مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوریپژوهش انحرافات و مسائل اجتماعی3060-821X5172026627Gentrification as a Tool of Urban Intervention: Representations of space in Urban Policies (A Case Study of Brick Kilns in Tehran Municipality District 19)اعیانی‌سازی به‌مثابه ابزار مداخله: بازنمایی فضا در سیاست‌های شهری (مورد مطالعه: کوره‌های آجرپزی منطقه ۱۹ شهرداری تهران)134faهادیبرغمدیاستادیار پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات اجتماعی جهاد دانشگاهی، تهران، ایران https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2941-1113 مریم ایثاریاستادیار گروه مطالعات خانواده، پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات اجتماعی جهاد دانشگاهی، تهران، ایران https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0141-857X20251216Gentrification as a Tool of Urban Intervention: The Representation of Space in Urban Policies (A Case Study of the Brick Kiln Areas in District 19 of Tehran Municipality) Hadi Barghamadi<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">*</a> Maryam Isari<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">**</a>   This article analyzes the discourse of gentrification in Sub-district 3 of District 19 of Tehran Municipality, focusing specifically on brick kilns and their surrounding informal settlements. The core argument is that urban intervention policies in this zone are framed not to enhance the quality of life or address social needs, but rather within a dominant discourse of "organization," "upgrading," "renewal," and "clearance." By representing urban space as a site of "pathology," "threat," and "defenseless space," and by ignoring the structural causes of poverty, this discourse rationalizes interventions that culminate in gentrification, inflated land values, the displacement of subaltern populations, and the eradication of informal settlements. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, this study utilizes a complete census survey of kiln residents, semi-structured interviews with key informants, and an analysis of urban planning documents. The findings reveal a profound chasm between the official narrative of the kilns and the lived experiences of their inhabitants. While urban management represents kiln residents as social pathologies and the "undeserving poor," field data demonstrate that inhabitation in this area stems from chronic poverty, restricted access to formal housing, and a lack of institutional support. The study concludes that regeneration and redevelopment projects in Sub-district 3 are primarily designed to release land, accommodate new demographics, and escalate land value, thereby inducing forced displacement and residential instability. The fundamental issue is the pathologized construction of space within official discourse a discourse that reduces urban problem-solving to physical clearance and spatial commodification while obfuscating the structural mechanisms of marginalization.   Keywords: Gentrification, Brick Kilns, Informal Settlements, Representations of Space, Tehran Municipality District 19.   Introduction Over recent decades, urban interventions in fabrics designated as deteriorated areas, informal settlements, hazardous lands, and inefficient urban spaces have become a cornerstone of urban policymaking in Iran. These interventions are typically justified under the guise of reorganization, renewal, urban regeneration, environmental quality enhancement, and the mitigation of social anomalies. However, the experience of numerous cities demonstrates that such policies predominantly adopt a rigid physical-spatial approach, lacking sufficient commitment to the social dimensions and justice-oriented aspects of urban development. Consequently, rather than improving the living conditions of incumbent residents, many urban renewal and regeneration programs have triggered skyrocketing land values, eradicated affordable housing, exacerbated spatial and social inequalities, and ultimately catalyzed gentrification and the forced displacement of low-income populations. A pivotal element in this process is how space and its residents are represented within the official discourse of urban management. In most instances, spaces such as informal settlements and brick kilns are represented not as vital locales for the residence and livelihood of citizens, but as "hubs of pathology," "threats," "defenseless spaces," "social hazards," or "barriers to development." Such representations do more than just define the problem; they predetermine the preferred mode of intervention, thereby legitimizing policies where physical clearance, land appreciation, and shifting the social composition of residents are framed as self-evident and indispensable solutions. Focusing on Sub-district 3 of District 19 of Tehran Municipality, this study investigates the representation of informal spaces and its relationship with urban organization and regeneration policies. This zone, encompassing the neighborhoods of Northern Dowlatkhah, Southern Dowlatkhah, and Esmailabad, has emerged as a primary arena for urban intervention due to its decommissioned brick kilns, informal settlements, dense population of Afghan migrants, informal economic activities, and concentrated social vulnerabilities. The central research question interrogates how the official representation of Sub-district 3 and its brick kilns as a "pathologized space" and an "inefficient zone" paves the way for policies that ultimately induce gentrification, coercive renewal, and the displacement of marginalized residents.   Methodology This study adopts a mixed-methods research design. Data collection incorporated quantitative tools (a survey) alongside qualitative methods (documentary research, secondary analysis, interviews, and field observations). The empirical field comprises three out of the five neighborhoods within Sub-district 3 of District 19 of Tehran Municipality. In the quantitative phase, a complete census was conducted across all brick kilns in the three selected neighborhoods to gather comprehensive socio-economic data on the resident households. In the qualitative phase, the study utilized urban planning document analysis, secondary data analysis, and semi-structured interviews with urban managers, experts, kiln owners, local informants, and informal settlement residents.   Findings The findings indicate that the brick kilns in Sub-district 3 of District 19 possess a long history in Tehran. These kilns emerged during the 1950s following the relocation of brick-making industries from other parts of the capital to the Dowlatkhah area. From the 1950s through the 1970s, they supplied a substantial portion of the bricks required for Tehran's rapid urbanization. Residential settlements gradually formed around these kilns to house workers, which subsequently evolved into the current residential fabrics. With industrial modernization, the depletion of viable clay reserves, tightening environmental regulations, and the enactment of laws mandating the relocation of polluting industries beyond a 120-kilometer radius from metropolitan centers, the kilns were decommissioned, leaving vast tracts of land vacant and abandoned. In recent years, these vacant lands have garnered significant attention from urban authorities as prime sites for spatial intervention. The "Sub-district 3 Organization Plan of District 19 of Tehran Municipality," widely known as the Sub-district 3 Regeneration Plan, stands as one of the most critical urban governance policies aimed at converting lands adjacent to the kilns and managing the area’s informal settlements. Furthermore, the Comprehensive Joint Action Plan for Resolving the Issues of Sub-district 3 of District 19 mandates kiln owners to clarify the urban planning status of their properties and terminates lease contracts for informal shacks as approved strategic directives. The regeneration plan for these abandoned lands and former kiln expansion areas officially pursues goals such as housing provision, enhancing environmental quality and local identity, improving spatial cohesion, and fostering comprehensive economic, social, and environmental development. However, the results of this study demonstrate that from the perspective of urban managers, the brick kiln lands are paradoxically framed: they are viewed simultaneously as a lucrative