Phenomenological understanding of social action in the college dorm life of Farhangian University female students

This study aims to explore the lived experiences of female Farhangian University students living in the dormitories regarding their understanding of social action in college dorm life. This is a qualitative phenomenological research. The study was conducted on February and March 2015. Using purposeful sampling method, 16 female students living in the dorms were selected. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and were analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. The findings revealed 5 main theme and some sub-themes. The main extracted themes include: attachment to the dormitory, empathic understanding, satisfactory discipline, self-control, modeling and learning from experience. The study revealed that students’ understanding of college dorm life experiences is not the same as others’ (including university authorities’) understanding. Students believe that adaptability, accountability, behavioral and emotional control, resilience and mutual understanding are among the positive social actions that they learn in dormitory. They organize learning communities that help them learn many of the fundamental concepts of life.