From Economic Presence to Social Membership: A Qualitative Study of Unequal Integration among Internal Migrants in the Industrial City of Meybod

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Postdoctoral Researcher in Sociology, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Ira

2 Sociology Department, Social Sciences Faculty, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

Internal migration in industrial cities is not merely a movement of labor; rather, it is a social process that can reshape the boundaries of trust, belonging, and urban membership. This article aims to understand the mechanisms of unequal integration among internal migrants in the industrial city of Meybod. The conceptual framework is based on social integration, social membership, symbolic boundaries, and the roles of class, space, and local institutions. Using a qualitative approach, the study draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 29 participants, including internal migrants, native residents, and institutional/local actors. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings show that migrants’ economic presence does not necessarily lead to equal social membership. Instead, unequal integration is shaped through livelihood adaptation, everyday self-monitoring, the construction of strangeness, class inequality, and institutional and spatial mediation. The article concludes that the acceptance of migrants in Meybod remains conditional, unequal, and dependent on the social relations of the destination community. Therefore, reducing this inequality requires strengthening institutional, neighborhood-based, and participatory mechanisms that can transform migrants’ economic presence into equal social membership.

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Strategic Research on Social Problems

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 October 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 09 July 2026
  • Revise Date: 25 September 2026
  • Accept Date: 06 October 2026
  • Publish Date: 06 October 2026

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