development opportunity and a resource for metropolitan housing provision, and conversely, as a severe threat that fosters and perpetuates social pathologies. Data from the census conducted in March 2023 reveal that a total of 353 individuals, comprising 96 households, reside in the settlements surrounding the brick kilns. A significant majority of this population consists of Afghan migrants, with a median resident age of approximately 28 years. Nearly half of the population is illiterate, and the vast majority are underemployed in low-income, precarious jobs such as manual labor, or are entirely unemployed. The average length of residence for household heads in Tehran exceeds 20 years, and their average duration of residence in their current location is about 8 years, indicating a deeply entrenched, long-term presence in the city. The housing conditions of these households are severely substandard. The average dwelling size is a mere 19 square meters, with most families crammed into highly congested units. Approximately 86% lack private sanitation facilities, and over half do not have separate kitchens. Nearly all households are deprived of municipal water connectivity and individual water meters, and a large majority lack access to the urban gas network. The most acute grievances voiced by residents include the absence of private toilets, the lack of water heaters, exorbitant electricity costs, and the daily struggle to secure basic survival needs. These empirical metrics demonstrate that despite their long-term urban residency, kiln inhabitants subsist in highly precarious conditions, completely disenfranchised from basic urban infrastructure. In sharp contrast, an analysis of the dominant official discourse governing urban policymaking reveals those municipal managers and experts heavily pathologize the area. Many official interviewees depicted the abandoned kilns as havens for drug users, the homeless, undocumented migrants, and other vulnerable groups. From their viewpoint, vacant lands and defenseless urban spaces are the primary catalysts sustaining social anomalies. Within this official narrative, land organization and development projects are marketed as objective solutions to mitigate social harm, bolster security, and improve environmental quality. Beyond pathologizing the space, the official representation of the residents themselves is deeply negative. In administrative rhetoric, Afghan migrants and informal settlers are framed not merely as marginalized or underprivileged groups, but as active vectors of pathology and core components of the region's social crisis. Certain narratives directly link the dense presence of Afghan nationals to rising social harms, public health hazards, and strain on urban infrastructure. This mode of representation deliberately diverts attention away from the structural roots of poverty, housing market exclusions, systematic deprivation, and social discrimination, choosing instead to blame the residents as the primary source of local crises. In this context, this study uncovers a profound disconnect between the official narrative and the lived realities of the residents. While urban managers portray kiln residents as "undeserving individuals" who choose to live there due to cheap rent, access to charity, and a preference for a low-cost lifestyle, the residents' narratives present a drastically different reality. Interviews indicate that these individuals have been forced into these spaces by chronic poverty, a lack of employment opportunities, exclusion from the formal housing market, and severe economic constraints. For them, the kilns are not a lifestyle choice, but the sole viable option for survival in Tehran. Most households cannot afford the steep security deposits and rents required elsewhere in the city; consequently, any demolition or eviction would immediately push them into deeper margins of urban homelessness and extreme residential instability. Ultimately, the findings regarding the reorganization of the brick kilns in Sub-district 3 of District 19 demonstrate that urban intervention processes are driven less by social problem-solving, quality-of-life improvements, or spatial justice, and far more by a dominant discourse of "organization," "clearance," and "physical development." This mode of representation constructs the necessary cognitive and political environment for policies that maximize land revenue and accelerate gentrification at the direct expense of displacing subaltern populations and systematically eradicating informal settlements.   Conclusion Aligning with global critical urban studies, the results of this research indicate that gentrification functions as an instrument of social control and spatial ordering in Sub-district 3 of District 19 of Tehran. A structural prerequisite for executing gentrification-oriented interventions in this urban fabric is the representation of local spaces in a manner that pathologizes the area's social issues. Therefore, the core problem is not the mere physical presence of brick kilns or informal settlements, but rather how these spaces are socially constructed within official discourse and the destructive policy outcomes that follow. As long as urban policymaking relies on a pathology-centered definition of these spaces treating residents as elements of a problem rather than primary stakeholders urban interventions will inevitably skew toward eviction, exclusion, and spatial commodification. From this perspective, gentrification and forced renewal do not solve social problems; instead, they produce new crises, including homelessness, livelihood insecurity, the unraveling of social safety networks, the displacement of the informal sector, and the intensification of urban inequality. To break this destructive cycle, the official discourse must undergo a paradigm shift away from threat-oriented, physical-deterministic views toward human-centered, justice-oriented frameworks. Residents of informal settlements must be recognized as legitimate citizens and stakeholders, granted active agency in decision-making processes. Policy priorities must shift from physical redevelopment and land value appreciation to the welfare, housing security, and sustainable livelihoods of the inhabitants. Ultimately, incremental, community-based, and empowering approaches must replace coercive and punitive urban interventions.   References Barghamdi, H. (2023) Social Impact Assessment of the Reorganization of Subdistrict 3 in District 19 of Tehran Municipality (with emphasis on the neighborhoods of Esmaeilabad, Northern Dolatkhah, and Southern Dolatkhah). Commissioned by the Social and Cultural Studies Office of Tehran Municipality. Tajbakhsh, M., & Pakzad, J. (2016) An introduction to understanding gentrification and its adverse consequences: A case study of tenants’ experiences in Tehran. Soffeh Journal, 26(4), 79–98. <a href="https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.1683870.1395.26.4.5.4">https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.1683870.1395.26.4.5.4</a> Farnam, A. (2024) Examining the Consequences of Urban Renewal in Deteriorated Urban Fabrics from the Perspective of Gentrification and Providing Policy Recommendations. Strategic Report of the Islamic Consultative Assembly Research Center, Infrastructure Studies Division (Urban Planning and Development Group). Masoud, M., Zamani, B., & Ebrahim Rezagah, H. (2019) Examining the impact of urban regeneration interventions on the occurrence of gentrification in distressed neighborhoods (Case study: Atabak and Khaniabad neighborhoods, Tehran). Urban Identity, 13(39), 63–78. <a href="https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/hoviatshahr/Article/794182">https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/hoviatshahr/Article/794182</a>. 