Social Problems of Iran

Living on the Edge of Suspension: A Phenomenological Study of Street and Working Children in Yasouj City

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mostafa Amini 1
Siroos Ahmadi 2

1 PhD Student in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

2 Professor of Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

10.22034/jspi.2026.8328
Abstract
Millions of children worldwide engage in street labor instead of attending school, with a significant number involved in hazardous occupations. This complexity highlights the importance of understanding children’s lived experiences within specific social contexts. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of working children in the socio-cultural setting of Yasouj, to gain insight into their inner worlds and challenges. The study utilized a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method. Ten working children were selected as participants through purposive sampling. Data were collected through via in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s technique. Analysis revealed five core themes: 1) Autonomy and competence: the struggle to achieve independence and protect oneself from humiliation. 2) Occupational vulnerability and hardship: enduring physical risks, traffic accidents, and street violence. 3) Social stigma and public hostility: facing cultural exclusion, labeling, and dehumanizing perceptions. 4) Dialectic of work and family: taking on breadwinner or caregiver responsibilities due to poverty, illness, or unstable parental structures. 5) Aspirations and hope for advancement: using material and educational dreams as coping mechanisms for resilience and finding meaning in everyday struggles. The fundamental structure of these children’s lived experiences reflects a state of marginal suspension, where they are caught between family obligations and the desire for autonomy. These children simultaneously are both victims and agents; as structural constraints push them into street while they actively strive to maintain their dignity through street smartness and hope for a better future.

