The Interdisciplinary Quarterly of

The present study aims to analyze the mechanisms through which modern humanities discourse influences the restructuring of the family institution in contemporary Iran. The central research question is how the humanities, as a specialized culture, have transformed the familial lifeworld. The research methodology is qualitative, based on a critical analysis of theoretical documents, utilizing the conceptual framework of the three-dimensional theory of culture to examine the relationship between foundational culture, specialized culture, and public culture. The findings indicate that modern humanities are not merely descriptive tools but constructive agents that, through nine key mechanisms—including idealization, modeling, conceptualization, meaning-making, valorization, identity formation, structuration, consciousness-raising, and the redefinition of the system of needs—have redefined the family from an institution based on sacred covenant and moral obligations to a contractual, individualistic, and functional entity. The results suggest that the Iranian family finds itself in a liminal state, experiencing novel hybrid forms of familial life under the influence of the interplay between modernist discourse and cultural resistances. Ultimately, the study emphasizes the necessity of producing an indigenous humanities capable of recognizing the family within the horizon of human excellence.