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Lefebvre, Henri (1991) The production of space, Oxford: Blackwell. Lloyd, H. R. (2023) Gentrification: A philosophical analysis and critique. Journal of Urban Affairs, 47(4), 1246–1264. Mcfarlane, C. (2012) Rethinking Informality: Politics, Crisis, and the City. Planning Theory & Practice, Vol. 13, No. 1, 89–108. Slater T, Curran W, Lees L, (2004) “Gentrification research: new directions and critical scholarship'' Environment and Planning A 36 1141 _ 1150. Smith, N. (1996) The New Urban Frontier: Gentrification and the Revanchist City. New York: Routledge. Uitermark, J. & Duyvendak, J. W. (2007) Gentrification as a governmental strategy: social control and social cohesion in Hoogvliet, Rotterdam. Environment and Planning A, volume 39, pages 125- 141. Zuk, Miriam; Bierbaum, Ariel H.; Chapple, Karen; Gorska, Karolina and Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris (2018) Gentrification, Displacement, and the Role of Public Investment. Journal of Planning Literature. 2018, Vol. 33(1) 31-44. Zukin, Sharon (1987) Gentrification: Culture and Capital in the Urban Core. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 13, pp. 129-147.    <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">* </a>Assistant Professor, Institute for Humanities and Social Studies in ACECR, Tehran, Iran. <a href="mailto:barghamadi@acecr.ac.ir">barghamadi@acecr.ac.ir</a> ORCID: 0000-0003-2941-1113 <a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">**</a> Corresponding Author: Assistant Professor, Deprtment of Family Studies, Institute for Humanities and Social Studies in ACECR, Tehran, Iran. isari@acecr.ac.ir ORCID: 0009-0004-0141-857Xاین مقاله به واکاوی گفتمان اعیانی&zwnj;سازی در ناحیه ۳ منطقه ۱۹ شهرداری تهران با تمرکز بر کوره&zwnj;های آجرپزی و سکونتگاه&zwnj;های غیر رسمی پیرامون آن می&zwnj;پردازد. استدلال اصلی پژوهش حاضر آن است که سیاست&zwnj;های مداخله شهری در این محدوده نه از منظر ارتقای کیفیت زندگی یا پاسخ به نیازهای اجتماعی، بلکه در چهارچوب گفتمان مسلط «ساماندهی»، «بهسازی»، «نوسازی» و «پاکسازی» است. این گفتمان با بازنمایی فضا به&zwnj;مثابه «آسیب»، «تهدید» و «فضای بی&zwnj;دفاع» و با نادیدهانگاری دلایل ساختاری فقر، زمینه را برای مداخلاتی فراهم می&zwnj;کند که به اعیانی&zwnj;سازی، افزایش ارزش زمین، جابه&zwnj;جایی جمعیت&zwnj;های فرودست و حذف سکونتگاه&zwnj;های غیر رسمی منجر می&zwnj;شود. مطالعه حاضر با بهره&zwnj;گیری از روش ترکیبی شامل تمام&zwnj;شماری کوره&zwnj;نشینان (پیمایش)، مصاحبه&zwnj;های نیمه&zwnj;ساختار&zwnj;یافته با مطلعان کلیدی و بررسی اسناد شهری نشان می&zwnj;دهد که میان روایت رسمی از کوره&zwnj;ها و تجربه زیسته ساکنان، شکافی عمیق وجود دارد. هرچند مدیریت شهری، ساکنان کوره&zwnj;ها را به&zwnj; عنوان آسیب اجتماعی و به&zwnj;مثابه «فقرای غیرمستحق» بازنمایی می&zwnj;کند، داده&zwnj;های میدانی نشان می&zwnj;دهد که سکونت در این محدوده ناشی از فقر مزمن، محدودیت دسترسی به مسکن رسمی و نبود حمایت&zwnj;های نهادی است. یافته&zwnj;ها نشان می&zwnj;دهد که پروژه&zwnj;های ساماندهی و بازآفرینی در ناحیه ۳، بیشتر در جهت آزادسازی اراضی، بارگذاری جمعیت جدید و ارتقای ارزش زمین طراحی شده&zwnj;اند و پیامد آن میتواند جابه&zwnj;جایی اجباری ساکنان و بی&zwnj;ثباتی سکونتی باشد. بر این اساس مسئله اصلی برساخت آسیب&zwnj;محور فضا در گفتمان رسمی است؛ گفتمانی که حل مسئله را به پاک&zwnj;سازی فضا و کالایی&zwnj;شدن آن تقلیل داده و بدون توجه به مکانیزمهای فرودستساز، به پاکسازی صورت مسئله میپردازد.

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مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوریپژوهش انحرافات و مسائل اجتماعی3060-821X5172026627Social Hope in the Heart of Deprivation: A Sociological Study of the Quality of Life in the Marginalized Areas of Qazvin Cityامید اجتماعی در دل محرومیت؛ مطالعه‌ای جامعه‌شناختی بر کیفیت زندگی در مناطق حاشیه‌ای شهر قزوین3556faموسیسعادتیدانشیار گروه جامعه‌شناسی، دانشکده علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه بین‌المللی امام خمینی، قزوین، ایرانhttps://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-7950-774120251223Social Hope in the Heart of Deprivation: A Sociological Study of the Quality of Life in the Marginalized Areas of Qazvin City   Mousa Saadati<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">*</a>   Social hope, as a foundational pillar of social sustainability, plays a critical role in the resilience and psychosocial well-being of marginalized populations. Concurrently, quality of life (QoL) encompassing physical and mental health, social networks, the living environment, and subjective life satisfaction acts as a primary determinant of individuals' sense of meaning and optimism. This study provides a sociological analysis of the relationship between quality of life and social hope within the underdeveloped and marginalized districts of Qazvin. Utilizing a quantitative survey design, empirical data were gathered via a researcher-developed questionnaire. The statistical population comprised the residents of 22 marginalized peripheral and inner-city neighborhoods in Qazvin, totaling approximately 79,000 individuals. A sample of 384 respondents was selected using Cochran’s formula through multi-stage cluster sampling. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that all dimensions of quality of life (physical health, mental health, social relationships, living environment, and life satisfaction) possess a positive and statistically significant relationship with social hope. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis indicated that these dimensions collectively accounted for 55.6% of the variance in social hope (R = 0.556). The findings suggest that structural and qualitative interventions targeting urban quality of life can directly and effectively revitalize social hope within underprivileged urban communities.   Keywords: Quality of Life, Social Hope, Deprivation Alleviation, Social Sustainability, Marginalization.   Introduction In recent decades, the rapid expansion of marginalization and socioeconomic inequalities has emerged as a critical challenge to urban development in medium-sized Iranian cities, including Qazvin. Unbalanced, rapid urbanization has facilitated the growth of peripheral and inner-city informal settlements where residents face severe constraints in accessing essential services, such as healthcare, quality education, adequate housing, and formal employment. These exclusionary conditions not only compromise the objective quality of life (QoL) of residents but also systematically erode social hope, diminishing their belief in the possibility of individual and collective advancement. Social hope transcends mere passive satisfaction with the status quo; it represents an agentic cognitive-structural orientation toward future opportunities, systemic change, and institutional trust. In marginalized environments, therefore, social hope reflects the extent to whom marginalized actors trust that the socioeconomic structure will permit a better future. Given that QoL is a multidimensional construct encompassing physical, psychological, social, and environmental well-being, deficiencies in any of these domains inevitably yield psychological alienation and a drop in social hope. As Qazvin's urban fringe continues to expand, deciphering the empirical nexus between QoL and social hope becomes highly critical. Adopting a sociological framework, this study investigates how specific dimensions of quality of life modulate social hope among the marginalized inhabitants of Qazvin, thereby establishing an empirical foundation for social policymaking and urban planning centered on poverty alleviation and social sustainability.   Methodology This study was executed using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey methodology. The target population comprised all residents aged 15 and above residing in 22 designated marginalized neighborhoods in Qazvin, encompassing an aggregate population of roughly 79,000. These specific spaces are characterized by severe economic deprivation, substandard infrastructural services, limited healthcare access, and high structural unemployment, providing an appropriate sociological laboratory to examine the dynamics of hope under constraint. Using Cochran’s formula, the baseline sample size was determined to be 384 individuals. Due to the geographical dispersion of the neighborhoods and the absence of an integrated individual sampling frame, multi-stage probability cluster sampling was utilized. Marginalized neighborhoods were treated as primary clusters, and respondents within each selected cluster were subsequently isolated using systematic random sampling. Data collection relied on two structured, researcher-developed scales: a Quality of Life Scale (measuring physical health, mental health, social relationships, living environment, and life satisfaction) and a Social Hope Scale (measuring hope for opportunities, social support, institutional empowerment, and future outlook). The internal consistency of the scales was verified using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding coefficients of 0.87 for Quality of Life and 0.89 for Social Hope, indicating high reliability. Data processing was conducted via SPSS software, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression analysis.   