The Investigation of the lived experiences of female-headed households upon degrading social habitus

The aim of this study was to investigate the experience of female-headed households under the auspices of the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation in terms of social humiliation. This qualitative study was performed by phenomenological method with purposeful sampling and using in-depth interviews with 20 women under the auspices of Imam Khomeini's Relief Foundation in Lengeh city in 1397. Data analysis was performed by the seven-step method of Klaizi (2009). Findings from the experience of individuals showed that this group of women faced humiliation in various ways as soon as they interacted with social groups such as family, relatives, neighbors, workplace, businessmen, and other social institutions. Among the factors leading to humiliation were low education, inability to find suitable jobs, financial poverty, and lack of spouse support. Womens' reactions to humiliation were silence due to fear of losing their jobs and social support, followed by stress, fear, tension and anxiety. Findings of this study can provide a clear picture of the lived experience of female-headed households regarding humiliation, and can be used for those who think about the well-being of them.