Qualitative Exploring of Processes of Social Identity Construction among Baloch Students: Towards a Grounded Theory

The purpose of this study was qualitative explore processes of social identity construction among Baloch students at state universities. In this research, grounded theory has been used as one of the qualitative research methods. The research participants were Masters and Ph.D. Baloch students at state universities. Data are obtained through in-depth interviews. Interviews continued to reach theoretical saturation in the various interviewed subjects. Data analysis was performed using open, axial, and selective coding, which is a type of coding specifically for grounded theory. The result of data analysis is the achievement of five categories and a core category. The categories are: Religious dissonance and marginalized identity, Bureaucratic rejection; Bureaucratic Removal of Baloch identity, The role of negative media representation in building marginal identity, Undesirable location; the role of geography in the construction of marginalized identity and Legitimacy of marginalization; the role of law in the construction of marginalized identity. The core category is also marginalized identity; the construction of marginalized social identity. The findings also showed that the context and sources such as the religious situation of the Baloch people, the ethnic and religious gap in the province, the unfavorable geographical location, along with conditions such as religion as the basis of politics, ethnic discrimination, administrative and managerial reversal, negative media representations, legitimacy Legislation, Being on the border, distance from the center, and the feeling of a lack of fair distribution of facilities have created a marginalized identity among Baloch students.