Findings The results of Pearson’s correlation test indicated that all dimensions of Quality of Life were positively and significantly associated with the various dimensions of social hope, with some relationships being significant at the 0.05 level and others at the stronger 0.01 level. Quality of Life as an overall construct showed the highest positive correlation with overall social hope, providing clear support for the study’s main hypothesis regarding the positive relationship between these two key variables. Among the dimensions, life satisfaction and mental health demonstrated the strongest correlations with social hope (r = 0.637 and r = 0.612, respectively), highlighting the central role of individuals’ subjective evaluation of life and psychological well-being in fostering hope. Social relationships also showed consistently strong and significant associations at the 0.01 level with all dimensions of social hope, underscoring the importance of social support and communication networks in strengthening hope within the community. Although living environment and physical health yielded relatively lower coefficients compared to the other dimensions, they still maintained positive and significant relationships with social hope, suggesting that environmental conditions and physical well-being also contribute to the development and preservation of hope. furthermore, the results of the multiple regression analysis showed that the regression model was statistically significant and had satisfactory explanatory power. With a multiple correlation coefficient of 0.752 and an adjusted R2 of 0.556, the model explained 56.6% of the variance in social hope. The Durbin–Watson statistic (1.897) indicated the independence of errors, while VIF values below 2 confirmed the absence of serious multicollinearity among the predictor variables. All variables entered into the model had a positive and significant effect on social hope. Among them, mental health (β= 0.296), life satisfaction (β = 0.257), and social relationships (β=0.231) emerged as the strongest predictors of social hope.   Discussion The empirical evidence generated by this study clarifies the socio-structural dynamics governing social hope among the marginalized residents of Qazvin. The positive and significant paths observed across all QoL metrics indicate that hope is deeply anchored in material and psychological well-being. The prominent roles of mental health and life satisfaction suggest that social hope requires emotional stability and cognitive resilience. In distressed urban environments, the ability to visualize a favorable future and map pathways toward goal attainment is structurally hindered without psychological balance. Thus, individuals with higher psychological equilibrium are significantly more predisposed to maintain an agentic social outlook. These findings align with Abdollahi and Asgari (2022), who highlighted the positive impact of social support networks on hope, as well as Sadeghi (2021) and Soleimani and Rezaei (2020), who verified the strong link between QoL indices and social hope. Similarly, Amiri and Ghaderi (2019) identified mental health as the primary driver of social hope, matching the results obtained here. Furthermore, the significant impacts of social relationships and the social environment indicate that social hope is not merely an atomized psychological state. Instead, it is intersubjectively co-constructed within social interactions, community networks, and generalized trust. Cultivating supportive networks, generating social capital, and maximizing community participation provide the social infrastructure necessary to prevent despair. This is congruent with Bailey (2018) and Schmid (2018), who conceptualized hope as a product of community belonging. Conversely, the structural limitations noted in Qazvin’s periphery reflect the arguments of Shah et al. (2015), who demonstrated that institutional inequalities in resource distribution suppress social hope. The findings on life satisfaction also emphasize that subjective interpretations of life conditions are just as vital as objective indicators. As noted by Abdel-Khalek (2016) and Graham (2002), subjective well-being heavily modulates objective reality. Consequently, social hope cannot be generated solely by technocratic adjustments to income or services; it relies on how those changes are perceived, experienced, and translated into life satisfaction by the community. Theoretically, synthesizing C.R. Snyder’s hope theory, Bourdieu’s social capital paradigm, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Durkheim’s social cohesion model provides a comprehensive framework for these results. Together, they demonstrate that physical, mental, social, and environmental well-being constitute the structural prerequisites for social hope in marginalized settings. Therefore, social planners and urban policymakers must prioritize these dimensions through integrated health, cultural, and structural policies. Addressing urban deprivation, fortifying localized social capital, and enhancing institutional trust are essential strategies to reduce marginalization, elevate social hope, and foster social sustainability within underprivileged urban communities.   References Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2016) Quality of life, subjective well-being, and hope. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9585-6 Abdollahi, A., Asghari, F. (2022) An Investigation of Factors Affecting Social Hope Among Marginalized Youth. Journal of Iranian Sociological Studies, 13(1), 89-104. [In Persian] DOR: 20.1001.1.25881234.1401.13.1.6.2. 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The Scientific World Journal, 3, 1050–1057. https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2003.84         <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">*</a> Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University (RA), Qazvin, Iran.  <a href="mailto:m.saadati@soc.ikiu.ac.ir">m.saadati@soc.ikiu.ac.ir</a> https://orcid.org/<a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7950-7741"> 0000-0001-7950-7741</a>امید اجتماعی به &zwnj;عنوان یکی از مؤلفه&zwnj;های بنیادین پایداری اجتماعی، نقش مهمی در تاب&zwnj;آوری و بهبود زیست اجتماعی اقشار محروم ایفا می&zwnj;کند. از سوی دیگر، کیفیت زندگی در ابعاد مختلف آن از جمله سلامت جسمی و روانی، روابط اجتماعی، محیط زندگی و رضایت از زندگی، نقشی اساسی در احساس معنا و امیدواری افراد دارد. از اینرو پژوهش حاضر با هدف بررسی جامعه&zwnj;شناختی رابطه بین کیفیت زندگی و امید اجتماعی در مناطق حاشیه&zwnj;ای و کمتر برخوردار شهر قزوین انجام شده است. در این مطالعه، با رویکردی کمّی و پیمایشی، داده&zwnj;ها از طریق پرسشنامه محقق&zwnj;ساخته کیفیت زندگی و امید اجتماعی جمع&zwnj;آوری شده&zwnj;اند. جامعه آماری در برگیرنده ساکنان مناطق حاشیه&zwnj;ای شهر قزوین، شامل محله&zwnj;های محمودآباد نمونه، اقبالی، نظام&zwnj;آباد، ناصرآباد، چوبیندر، بیدستان مشعل&zwnj;دار و شریف&zwnj;آباد در اقمار و محله&zwnj;های لالوآباد، &zwnj;هادی&zwnj;آباد، کوی بهار، باغ نشاط، مغلواک، سلامگاه، عمرمحله (آخوند)، تبریز، دیمج، کوی اداره غله، قملاق، گوسفندان میدان، شیخ&zwnj;آباد، آسیاب، محله جنوبی راه&zwnj;آهن، در مناطق داخلی، بالغ بر 79000 نفر بوده و حجم نمونه 384 نفر با استفاده از فرمول کوکران و به روش نمونه&zwnj;گیری خوشه&zwnj;ای چندمرحله&zwnj;ای برای گردآوری اطلاعات انتخاب شده است. نتایج حاصل از آزمون همبستگی پیرسون نشان داد که تمامی مؤلفه&zwnj;های کیفیت زندگی (شامل سلامت جسمی، سلامت روانی، روابط اجتماعی، محیط زندگی و رضایت از زندگی) با امید اجتماعی، رابطه&zwnj;ای مثبت و معنادار دارند. همچنین تحلیل رگرسیونی چندمتغیره بیانگر آن است که تمامی مؤلفه&zwnj;های کیفیت زندگی، تأثیر مثبت و معناداری بر میزان امید اجتماعی افراد ساکن در این مناطق دارند. متغیرهای حاضر در مدل رگرسیونی توانسته&zwnj;اند 6/55 درصد از تغییرات متغیر وابسته امید اجتماعی را تبیین نمایند. بر این اساس می&zwnj;توان نتیجه گرفت که ارتقای کیفیت زندگی در ابعاد مختلف آن می&zwnj;تواند به &zwnj;طور مستقیم و مؤثر به افزایش امید اجتماعی در جوامع کمتر برخوردار کمک کند.

