Abstract

This study aims to examine the process of transition to collective action among female protesters in Yazd and to explore the semantic and structural mechanisms underlying the emergence of women’s protest movements within a religious and traditional context. The theoretical sensitivity of the research is informed by the integration of several sociological perspectives, including resource mobilization theory, collective identity theory, theories of emotions, and political opportunity structures. To achieve a context-specific understanding, the qualitative method of grounded theory, based on the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin, was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 26 female protesters from Yazd and analyzed using the three stages of coding (open, axial, and selective). The analysis yielded over 800 initial codes, 36 preliminary concepts, 9 subcategories, and ultimately 5 core categories, organized under the central category of “Pathway to Change: The Process of Transition to Collective Action”. According to the developed paradigm model, feelings of marginalization, idealism, historical experiences, and a pursuit of justice were identified as causal conditions, while the social context, gendered pressures, and institutional constraints served as contextual conditions. Intervening factors such as family support, security-related fears, and gender solidarity influenced women’s strategies for participation and symbolic action. The findings indicate that the process of collective action among female protesters in Yazd is the product of a multilayered interaction among individual, structural, emotional, and network factors, leading to the formation of a new collective identity and generating a wave of gendered and cultural participation.