Analyzing the Influential Processes of Cultural Identity Transformation among University Students in Virtual Social Networks: A Grounded Theory Approach

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the processes influencing cultural identity transformation among university students within the context of virtual social networks, using the grounded theory approach. The study is qualitative in nature and based on grounded theory methodology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 50 students from Shiraz University. The analysis was conducted through open, axial, and selective coding. The theoretical framework integrates perspectives from Hall's cultural representation, Castells' network society, Bourdieu's field and cultural capital theory, and Blumer’s symbolic interactionism. The analysis yielded over 500 initial codes and 36 subcategories. The core category identified was the “dominant culture of virtual social networks.” This culture interacts with causal conditions (e.g., digital celebrity modeling, media illiteracy), contextual conditions (e.g., generational gap, weak cultural institutions), intervening factors (e.g., family supervision, peer influence), strategic behaviors (e.g., identity masking, adopting alternative digital identities), and outcomes such as disconnection from native identity and decreased social cohesion. A significant finding was the emergence of "hybrid identity" among students trying to reconcile traditional and modern cultural values. The results indicate that virtual social networks function not only as communication tools but also as cultural arenas that actively shape and transform students’ cultural identities. This transformation is systemic, ongoing, and structurally embedded. Cultural policymakers, families, and academic institutions need to proactively enhance media literacy and support youth in navigating identity reconstruction in the digital realm.