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مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوریپژوهش انحرافات و مسائل اجتماعی3060-821X5172026627 Sociological Explanation of Attitudes Toward Family Stability with an Emphasis on Social Pathologies in the City of Isfahan”تبیین جامعه‌شناختی نگرش به پایداری خانواده با تأکید بر آسیب‌های اجتماعی شهر اصفهان5787faمریم سادات موسوی دانشجوی دکتری تخصصی رشته جامعه‌شناسی، واحد علوم و تحقیقات، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایرانhttps://orcid.org/0009-0003-2125-7104سید محمد سید میرزاییاستاد گروه جامعه‌شناسی، واحد علوم و تحقیقات، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5177-9240باقرساروخانیاستاد گروه جامعه‌شناسی، واحد علوم و تحقیقات، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران. 0000-0003-1912-340920251228“A Sociological Explanation of Attitudes Toward Family Stability with an Emphasis on Social Pathologies in the City of Isfahan”   Maryamsadat Mousavi <a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">*</a> Seyed Mohammad Seyed Mirzaie<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">**</a> Bagher Saroukhani<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">***</a> The present study provides a sociological explanation of attitudes toward family stability, with a specific focus on social pathologies in Isfahan. The research was conducted within a quantitative methodological framework utilizing a survey design. The statistical population comprised the citizens of Isfahan, from which a sample of 459 individuals was selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were gathered via a structured questionnaire and analyzed at both descriptive and inferential levels. The findings indicate that the overall attitude toward family stability among the respondents is above average. Nevertheless, significant variances across specific demographic and social variables reveal structural vulnerabilities within the family institution under the pressure of contemporary social and cultural transformations. Inferential analyses demonstrate that variables such as media consumption, interpersonal trust, individualism, and collectivism play a critical role in explaining attitudes toward family stability, thereby either mitigating or exacerbating family-related social pathologies. Ultimately, the study underscores that the erosion of positive attitudes toward family stability serves as a catalyst for the emergence and proliferation of social pathologies at both familial and societal levels. Keywords: Social trust, Individualism, Collectivism, Attitudes toward family stability, Family social problems. Introduction As the most fundamental social institution, the family plays an indispensable role in maintaining social cohesion, transmitting values, socializing generations, and preventing social pathologies. Family stability not only ensures the psychological and social well-being of its members but also acts as a decisive determinant in preserving social order and macro-stability. In many societies, the family serves as the primary crucible for individual and social identity formation, directly anchoring social capital, emotional security, and interpersonal interaction. However, the sweeping transformations induced by modernity including the proliferation of new media, shifting lifestyles, rising individualism, and the erosion of traditional value systems have subjected the family institution to profound structural and functional mutations. In contemporary Iranian society, these shifts manifest through rising divorce rates, declining marital inclinations, delayed marriage ages, falling fertility rates, and the emergence of non-traditional emotional and relational paradigms. Furthermore, the evolving expectations of the younger generation and their integration into global culture have introduced unprecedented challenges to the family structure. Under these shifting dynamics, family stability has escalated into a paramount social and cultural concern. The destabilization of the family often triggers an array of social pathologies, including chronic domestic conflicts, diminished social capital, deficient intergenerational socialization, and systemic social distrust. Moreover, a decline in family solidarity adversely impacts individual mental health, the quality of civil interactions, and civic participation. Consequently, deciphering the determinants that shape attitudes toward family stability is highly critical for social and cultural policymaking. Adopting a sociological lens focused on the city of Isfahan, this study investigates the factors influencing attitudes toward family stability. The theoretical framework is synthesized from the classical and contemporary perspectives of Parsons, Durkheim, Giddens, Thomas, Znaniecki, and Gerbner. Within this matrix, the family is conceptualized as an institution whose survival hinges upon the preservation of its social functions, mutual trust, role commitment, and normative cohesion. Accordingly, variables such as media consumption, interpersonal trust, individualism, and collectivism are operationalized as critical predictors of attitudes toward family stability.   Literature Review An overview of empirical literature in the sociology of the family indicates that family stability has perennially occupied a central position in sociological discourse. Extant studies demonstrate that factors such as social trust, normative cohesion, lifestyle orientations, media consumption, and individualistic versus collectivistic tendencies exert a decisive influence on the quality of domestic relations and institutional continuity. A robust body of research suggests that the rise of hyper-individualism, the depletion of social capital, and overexposure to modern digital media tend to erode familial obligations and exacerbate social vulnerabilities. Conversely, the reinforcement of emotional networks, mutual trust, and collectivist values serves to fortify the foundational pillars of the family and minimize systemic conflicts. Furthermore, domestic research in Iran highlights that the socioeconomic and cultural transitions of recent decades have profoundly altered the younger generation's outlook on marriage, family dynamics, and emotional commitment.   Methodology This study was executed using a quantitative survey methodology. The statistical population encompassed married men and women residing in Isfahan. While Cochran’s formula yielded an initial sample size of 384, the final sample was expanded to 459 respondents to enhance statistical precision and reliability. A multi-stage probability cluster sampling technique was applied; urban zones of Isfahan were designated as primary clusters, from which respondents were randomly selected to ensure the generalizability of the findings to the wider population. The data collection instrument was a researcher-developed questionnaire partitioned into demographic profiles and core substantive variables. The dependent variable was the attitude toward family stability, whereas the independent variables comprised mass media consumption, interpersonal trust, individualism, and collectivism. Attitudes toward family stability were operationalized through 13 distinct items spanning three dimensions: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. Individualism and collectivism were measured along their horizontal and vertical axes. All substantive items were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale to capture fine-grained variations in respondent agreement. The psychometric properties of the instrument were validated through face validity and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), while internal consistency was verified via Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data processing and analysis were performed using SPSS and AMOS software packages. Descriptive statistics included means, standard deviations, and frequency distributions. Inferential analyses were carried out using one-sample t-tests, independent-samples t-tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).   