مجله مطالعات اجتماعی ایران

چکیده Background and aim: Despite advances in HIV prevention and treatment, stigma and discrimination against People Living with HIV (PLHIV) remain pervasive within healthcare settings, particularly in dental care. This study explored the multilayered processes of exclusion and concealment experienced by PLHIV in dental services, with a particular focus on the discrepancy between dentists' professional knowledge and clinical practice and the lived experiences of patients in Mashhad, Iran. Data and method: A qualitative field study was conducted using two complementary components. First, participant observation was employed to examine the clinical practices of 55 dentists across three socioeconomic districts of Mashhad under real-world conditions, with the researcher presenting as a person living with HIV. Second, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight PLHIV recruited through a Behavioral Diseases Counseling Center. Observational and interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: Of the 55 dentists observed, 38 demonstrated exclusionary practices by refusing treatment or referring patients elsewhere. Exclusion was most prevalent in the high socioeconomic district and least common in the low socioeconomic district. Referral to designated treatment centers emerged as the dominant exclusionary practice, often resulting in prolonged treatment-seeking pathways. Interview findings indicated that fear of stigma, shame, anger, and hopelessness shaped patients' experiences following HIV diagnosis. Concealment of HIV status functioned as a strategy for balancing the need for treatment against anticipated discrimination. While supportive institutional environments enhanced quality of life and social participation, discriminatory experiences within healthcare, family, educational, and occupational settings reinforced concealment and internalized stigma. Conclusion: The exclusion of PLHIV from dental care reflects not technical limitations but the social construction of HIV, a persistent knowledge–practice gap among dental professionals, and deficiencies in health policy and regulatory oversight. Strengthening regulatory mechanisms, implementing simulation-based practical training for healthcare providers, and reinforcing anti-discrimination policies are essential to reducing institutional stigma and improving equitable access to dental care.

چکیده Background and aim: The experience of breast cancer is not merely a biomedical event; rather, it constitutes a profound disruption in women’s embodied and social lifeworlds. Breast cancer removes the body from its taken-for-granted status in everyday life, transforming it into a focal site of awareness, interpretation, and meaning-making. This study aims to understand how the social construction of the transformed body unfolds following breast cancer. Data and method: The study employed a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 women diagnosed with breast cancer. Concepts were developed through analysis of the interview data and researchers’ memos, while taking into account the broader social discourses through which the body is constructed and understood. Findings: The central theoretical concept in this study is Social Power of the Body. Following the emergence of bodily changes, the Collapse of the Social Power of the Normative Body occurs. This collapse can be identified at the subjective level, in social interactions, and in women’s relationships with their bodies. In response, however, every loss of power is accompanied by a process of Reclaiming Bodily Power. The soft reclamation of power takes the form of Agentic Adaptation. Some women, however, adopt a more critical approach, in which The Body as an Arena for Recreating Subjectivity refers to women’s ongoing efforts to refuse a particular mode of being with illness, encompassing a new meaning-making of the body and Redefining Femininity. Conclusion: Drawing on the constructivist logic of grounded theory, this study demonstrates that the body after breast cancer is not a fixed object, but rather a social reality in the process of becoming, whose meaning is constituted through the connection between women’s lived experiences and the social discourse of the body. By foregrounding women’s voices and narratives, the present study contributes to the enrichment of social studies of cancer and provides new theoretical perspectives for understanding the body and femininity under conditions of chronic illnes

چکیده Background and aim: This study analyzed Instagram content from older adult bloggers, focusing on social interaction and cognitive activity. The primary objective was to examine how cyberspace represents the lifestyles of older adults and its role in promoting active aging and social participation.
Data and method: Using a qualitative approach, thematic analysis was conducted based on the Braun and Clarke model. The sample consisted of 12 purposively selected Instagram pages belonging to adults over 60. The 20 most recent posts from each page—including captions, hashtags, and images—were coded. Engagement metrics (likes and comments) were recorded but excluded from evaluating cognitive efficacy.
Findings: The findings revealed themes such as continuity of mental activity, learning and applying digital skills, maintaining social connections, sharing experiences, reminiscing, goal-setting and motivation, active participation in content creation, vitality and stress reduction, and attention to nutrition and self-care. These components were primarily related to the experiences and activities of the content-creating older adults themselves, representing an active lifestyle and mental engagement during old age.
Conclusion: Blogging by older adults on Instagram can provide a platform for representing cognitive activity, maintaining social interactions, facilitating digital learning, and fostering active participation in the digital space. While this content may hold communicative and educational potential for older audiences, the present study did not directly evaluate its effectiveness on cognitive performance or the prevention of cognitive impairments in viewers. Overall, these results confirm the capacity of social networks to support active aging and social participation.