Iranian Journal of Sociology

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 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 major aim of the present article is the sociological analysis and explanation of the Eastern Europe approaches to civil society under the communist authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe societies. In these approaches civil society has been seen as a social movement, with a short life span and a long time strategies. Civil society was used as "strategy of the resistance" in times, in which the totalitarian regimes have ruled over the Eastern Europe societies. Under the totalitarian ruling, the strategy of civil society was not to conduct a revolutionary campaign against authoritarian governments because their collapse was not predictable in short time. Therefore, civil society had to concentrate its activities on the construction of the social organisations and networks in order to reinforce the self-defence system of the society against the authoritarian sovereignty. The post-totalitarian civil society's movement did not aim to capture of power, but it critiqued and controlled the state, to avoid the new totalitarian states and to institutionalize a stable democracy in future. In Eastern Europe for a permanent and peaceful struggle against then ruling totalitarian regimes some civil society strategies such as "the impolitic strategy" have been offered from Gyrgy Konrad, "the gradual resistance" from Leszek Kolakowaski, " the new Evolutionism" from Adam Michnik and "the construction of the parallel society" from Vaclav Havel. These have been presented in parallel to other developmental, practical, reformatory, and revisionist approaches to civil society in this region.

Abstract The main goal of this research paper is to study the voting behavior of the youth between 18 to 29 years of age in the city of Mashhad, to describe the characteristics of their networks and to determine how these characteristics affect youths voting behavior. This study attempts to show that not only the voting behavior of network members but also the characteristics of personal networks have effects on youths voting behavior.  To achieve this end, data was collected using the survey method. Thus, 262 structured, face-to-face interviews with young people were conducted. The young were randomly chosen from different districts of the city of Mashhad. The analysis of this study was carried out using the network dataset containing information regarding the respondents and their ego-centered networks, and the tie dataset which included information about network members (1360 ties). Our final analysis is based on the aggregation of these two datasets. The findings show that functional characteristics of respondents’ networks and voting behavior of their network members are significant predictors of youths voting behavior.  In an overall view, the results approve the role and importance of network in describing and appointing the voting behavior.

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.