Findings Descriptive metrics indicate that the mean score for attitudes toward family stability among Isfahan's citizens rests significantly above the theoretical average. This finding reveals that the family retains a sacred and meaningful status within the normative and cultural architecture of the studied population, with a substantial majority viewing it as a primary sanctuary for emotional, social, and moral support. Similarly, the cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of the focal attitude were evaluated at highly favorable levels, reflecting a robust societal commitment to preserving domestic solidarity. Demographic cross-examinations revealed a statistically significant variance between men and women regarding their attitudes toward family stability. Additionally, native residents of Isfahan exhibited noticeably more positive attitudes toward family stability than non-native residents, a divergence likely rooted in stronger cultural ties, localized normative frameworks, and heightened social belonging among natives. Crucially, the findings indicated that individuals who engaged in opposite-sex friendships either before or after marriage expressed weaker attitudes toward family stability, pointing to a potential shift in their underlying value paradigms. The ANOVA results demonstrated that respondents' Socioeconomic Status (SES) is significantly associated with their familial outlook; specifically, middle-class individuals demonstrated more positive attitudes toward family stability compared to their upper-class counterparts. These dynamic underscores the differentiated impact of lifestyle patterns, social obligations, and cultural models across distinct social strata. Within the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, the independent variables collectively accounted for 43% of the variance in attitudes toward family stability, indicating a robust explanatory power for the conceptual model. Among the predictors, vertical collectivism exerted the most substantial positive effect on the dependent variable. Furthermore, interpersonal trust and the consumption of state broadcasting media displayed statistically significant positive effects on fostering stable family attitudes. Conversely, the use of interactive social media networks and vertical individualism exerted significant negative impacts on attitudes toward family stability. While satellite television consumption and horizontal collectivism exhibited observable effects, these paths failed to reach statistical significance. In sum, the empirical model demonstrates that cultural, media-oriented, and value-laden variables act as primary anchors in shaping how individuals perceive family stability, and that macro-social shifts heavily modulate these attitudinal architectures.   Discussion and Conclusion The empirical evidence generated by this study confirms that the family continues to command a prestigious evaluative, cultural, and normative position within Isfahan's urban society. Despite the sweeping socio-cultural adjustments of recent decades, the institution remains a key linchpin for social integration, value transmission, emotional refuge, and psychological anchoring. Nonetheless, the findings simultaneously capture the encroaching vulnerabilities induced by modernity, digital communication technologies, hyper-individualism, and lifestyle pluralism, all of which are actively remodeling individual perceptions regarding familial obligations and functions. Theoretically, these dynamics align closely with Parsons’ structural-functionalist paradigm. The continuity of the family's core latent functions specifically primary socialization, social control, emotional stabilization, and internal cohesion remains a foundational prerequisite for sustaining positive attitudes toward institutional stability. The family operates as the primary engine for the transmission of moral and cultural assets; hence, any functional attrition within this sphere inevitably invites social pathologies and structural fragmentation. Furthermore, the significant positive paths discovered between interpersonal trust and family stability validate Giddens’ thesis on the role of trust in late-modern relational dynamics. Higher configurations of internal domestic trust and broader generalized social trust organically foster resilient outlooks on institutional continuity. Conversely, the liquidation of social capital and the erosion of trust render marital networks precarious, escalating the probability of severe domestic friction. On the other hand, the negative impacts associated with vertical individualism and intensive social media usage indicate that late-modern cultural currents are actively destabilizing traditional relational arrangements. The rise of competitive, market-driven individualism, combined with a hyper-focus on self-maximization and high media exposure, erodes family commitments and weakens internal solidarity. These patterns echo Durkheim’s classic concerns regarding the decline of organic social solidarity in modernizing milieus, as well as Gerbner’s cultivation theory regarding the capacity of media to reshape cultural values. Social media platforms do not merely provide communication channels; they actively cultivate a redefinition of domestic values and alter relational expectations. In contrast, the protective role of collectivist values especially vertical collectivism, which prioritizes duty, familial obligation, filial piety, and the collective interest over the atomized self highlights the enduring resilience of the traditional Iranian cultural core. This cultural asset serves as an ideological shield against external destabilizing factors. In conclusion, attitudes toward family stability cannot be reduced to atomized psychological preferences; rather, they constitute a multidimensional socio-cultural phenomenon bounded by economic, media, and normative configurations. Consequently, strategies aimed at augmenting social capital, delivering communication and conflict-resolution training, enhancing media literacy, and regulating digital consumption are vital for mitigating family social pathologies. 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Social Studies and Research in Iran, 3(3), 357–382. https://doi.org/10.22059/JISR.2014.53145 DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.22095/JWSS.2018.89244">10.22095/JWSS.2018.89244</a>     <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">*</a> Ph.D. Student of Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. <a href="mailto:M.Mousavi8737@iau.ir">M.Mousavi8737@iau.ir</a> https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2125-7104 <a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">** </a>Corresponding Author: Professor, Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. <a href="mailto:M-Mirzaie@srbiau.ac.ir">M-Mirzaie@srbiau.ac.ir</a> https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5177-9240 <a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">***</a> Professor, Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. <a href="mailto:b.saroukhani@yahoo.com">b.saroukhani@yahoo.com</a> https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1912-3409مطالعه حاضر با هدف تبیین جامعه&zwnj;شناختی نگرش به پایداری خانواده با تأکید بر آسیب&zwnj;های اجتماعی شهر اصفهان در چارچوب رویکرد روش&zwnj;شناسی کمّی و با استفاده از روش پیمایش انجام شده است. جامعه آماری پژوهش، شهروندان شهر اصفهان بوده&zwnj;اند که تعداد 459 نفر از آنان با استفاده از شیوه نمونه&zwnj;گیری خوشه&zwnj;ای انتخاب شده و مورد مطالعه قرار گرفته&zwnj;اند. ابزار گردآوری داده&zwnj;ها، پرسشنامه بوده و تجزیه&zwnj; و تحلیل داده&zwnj;ها در دو سطح توصیفی و استنباطی انجام شده است. یافته&zwnj;های پژوهش نشان می&zwnj;دهد که میزان نگرش به پایداری خانواده در بین جامعه آماری، بالاتر از حد متوسط است. با این&zwnj; حال تفاوت&zwnj;های معناداری در برخی متغیرهای جمعیت&zwnj;شناختی و اجتماعی مشاهده می&zwnj;شود که می&zwnj;توان آنها را به&zwnj; عنوان نشانه&zwnj;هایی از آسیب&zwnj;پذیری نهاد خانواده در برابر تحولات اجتماعی و فرهنگی تحلیل کرد. نتایج تحلیل&zwnj;های استنباطی نشان داد که متغیرهایی نظیر استفاده از رسانه&zwnj;ها، اعتماد بین&zwnj;شخصی، فردگرایی و جمع&zwnj;گرایی، نقش معناداری در تبیین نگرش به پایداری خانواده و پیشگیری یا تشدید آسیب&zwnj;های اجتماعی خانواده دارند. در مجموع نتایج پژوهش بیانگر آن است که تضعیف نگرش به پایداری خانواده می&zwnj;تواند زمینه&zwnj;ساز بروز و گسترش آسیب&zwnj;های اجتماعی در سطح خانواده و جامعه باشد.

