Document Type : Original Article
Researcher
Elnaz Aghaei, M.A. Student in Social Work, Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
Ministerial Ethics Committee
Self-immolation is one of the most severe forms of self-harm, observed at an alarming rate among women in certain communities. Beyond threatening lives, this phenomenon reflects deep social, cultural, familial, and psychological pressures. Factors such as forced marriage, domestic violence, gender discrimination, cultural restrictions, and feelings of helplessness are among its main underlying causes. Unlike quantitative studies that mostly focus on statistics and demographic variables, the present research adopts a qualitative approach to explore the lived experiences of female survivors in order to shed light on its social and psychological dimensions.
The main objective of this study is to identify the underlying factors and consequences of women’s self-immolation and to propose supportive strategies within the framework of social work. Empirical evidence indicates that self-immolation is a multidimensional phenomenon that must be understood in relation to social, cultural, psychological, and economic factors.
The conceptual framework of this research draws upon several theories: feminism, structural violence, learned helplessness, labeling theory, crisis theory, and symbolic interactionism. These perspectives allow self-immolation to be analyzed not merely as an individual act, but as a meaningful response shaped within oppressive social and cultural structures.
The study employs a qualitative, phenomenological approach. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with women aged 18 to 45 who survived self-immolation and for whom at least six months have passed since the incident. Purposeful sampling will be used, continuing until theoretical saturation is reached. Data will be analyzed through thematic analysis, with credibility enhanced by code review and the use of direct quotations from participants.