Social acceptance or exclusion of non local students constitutes an important dimension of the lived experience of university life and can influence students’ sense of belonging, social participation, and academic trajectory. This study aims to explore the role of ethnicity in shaping the experiences of social acceptance or exclusion among students at the University of Tehran. This research conducted using the qualitative approach of interpretative ethnography. The data collected through 43 semi structured interviews and participant observation.
The findings show the experience of social acceptance or exclusion among the ethnicity students emerges through the interaction of multiple layers of social reality. At the family level, patterns of early socialization play a role in shaping sensitivities toward ethnic boundaries. At the university level, interactions markers such as accent, clothing style, and modes of speech function as cultural codes in social evaluations and may increase the symbolic distance between “locals” and “non locals.” In some interactions, “being Tehran native” appears as a form of symbolic capital that facilitates access to social networks and enhances communicative confidence. In response to these conditions, the ethnic students employ various strategies—including ethnic networking, identity marker management, identity redefinition, and symbolic resistance—to improve their social position.
The findings suggest that conception of social exclusion in the studied field, results from the interweaving of everyday interactions with social boundary making, and the symbolic order of cultural hierarchies. Considering these dynamics can develop university policies to improve intercultural interactions and the sense of belonging among non local students.