Document Type : Scientific-Research Article

Authors

• parvin Talebinia ^{1 ¶}
• Nasser Bahonar ²
• Amrollah Amani Kalarijani ¹

¹ Department of Social Communication Sciences, ET.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Department Faculty of University of Imam Sadeq

Abstract

The present study was designed with the primary objective of identifying the patterns of uses and gratifications among Iranian women regarding television and streaming series, by comparing the two main media platforms: broadcast television and streaming services. Its central aim was to examine the role and correlation of these patterns with the variable of the audience's religious attitudes. The significance of this research lies in the growing cultural influence of narrative content in society and its role in interacting with or confronting religious values and beliefs. This applied research employed a survey approach. The statistical population consisted of Iranian women aged 12 and above, from which a random sample of 384 individuals was selected. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS software. The results indicated that while overall series consumption is high among women, religious attitude is not merely a contextual variable but a significant factor guiding female audiences' choices and their level of gratification. The findings clearly revealed a significant gratification gap between the two media platforms. Specifically, women with higher levels of religiosity found television series more legitimate and preferable due to their greater emphasis on family-oriented and moral values. In contrast, younger, more educated women with weaker religious attitudes sought greater gratification from streaming service content, which emphasizes themes such as individualism, content freedom, and the redefinition of independent female identity. Ultimately, these results demonstrate that the competition between broadcast television and streaming services reflects underlying cultural and value tensions among Iranian women, with religious attitude playing the role of an active cultural filter in media consumption.

Keywords

• Television Series
• Streaming Services
• Uses and Gratifications
• Religious Attitudes
• Iranian Women

Main Subjects

• religion and culture and communication