http://risi.ihss.ac.ir/ar/Article/Download/52609

مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوریپژوهش انحرافات و مسائل اجتماعی3060-821X5172026627Investigating the Role of Instagram Influencers’ Pages in Lifestyle Formation: A Case Study of Users in the City of Tabrizبررسی نقش صفحات اینستاگرامی اینفلوئنسرها در سبک زندگی مورد مطالعه: کاربران شهر تبریز89118fa محمودابراهیمی سعیددانشجوی دکتری علوم ارتباطات اجتماعی، واحد تهران شمال، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایرانhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-0187-3742ليلانيرومنددانشیار گروه ارتباطات، واحد تهران شرق، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی ، تهران، ایران https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4882-659X2025930Investigating the Role of Instagram Influencers’ Pages in Lifestyle Formation: A Case Study of Users in the City of Tabriz   Mahmoud Ebrahimi Saeid<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">*</a>  Leila Niroomand<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">**</a>   This research aims to investigate the impact of Instagram influencers’ pages on the lifestyle of citizens in Tabriz. In the contemporary era, social networks, particularly Instagram, play a decisive role in shaping the behavioral patterns and lifestyles of users. This study was conducted using a quantitative approach and a survey method. The statistical population consisted of the citizens of Tabriz, from whom 388 individuals were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected via an online questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings revealed that influencer characteristics—such as attractiveness, credibility, trustworthiness, and social interaction—have a direct and significant impact on changes in the followers’ lifestyles. Furthermore, content produced in the fields of fashion, health, and lifestyle has led to changes in individuals’ dietary habits, physical activity, and mental health. Users’ personal motivations, including entertainment, learning, and self-improvement, also play a mediating role in these relationships, reinforcing the influence of influencer content. The results of the structural equation modeling indicated that the model of relationships between independent variables (influencer characteristics, produced content, and personal motivations) and the dependent variable (lifestyle) has a favorable fit (RMSEA=0.047, CFI=0.931). Path coefficients indicate that although some promotional content from influencers can have a negative impact on certain aspects of lifestyle, such as nutrition and mental health (β=-0.422), users’ positive motivations, particularly in the areas of learning and self-improvement, demonstrate significant positive effects. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the influence of Instagram influencers on the lifestyle of Tabriz citizens is multidimensional and depends on the type of content and user motivations. The results of this research can be utilized in cultural and media policy-making to improve media literacy and promote healthy lifestyles.   Keywords: Instagram Pages; Influencers; Lifestyle; Media Literacy; Digital Content.     In the contemporary sociological landscape, the intersection of digital communication networks and consumer culture has fundamentally reconfigured the mechanisms of identity construction and socialization. In Iran, Instagram has transcended its initial function as a simple micro-blogging or entertainment platform to become an autonomous cultural arena that heavily dictates patterns of cultural consumption, aesthetic standards, and lifestyle paradigms. As urban citizens spend a substantial portion of their daily lives navigating this digital space, the platform has become a primary site for role modeling, value transmission, and symbolic representation. Within this digital ecology, social media influencers operate as highly potent informal opinion leaders and creators of symbolic capital. By sharing curated everyday narratives, these micro-celebrities foster a deep sense of psychological proximity with their audiences. This mediated closeness allows them to bypass traditional cultural institutions and directly shape the choices, aspirations, and values of their followers. Crucially, this sociological dynamic is not a unidirectional process of passive media cultivation. Audiences act as active agents driven by distinct cognitive and emotional motivations—such as entertainment-seeking, knowledge acquisition, or self-actualization. These subjective needs act as filtering mechanisms that determine the extent and direction of an influencer's impact. Focusing empirically on the metropolitan population of Tabriz, this study explores the structural and socio-psychological pathways through which Instagram influencers shape modern lifestyles.   This research adopts a quantitative survey design. The statistical population consisted of Instagram users in the city of Tabriz. In order to enhance generalizability, a simple random sampling method was employed, resulting in a sample size of 388 respondents. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale. The instrument measured the core constructs of the conceptual model, including: Perceived characteristics of influencers (attractiveness, credibility, authenticity, and social interaction); Content characteristics of Instagram pages (fashion, health, and lifestyle-related content); User motivations (entertainment, learning, and self-improvement); Lifestyle-related indicators (nutrition, physical activity, cultural consumption, and mental health). Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), which allows for the simultaneous examination of direct and indirect relationships, the assessment of mediating variables, and the evaluation of overall model fit. The model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit of the theoretical framework to the empirical data (RMSEA = 0.047; CFI = 0.931). These indices confirm the adequacy and consistency of the proposed conceptual model with the observed data. Additionally, the reliability and validity of the constructs were confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and factor loadings.   The findings of the study indicate that influencers’ characteristics play a significant role in shaping users’ lifestyles. Specifically, factors such as attractiveness, credibility, trustworthiness, and social interaction were found to have direct and statistically significant effects. These results suggest that within the Instagram environment, influence is not determined solely by the number of followers or the volume of content produced; rather, the perceived qualities of the influencer play a crucial role in shaping audience acceptance of messages. Another important finding is that content shared by influencers particularly in the areas of fashion, health, and lifestyle—has a significant relationship with various aspects of users’ everyday lives. According to the study’s results, such content influences users’ dietary habits, physical activity, and mental health. This indicates that influencers can institutionalize certain patterns of consumption and everyday practices among audiences through the continuous representation of specific behaviors and lifestyles. In addition to content-related effects, user motivations were identified as important mediating variables. Motivations such as entertainment, learning, and personal development encourage users to follow influencer pages with greater enthusiasm and engagement, thereby increasing the likelihood of being influenced by the content they encounter. In other words, users are not attracted solely by the visual appeal of content; their personal goals and needs also contribute significantly to strengthening this relationship. At the same time, the findings also reveal a negative effect associated with certain types of promotional content. In particular, some advertising-oriented content demonstrated a negative relationship (β = -0.422) with aspects of nutrition and mental health. This finding suggests that not all forms of influencer impact are necessarily positive, and certain promotional or unrealistic portrayals may produce undesirable consequences for users. From the perspective of media sociology, such results serve as an important warning regarding the commercialization of lifestyle and its potential implications for citizens’ mental health and consumption behavior. Furthermore, the model fit indices, including RMSEA = 0.047 and CFI = 0.931, indicate that the proposed conceptual model effectively explains the empirical data. This strengthens the credibility of the findings and demonstrates that the model developed to explain the influence of Instagram influencers on lifestyle possesses satisfactory theoretical and empirical coherence.   