Critically exploring the influence of cultural values on young Iranian consumer experiences with clothing longevity: a phenomenological approach

The clothing industry’s significant environmental impact—driven by overproduction and increasing consumer demand—has prompted interest in strategies for promoting sustainable consumption. Extending clothing longevity is one such strategy. While consumer behavior plays a central role in this process, research often overlooks the cultural values that shape such behaviour, particularly in non-Western contexts. This limits our understanding of how sustainability is practiced and experienced across different cultural settings. This thesis explores how cultural values are manifested and given meaning in the clothing longevity experiences of Iranian consumers. It examines whether such values influence longevity-related behaviours, what those values are, and how they are expressed in everyday consumption. To investigate these lived experiences, a hermeneutic phenomenological approach was adopted. This methodology enabled an in-depth exploration of the culturally embedded meanings consumers attach to clothing use, care, and disposal. The findings reveal two overarching cultural value systems—Restraint and Collectivism—manifested through several subthemes. These include temporal frameworks such as Sabr (patience) and Ayandenagari(future orientation); self-regulatory mechanisms like Muraqabah (self-observing vigilance) and Muhasabah (self-evaluation); spiritual and eudaimonic motivations including Tazkiyah (self-purification) and Muhajadah(self-striving); moral economies concerning waste—Israf (wastefulness), Tabdhir(squandering), Itidal(moderation), and Qanā‘ah (contentment); and aspects of Collectivism, encompassing family collectivism, social collectivism, and environmental stewardship. By highlighting how these cultural values are lived, negotiated, and sometimes challenged in the context of clothing use, this research offers a culturally grounded contribution to sustainable consumption discourse. It demonstrates how value systems rooted in restraint and collectivism can influence more sustainable practices. The findings provide insight into how cultural context matters in shaping clothing longevity, and underscore the importance of integrating cultural perspectives into sustainability research and policy.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Author dc:creator

• Alaei, Mohammadhadi

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dermody, Janine
• Occhiocupo, Nicoletta

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/kfqm-mp32

OAI identifier oai:identifier

tle:c478d9f5-6736-4cd1-b7e5-88ac7c9736d5:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1