Journal of Educational Sciences

Foundation's Data analysis of the Digitization of Students' Lifestyles: A Study on the Multi-spatialization of the Life World of Female Students in Ahvaz

https://doi.org/10.22055/edus.2025.48223.3672
Volume 32, Issue 1
May 2025
Pages 245-264
Journal of Educational Sciences

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

maryam ghelichi 1
abdolreza navah 2
masoumeh bagheri 3
Sajad Bahmani 4

1 Department of Sociology, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Ahvaz. Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Ahvaz. Iran

4 Assistant Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract
Introduction
The purpose of the current research is to understand the digital lifestyle of female students in Ahvaz city and the role of new technologies—especially the Internet and virtual social networks—in the digitalization of lifestyle. New technologies have penetrated all social, organizational, and individual spaces in human societies and have affected people's daily life, work, and knowledge.
 
Method
The method used in this research is the "Grounded theory," which is one of the qualitative research methods. Sampling was purposeful-theoretical, and data were collected through in-depth interviews with 35 students and relevant key informants. For data analysis, five methods of open coding and diagnosis. Concepts, development of concepts in line with dimensions and characteristics, data analysis for the context, entering the process into the analysis and integration of categories were used.
 
Results
After coding, 10 main categories and 28 sub-categories emerged from the data, and each of these main categories was thoroughly analyzed based on the interview texts. . The emerging paradigm includes three dimensions: conditions, action-interaction, and consequences. In terms of conditions, key themes include communication as a central aspect of daily life and sharing; online trust and connection; institutional chaos in the protection of users' privacy; personality-oriented components; and, within the dimension of action-interaction, the international platforms of identity development, the body as an arena for displaying the power of signals, and virtual-oriented communication. In the consequences dimension, challenges such as privacy protection in digital life, digital resocialization, and the digitalization of everyday experiences have emerged. After coding, these themes were organized into 10 major categories. During the selective coding stage, the core category identified was "multi-spatial," which refers to the globalization of students and is considered the central category of this research.

Keywords

digitization
student lifestyle
new technologies
virtual space
grand theory
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