The role of subcultures in creating new social issues (with an emphasis on the context of old and new neighborhoods in Tafresh): Qualitative analysis

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to examine the role of subcultures in the emergence and spread of social issues in the subcultures residing in the city of Tafresh. The research method is descriptive-analytical with a qualitative approach. The methodology of the research is ethnographic, focusing on the antagonism analysis of subcultures in two neighborhoods, old (Tarkhoran) and new (Shahrak Imam Khomeini) in the city of Tafresh, using sociological theory of social issues. The target population of the research includes residents of these two neighborhoods in Tafresh. The research sample was selected purposefully and according to theoretical saturation rule, including 10 individuals from the residents of Tarkhoran and Shahrak Imam Khomeini neighborhoods in Tafresh. The findings of the research indicate that among the themes, the role of subcultures in the emergence and spread of social issues in the two subcultures in old and new neighborhoods of Tafresh, the changes in the spiritual environment and urban space are significant. The concepts extracted from interviews were categorized into conceptual categories under the theme of cultural change, including individualism in social relationships (1A), social and cultural responsibilities (1B), and different cultural and religious styles and contexts (1C). From the perspective of the interviewees, another theme of the role of subcultures in the emergence and spread of social issues in the old and new subcultures in Tafresh is the material culture change. The concepts extracted from interviews were categorized into conceptual categories under the theme of material culture change, including changes in urban space and environment (2A), migration and demographic changes in the neighborhood (2B), and lifestyle (2C). The research findings indicate that these types of changes, especially at the neighborhood, alley, street, educational and cultural centers, and commercial centers, have been fundamental in recent years, leading to serious tensions in accepting these social changes and resulting in new social issues in old and new neighborhoods of Tafresh.