Iranian Journal of Sociology

Abstract This research examines the role of social organization among rural migrants in the city and its impact on local development, focusing on the perspectives of Portes and Boomsma within the Tehran-Vila neighborhood in Tehran's District Two. The study employed a qualitative approach with a grounded theory strategy. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and narratives from 40 individuals (comprising three generations of migrants, including 13 women and 27 men) in Tehran-Vila (destination) and Bidok Yazd (origin), along with insights from 6 key informants, focus group sessions, field observations, and analysis of secondary statistical data. The resulting analysis identified the core category as "Migrant Social Organizations as Facilitators of Local Development." The findings indicate that the social organizations of rural migrants have acted as democratic institutions; by creating support networks and strengthening a sense of belonging to the neighborhood, they have contributed to improving the quality of life, enhancing social solidarity, and facilitating residents' participation in local development processes.

Abstract The main goal of this research is to understand the level of environmental responsibility of employees and its relationship with social capital in Borujen city. The theoretical basis of the research is based on Putnam's theory. The research method is a survey with a researcher-made questionnaire tool. The research findings show that the environmental attitude of employees has a significant difference with their environmental behavior. At the attitude level, about 96% of employees, their level of responsibility is medium to high (with an average of 18.3); while at the behavioral level, the responsibility of about 95% of them is medium to low (with an average of 12.5). Social capital has a positive and significant relationship with environmental responsibility. Social capital indicators including trust, participation, interactions and social support have a significant relationship with environmental responsibility. Strengthening environmental responsibility requires creating social interactions in the form of associations, friendly relations and relations with colleagues. The focus of these interactions should be to preserve the environment

Abstract This paper examines the factors affecting the physical health of Turkish and Kurdish ethnicities living in Tabriz and Mahabad with an emphasis on lifestyle (behavioral dimension). The study was conducted in the form of a survey and 500 people were selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. The theoretical framework of the research is based on Dressler's models and other related theories. The research findings showed that socioeconomic status, the sum of cultural, social and economic capitals as well as lifestyle have a positive and significant effect on physical health. In other words, when these variables increase, the levels of physical health among ethnic groups increase too. Also, the physical health of the members of the Turkish ethnic group is greater than that of the Kurdish people. Moreover, the lifestyle-related health of Turks is also better than Kurdish.
 
 

Abstract While the problem of social capital is getting more important in all social science disciplines, explaining the creation of social capital rises as an important debate. Trust is a constituting element of social capital and has great importance for its consequences. Robert Putnam, in a leading prominent book, two decades ago, explained trust as a consequence of associational life, which is now acknowledged as society-centered approach. However, institution-centered approached have tried to explain trust based on the quality of public institutions. We have applied a crossnational variable-oriented comparative research on 54 countries to evaluate the strength of these two approaches for explaining trust. Data have been extracted from well-known international databases of the World Bank, Freedom House, and World Values Survey. Our evidences and results imply that institution–centered approach is more capable of explaining trust. In conclusion, the implication of results for analyzing democracies, and two critical issues of legitimacy of democratic systems and degradation of social capital have been discussed.

Abstract The goal of this research is to measure social capital's influence and its dimensions (social networks, social norms and social trust) on environmental behavior. In other words, the main purpose of the present paper is to answer the questions: Whether the increase and decrease of social capital result in any changes in environmental behavior? This is a survey-method research. The statistic sample includes 440 over 18-year-old persons in urban areas of Kurdistan Province who have been chosen based on multistage cluster sampling method. The questionnaire has been the data gathering tool of the paper. The result of the present paper shows that in spite of improper situation and restricted environmental facilities in Kurdistan Province environmentally responsible behavior of the respondents stand at a high level. Indeed, the finding is indicative of a close to medium social capital of the people studied. There is positive and direct relation between social capital and environmental behavior. In other words, environmental behavior becomes responsible as the social capital rises. At the end, the paper discusses the possible reasons for lack of social capital.

Abstract The formation and acceleration of social relations may persuade people to do special social behaviors that cannot be done in a situation free of such relations. The migration is one of such behaviors. Having a family member or friend in destination can facilitate the decision for migration. This paper aims to examine the size and type of migrant social networks in destination place for migration waves from East- Azerbaijan province to Tehran province. The sample consists of 530 migrants. Findings show that most migrants have some sort of social networks (kinship, familial, friendship, and neighborhood) in proposed destinations. The origin and age of migrants can specify the type of such networks. Besides, the size of the networks is relatively small and the majority of them are connected to a social network in destination through kinship and friendship relationships. The frequency of the networks for potential migrants from Sarab, Miyaneh, and Hashtrood in comparison to the other cities of the province, there are more migration networks. Migrants from low socioeconomic status use larger networks for migration.

Abstract Being indifferent to socio-political participation, social responsibilities, altruistic behavior and civil activities in social problems shows that we live in a problematic society. Our objectives in this article are to explain social apathy and its prevalence and to evaluate the influential factors on it. The random sample, which is comprised 384, has drawn from Dezfuli citizens aged 18 an over in 2013. The relationships between independent variables such as socio-economic status, alienation, empathy, insecurity sensation and social capital with social apathy as the dependent variable were meaningful. According to the results of regression analysis, 30 percent of changes in social apathy can be explained by those five independent variables.

