The Collapse of Childhood Life: A Grounded Study on the Formation of Child Labor

Authors

1 PhD student, Department of Social Sciences, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Quchan Branch, Quchan, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22080/ssi.2025.28243.2239

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the sociological factors contributing to the formation of child labor in Mashhad, focusing on both Iranian and Afghan children. Methods: Adopting a qualitative approach and grounded theory method, the study examines the experiences and perspectives of 10 experts and social activists in the field of child labor and nine working children. The sampling was conducted purposefully, and semi-structured interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was done using thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework. Results: The results indicate that the formation of child labor is influenced by three main categories of conditions: contextual conditions, including migration, marginalization, subcultures of marginalized communities, cultural beliefs, peer influence, social encouragement, and family instability; causal conditions, such as poverty, income generation through street work, the role of economic mafias, the economic utility of child labor for families, and weak family support; and intervening conditions, encompassing deficiencies in the support system, ineffective social policies, weak intervention programs, and inadequate public awareness. Within this framework, children are driven into labor due to family pressures and the allure of street life. The consequences of this phenomenon include school dropout, physical and psychological harm, and, in some cases, child addiction. Conclusion: The core category of the extracted paradigmatic model suggests that child labor can be explained within the framework of "child exploitation in a dysfunctional economic structure." These findings highlight that working children are not only victims of their families’ economic instability but also the product of structural weaknesses in the support system and ineffective social interventions. While the streets serve as a substitute for formal support, current policies have not only failed to curb this trend but, in some cases, have exacerbated it through inadequate intervention.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Sociology of Social Institutions
Volume 12, Issue 25
August 2025
Pages 37-78

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