not wearing a veil (b = 0.16, p < 0.01), controlling for age, education, and frequency of using Facebook. Results also revealed a significant relationship such that older people were more likely to adhere to the religious behavior of wearing a veil (b = -0.45, p < 0.01). Social networking technologies can affect attitudes and behaviors internationally. We discuss methods of using social media for self-presentation and expression, as well as the difficulties (and importance) of studying use of technologies, such as social media, internationally.

Values of College Students in Iran and the United States Who Admire Celebrities

“…Perhaps, part of the reason for the lack of significance stemmed from the fact that these Iranians were part of a youthful generation that is becoming more “Westernized” (Abdollahyan, 2004; Azadarmaki, 2003; Moidfar, 2003). As described earlier, younger Iranian women and those more connected on social media were less likely to adhere to the tradition of wearing a veil (Young et al., 2014). Nevertheless, they were still more likely to choose religious figures as favorite celebrities than their American counterparts.…”

“…On the other hand, Iran is in transition from an older, more religious, and conservative society to a younger one that is decidedly less religious and less conservative (Abdollahyan, 2004; Moidfar, 2003). For example, a recent study among Iranian women found that younger women and women who spend more time on social media were less interested in wearing a veil (Young, Shakiba, Kvok, & Montazeri, 2014). Because the present sample of Iranians is youthful, it is unclear how they will score collectively on some of the measures used in this study.…”

To be Myself and have My Stealthy Freedom: The Iranian Women’s Engagement with Social Media

“…According to research by Sean et al (2014), social media affects people's behaviors in global settings like Iran that follow government-recommended cultural and religious traditions and behaviors (Sean et al 2014). The offline, local reality has yet to fully reflect the online social movements.…”

Da'wa Activities of Veiled Women (Niqab) on Instagram

“…Rapidly, technological developments are the more sophisticated it has given birth to several innovations, one of which is the existence of social media that can connect people to one another (Young, Shakiba, Kwok, & Montazeri, 2014). Social media is currently very widely used not only as a medium of communication but also as a medium for da'wa (Zulhazmi & Hastuti, 2018).…”