Abstract The Sense of Security is considered as a prerequisite for social, economic, cultural and political development. Social capital is also an important factor that plays a crucial role in the course of cultural and economic development. The present paper examines relationships between social capital and the sense of social security in the city of Yazd. Data was collected through a survey questionnaire administered in the face to face interview conducted in 2011, with a sample of 246 respondents selected through the proportionate cluster sampling technique. The sense of social security is measured with twelve components including the sense of physical security, financial security, economic security, job security, moral security, cultural security, emotional security, affective security, belief-related security, judicial security, legal security, and honor security. Social capital is also measured in three dimensions of social trust, social networks and social norms. Findings of the study indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between three dimensions of social capital and the sense of social security. The results show that sustainable forms of social security are formed under the condition that there is a high degree of social capital in the society. As a result, strengthening of social capital in the society will reinforce the individual and community's sense of security and at the same time can facilitate comprehensive development of society.

Abstract The problem of this article is the degree of polity variability between countries. The research question is stated as follows: how can we explain the degree of polity variability between countries? Based on the theoretical framework, social capital is the necessary causal condition for democracy. The original approach of the essay is comparative analysis between countries. The technique for data collection is the analysis of existing data (the secondary). The studied population consists of countries that in 1990 and 2010 have valid data for all the related concepts.  For the arbitration of the article's assumptions the fuzzy method, and for data analysis the SPSS, Excel, and Fs / QCAf software were used. The experimental findings indicate that disregarding the Eastern Bloc countries from the analysis, social trust is often a necessary condition for democracy. Usually civic engagement and trustworthiness are necessary conditions for democracy. Also, the results indicated that authoritarian rule in a country would reduce social capital in the long-term.

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Abstract The youth defined as persons of 15 to 29 years of age, account for about 35 percent of Iran’s population. Such significant percentage may be considered a comparative advantage for the country. However, if this opportunity is not used properly it can become a serious threat. Thus, developing policies and plans for this age group is a major priority. Social capital alongside other forms of capital can facilitate envisaged planning processes and help realize planning objectives. In this article, we present a multidimensional scale developed to measure social capital among the Iranian youth.  Using this scale, a survey of 4,500 persons in the age bracket of 15-29 (drawn from across the Iranian provinces) has been conducted. Results indicate weak social capital among the surveyed youth, in particular in terms of relations with associations and trust placed on non-acquaintances and officials. The effect of social and individual characteristics on social capital is found to be significant. In light of the significance of the aforementioned relations as well as the dominance of traditional social capital among the youth, enhancing the social milieu, strengthening civil institutions, and improving attitudes and actions of individuals are seen as necessary.

Abstract  In the third millennium, is expected from holders of knowledge with having social capital, especially in academic areas, while creating new knowledge as a latent capital, in order to promote community problems, Could play an active role. In this base, The aim of this research is The sociological Study ofSocial capital (arise of Bourdieu, Coleman, Putnam, and Fukuyama) impact on knowledge creation (arise of Nonaka, Takeuchi &…)in Isfahan university. Research method of this study was Survey, statistical population including academic members of IsfahanUniversity (1387) that 142 person of them were selected by Cochran Formula, based on random Sampling. Technique of the study was Questionnaire. Statistical method was including, Multiple Regression and Path Analysis. To assess Path Coefficient, LISREL Method Estimated has been used. All of the data set was analyzed (get from questionnaire) by Spss₁₇ software. Result showed that there are significant relationships between social capital and knowledge creation, namely whatever increases social capital, the same extant, increases knowledge creation. R Adjusted Square showed that 19 percent of variations of dependent variable, explained by Independent variables. Other impacts related to another variables, which we did not considered them.

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Abstract : The theory of social capital is re-emphasis on the role of community and society-based groups in sustainable development. In this paper we try to survey the role of artistic and cultural clubs at universities in reinforcement of social capital among students. We also study the effects of social capital on increasing civil norms and decreasing deviant behavior. Putnam's approach to social capital is theoretical framework of this study. According to this theory, relations network, social trust and social co-operation are the most important indicators of social capital. Research method is based on survey by using questionnaire technique. Although, the results show that social capital of Tehran University's student(as control group) and artistic and cultural activists of universities of city of Tehran is not higher than average level, but later group have more social capital than formers. Also, the results represent that whatever the level of social capital increase, civil behavior increase and deviant behavior decrease.

Abstract This study is intended to provide theoretical and empirical analyses of happiness both at micro level and macro level. At micro level, a social survey was conducted in cities of Tehran, Yazd And Ardakan with sample size of 386. Oxford standard happiness inventory was employed as' the measurement scale of happiness at this level. At macro level a quantitative comparative analysis was conducted based on world value survey (4th wave ) for 69 countries. Findings show that average score of happiness for all three cities is low. Besides that among sixty nine countries, the rank order of happiness for Iran is 61. Multiple variable analyses indicate that among different factors such as trust, friendship, family relationship, lack of social isolation at micro level and social capital ta macro level have direct impact on happiness.