Keywords

Working children
lived experience
autonomy
Resilience
Social exclusion
Suspension
-        Agyemang, E. K., Forkuor, J. B., & Obeng, B. (2020). Street begging practices. Journal of Social Development in Africa, 35(2), 60-90.
-        Ahad, M. D., Parry, Y. K., Willis, E., & Ullah, S. (2025). Child maltreatment and psycho-social impairments among child laborers in rural Bangladesh. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 60(3), 763-770.
-        Ahmadi, S., Mokhtari, M., & Jamnejad, S. (2024). Sociological study of loneliness among the elderly in Shiraz: A grounded theory. Social Problems of Iran, 15(3), 9-48. (in Persian)
-        Ahmady, K. (2023). Contexts and consequences of littering: A study on children's littering in the geographical environment of Tehran and its suburbs. Geography and Regional Planning, 13(50), 69-88. (in Persian)
-        Aliyu, A. A., & Kayode, O. J. (2024). The phenomenology of street children: A study of survival strategies in northern Nigeria. Journal of Developing Societies, 40(1), 112-134.
-        Aliyu, M. K., & Kayode, J. T. (2024). Street begging among school age children and social protection policy in southwestern, Nigeria. Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 12, 1-32.
-        Ameri Siahoei, F. (2024). Citizenship rights of working children in international documents and Iranian law. The Encyclopedia of Comparative Jurisprudence and Law, 2(1), 105-122. (in Persian)
-        Aptekar, L., & Stoecklin, D. (2014). Street children and homeless youth: A cross-cultural perspective. Springer.
-        Arshi, M., Sabzi Khoshnami, M., Mohammadi, E., Takaffoli, M., & Imani, F. (2020). Evaluating effectiveness of street children managing plan of Iran. Social Studies and Research in Iran, 9(4), 827-854. (in Persian)
-        Asadpour, A., Rayanpour, R., & Asalemnejad Gilevaei, M. (2024). Exploring the experience of street-working children in Tehran during the pandemic. Iran Journal of Health Education & Health Promotion, 12(3), 286-306. (in Persian)
-        Azimzadeh Ardebili, F. (2003). The phenomenon of street children and solutions to deal with it. Nedaye Sadeq, (31).
-        Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.
-        Bekik, M. E. (2024). Child labour and the effectiveness of the ILO's program ending child labour by 2025. Sosyolojik Düşün, 9(3), 298-325.
-        Catch, T., & Chikoko, W. (2023). Begging as a livelihood strategy: A case of street children of the Harare central business district in Zimbabwe. Ngenani, 2(1&2), 9-35.
-        Ghassemzadeh, F. (2003). Tehran street children. Social Welfare, 2(7), 249-266. (in Persian)
-        Goyal, A. (2025). Children at work: A global analysis of child labor trends and regional realities. International Journal of Economics and Management Studies, 12(6), 39-46.
-        Habibpour Gatabi, K., & Ataollahi, N. (2023). Aging and the reproduction of exclusion: A study of the experience of the elderly in Karaj city from exclusion in family relationships. Journal of Iranian Social Studies, 16(4), 27-53. (in Persian)
-        Hamshahri Online. (2024, June 12). How many million child laborers are there in Iran? (News Code: 859370). [https://www.hamshahrionline.ir](https://www.hamshahrionline.ir) (in Persian)
-        Heydari, M. R., Akbari, H., Amirpour, M., & Majdi, A. A. (2025). The collapse of childhood life: A grounded study on the formation of child labor. Sociology of Social Institutions, 12(25), 37-78(in Persian).
-        Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of delinquency. University of California Press.
-        Imani, N., & Nersisians, E. (2011). An anthropological study of the phenomenon of street child labor in the city of Karaj. Social Issues of Iran, 3(1), 7-32. (in Persian)
-        Imoudu, T. (2024). Rethinking urban poverty: The educational and psychological dimensions of begging in Pekanbaru. EDUCATIONE: Journal of Education Research and Review.
-        Jangholi, M. (2003). The situation of street children and adolescents in Tehran. In Proceedings of the first national conference on social pathology in Iran (Vol. 5). Tehran: Agah Publications. (in Persian)
-        Khatun, A., Rahman, M. M., & Akter, T. (2023). Mental health vulnerabilities of street children in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A qualitative inquiry. Children and Youth Services Review, 145, Article 106789.
-        Lewis, O. (1966). The culture of poverty. Scientific American, 215(4), 19-25.
-        Maleki, G. (2007). Street children and adolescents. Tehran: Eyeezh Publications. (in Persian)
-        Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227-238.
-        Moran, R., & Moura Castro, C. de. (1997). Street children and the Inter-American Development Bank: Lessons from Brazil. Inter-American Development Bank.
-        National Commission for Women. (2024). From stolen lives to freedom: The fight against human trafficking. Government of India.
-        National drive to curb street begging by Almajiri in contemporary northern Nigeria. (2020). Quest Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 13, 189-195.
-        Nevile, A. (2007). Amartya K. Sen and social exclusion. Development in Practice, 17(2), 249-255.
-        Ounagh, N., Ghorbani, A., & Sorzahi, M. (2023). Analysis of social factors affecting the phenomenon of working children in Mehrestan city. Journal of Applied Sociology, 34(3), 65-88. (in Persian)
-        Pirkhandan, P., Parvin, S., & Siahpour, F. (2021). Typology of child labour and work-related injuries to working children in Tehran. Journal of Social Work Research, 8(28), 115-158. (in Persian)
-        Piroozian, M., Dabbaghi, H., & Torkaman, F. (2023). Strangers before the eyes of acquaintances (A sociological study of child labor). Research on Deviance and Social, 9, 161–192. (in Persian)
-        Pourmohammad Golzari Nobar, M., Arfaenia, B., Afshari, M., & Taghizadeh Ansari, M. (2023). Iran's challenges on the rights of child labor according to the international law. International Legal Research Journal, 16(59), 247–275. (in Persian)
-        Rezazadeh, M. (2022). Empty hands and solitude: A grounded theory study of begging in Mashhad. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 14(2), 55-65.
-        Talei, F., Ahmadi Bab Anari, S., & Nabizadeh, S. L. (2015). An analysis of child labor and its impact on the child's right to education with emphasis on the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor . (in Persian)
-        Teluzad, M. (2008, July 11). Pathology of street children. Arena Social Magazine. [https://www.nasour.net/1387.04.21/237.html](https://www.nasour.net/1387.04.21/237.html) (in Persian)
-        UNICEF. (2002). Assessment of the situation of street children in Tehran. Tehran: UNICEF Iran Office. (in Persian)
-        UNICEF. (2025). Child labor. [https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/child-labour](https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/child-labour).
-        Vameghi, M., Dejman, M., Rafiey, H., & Roshanfekr, P. (2015). Rapid assessment of Tehran's street children situation, 1393: Factors and risks of children's street working. Social Studies and Research in Iran, 4(1), 33-57. (in Persian)
-        Vameghi, M., Rafiei, H., Sajadi, H., & Rashidian, A. (2011). Relevant family factors and consequences of streetization of children. Social Problems of Iran, 2(1), 135-166. (in Persian)
-        Vameghi, M., Roshanfekr, P., Dejman, M., Rafie, H., & Forouzan, A. (2015). An assessment of street children and their working characteristics in Tehran. Journal of Social Problems of Iran, 6(2), 391-416(in Persian).
-        Walker, A., & Walker, C. (Eds.). (1997). Britain divided: The growth of social exclusion in the 1980s and 1990s. Child Poverty Action Group.
-        World Health Organization. (2006). Working with street children: A training package on substance use, sexual and reproductive health including HIV/AIDS. Geneva: World Health Organization. (in Persian)

  • Receive Date 05 March 2027
  • Revise Date 29 April 2026
  • Accept Date 03 May 2026
  • First Publish Date 08 June 2026