The findings of this study demonstrate that Instagram influencers’ pages have become one of the most significant factors shaping lifestyle among citizens of Tabriz. This influence results from the interaction of several elements. On the one hand, the personal characteristics of influencers—such as attractiveness, credibility, and trustworthiness create the conditions necessary for trust and acceptance. On the other hand, the nature of the content shared in areas such as health, fashion, and lifestyle contribute to the reconfiguration of consumption patterns and everyday behaviors. Finally, users’ motivations either intensify or weaken this process. The results of the study are also consistent with theoretical perspectives related to para social interaction and the Two-Step Flow of Communication. Within this framework, influencers function as informal intermediaries in the transmission of meaning and behavioral patterns, while users reproduce the shared content in their everyday lives through processes of trust, identification, and symbolic connection. Consequently, the impact of Instagram on lifestyle should be understood through the interaction between media structures, message source characteristics, and user agency. From a practical perspective, the study highlights the importance of media literacy. Given that certain promotional content may have negative consequences for nutrition and mental health, users need to be aware of the commercial and persuasive nature of some messages. In addition, educational and cultural institutions can utilize responsible influencers to promote healthy lifestyles. Supporting positive and constructive social interactions through educational and support groups is therefore considered one of the important practical recommendations of this research. At the policy level, the findings suggest the need to establish a balance between promoting healthy lifestyle patterns and preventing harmful or unrealistic representations. This issue is particularly important in a media environment where the boundaries between advertising, entertainment, and lifestyle advice have become increasingly blurred. Consequently, cultural and media policies should be designed in a way that harnesses the positive potential of influencers while simultaneously preventing their possible negative impacts on mental health, consumption behavior, and lifestyle patterns. Overall, this study demonstrates that Instagram and its influencers are not merely communication tools; rather, they constitute one of the primary arenas for the reproduction of lifestyle in contemporary society. Understanding this process is essential for sociologists, media researchers, and cultural policymakers, as it reveals that lifestyle today is increasingly shaped through the interaction of media, identity, and consumption.   Abazari, Y., &Chavoshian, H. (2002) From social class to lifestyle: New approaches in the sociological analysis of identity. Nameh-ye Oloum-e Ejtemaei, 5(4), 71–98. <a href="https://jnoe.ut.ac.ir/article_10507.html">https://jnoe.ut.ac.ir/article_10507.html</a>. Ajili, H., &Beiki, M. (2014) Dissecting lifestyle in capitalist society. Quarterly Journal of Culture, Counseling and Psychotherapy, 4(13), 35–42. <a href="https://doi.org/10.22054/qccpc.2013.6086">https://doi.org/10.22054/qccpc.2013.6086</a>. Ahmadi Marvili, N., et al. (2019) The role of personality organization and attachment styles in adolescents’ tendency toward self-harming behaviors and suicide. Journal of Rehabilitation Research in Nursing, 5(3), 14–22. <a href="http://ijrn.ir/article-1-449-fa.html">http://ijrn.ir/article-1-449-fa.html</a> Akbari, A., & Akbari, M. (2011) Social Pathology. RoshdvaTowse’e Tehran, Iran. Akrami, N., et al. (2021) The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment-based training on self-differentiation and social health in female-headed households. Quarterly Journal of Psychological Methods and Models, 11(41), 1–16. <a href="https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.22285516.1399.11.41.1.5">https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.22285516.1399.11.41.1.5</a>. Azad Ormaki, T., &Emami, Y. (2004) Formation of the public sphere and rational deliberation. Iranian Journal of Sociology, 5(1), 42–50. <a href="https://www.magiran.com/article/873506">https://www.magiran.com/article/873506</a>. Bahrami, K. (2009) Media systems theory. Kavir, Tehran, Iran. Bakt, R. (2002) Consumption: Its meaning and function in society (K. Sabri, Trans.), Shirazeh. Tehran, Iran. Beyengani, B., Irandoust, F., & Ahmadi, S. (2013) Lifestyle from a sociological perspective: An introduction to understanding and examining the concept of lifestyle. Journal of Cultural Engineering, (77), 70–79. <a href="https://lib.isfahan.ir/inventory/113/32123.htm">https://lib.isfahan.ir/inventory/113/32123.htm</a>. Baudrillard, J. (2015) The consumer society: Myths and structures (P. Izadi, Trans.), Soroush. Tehran, Iran. Bourdieu, P. (2012) Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste (H. Chavoshian, Trans.), Soroush. Tehran, Iran. PouryousefiGabieh, A., Kazemi Pour, S., &SaeiArsi, I. (2024) Factors affecting the influence of virtual social networks among students. Social and Cultural Changes, 21(80), 95–116. <a href="https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/aukh/Article/1076956">https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/aukh/Article/1076956</a>. Storey, J. (2010) Cultural studies and popular culture (H. Payandeh, Trans.) Agah. Tehran, Iran. White, S. (2001) Reason, justice, and modernity (M. Hariri Akbari, Trans.). Tehran, Iran: Ghatreh. Esmaeilpour, M., Hasani, A., &Mohammadi, M. (2024) How social media influencers affect adolescents' dietary habits: A mixed method study. Nutrition Journal. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-024-00921-5">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-024-00921-5</a>. Freberg, K., Graham, K., McGaughey, K., &Freberg, L. (2011) Who are the social media influencers? A study of public perceptions of personality. Public Relations Review. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.11.001">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.11.001</a>. Jiménez-Castillo, D., & Sánchez-Fernández, J. (2019) Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer trust. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 19(1), 58–73. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2019.1565330">https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2019.1565330</a>. Khamis, S., Ang, L., & Welling, R. (2017) Self-branding, 'micro-celebrity' and the rise of social media influencers. Celebrity Studies. Marwick, A. (2015) Instafame: Luxury selfies in the attention economy. Public Culture. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2016.1218290">https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2016.1218290</a>. Zhang, K. Z., Zhao, S. J., Cheung, C. M., & Lee, M. K. (2017) Examining the influence of online reviews on consumers’ decision-making: A heuristic–systematic model. Decision Support Systems, 67, 78–89. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2014.08.004">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2014.08.004</a>. Zhao, Y., Li, X., & Huang, T. (2024) The influence of social media on health behaviors: A comprehensive review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020198">https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020198</a>.       <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">*</a> Ph.D. Student in Social Communication Sciences, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. <a href="mailto:M.ebrahimisaeid@iau.ac.ir">M.ebrahimisaeid@iau.ac.ir</a> https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0187-3742 <a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">**</a> Corresponding Author: Associate Professor, Department of Communication, East Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. <a href="mailto:362479@iau.ac.ir">362479@iau.ac.ir</a> https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4882-659Xاین پژوهش با هدف بررسی تأثیر صفحات اینفلوئنسرهای اینستاگرام بر سبک زندگی شهروندان تبریز انجام شده است. در عصر حاضر، شبکه&zwnj;های اجتماعی به&zwnj;ویژه اینستاگرام، نقش تعیین&zwnj;کننده&zwnj;ای در شکل&zwnj;دهی به الگوهای رفتاری و سبک زندگی کاربران دارند. این مطالعه با رویکرد کمّی و روش پیمایشی انجام شد. جامعه آماری شامل شهروندان تبریز بود که ۳۸۸ نفر از آنان به &zwnj;صورت تصادفی ساده انتخاب شدند. داده&zwnj;ها از طریق پرسشنامه آنلاین با مقیاس پنج&zwnj;درجه&zwnj;ای لیکرت گردآوری و با استفاده از مدل&zwnj;سازی معادلات ساختاری (SEM) تحلیل شد. یافته&zwnj;ها نشان داد که ویژگی&zwnj;های اینفلوئنسرها همچون جذابیت، اعتبار، صداقت و تعامل اجتماعی، تأثیر مستقیم و معناداری بر تغییرات سبک زندگی دنبال&zwnj;کنندگان دارند. همچنین محتوای تولیدی در زمینه&zwnj;های مد، سلامت و سبک زندگی، موجب تغییراتی در عادات غذایی، فعالیت بدنی و سلامت روانی افراد شده است. انگیزه&zwnj;های فردی کاربران از جمله سرگرمی، یادگیری و بهبود فردی نیز نقش واسطه&zwnj;ای در این روابط ایفا کرده، اثرگذاری محتوای اینفلوئنسرها را تقویت می&zwnj;کند. نتایج مدل&zwnj;سازی معادلات ساختاری نشان داد که روابط میان متغیرهای مستقل (ویژگی&zwnj;های اینفلوئنسر، محتوای تولیدی و انگیزه&zwnj;های شخصی) و متغیر وابسته (سبک زندگی)، برازش مطلوبی دارد (RMSEA=0.047، CFI=0.931). ضرایب مسیر بیانگر آن است که هرچند برخی محتوای تبلیغی اینفلوئنسرها می&zwnj;تواند اثر منفی بر جنبه&zwnj;هایی از سبک زندگی مانند تغذیه و سلامت روان داشته باشد (β=-0.422)، انگیزه&zwnj;های مثبت کاربران به&zwnj;ویژه در زمینه یادگیری و بهبود فردی، تأثیرات مثبت و معناداری نشان می&zwnj;دهد. در مجموع یافته&zwnj;ها بیانگر آن است که اثرگذاری اینفلوئنسرهای اینستاگرامی بر سبک زندگی شهروندان تبریز، چندبعدی و وابسته به نوع محتوا و انگیزه&zwnj;های کاربران است. نتایج این پژوهش می&zwnj;تواند در سیاست&zwnj;گذاری فرهنگی و رسانه&zwnj;ای برای بهبود سواد رسانه&zwnj;ای و ترویج سبک زندگی سالم به کار رود.

http://risi.ihss.ac.ir/ar/Article/Download/51660

مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوریپژوهش انحرافات و مسائل اجتماعی3060-821X5172026627A Meta-Analysis of Research on the Impact of Virtual Social Networks on Political Participation in Iranفراتحلیل مطالعات تأثیر شبکه‌های اجتماعی مجازی بر مشارکت سیاسی در ایران119146fa ژیلا پوریادانشجوی دکتری جامعه‌شناسی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، واحد علوم تحقیقات تهران، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4552-2023 تهمينهشاورديدانشیار گروه جامعه‌شناسی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، واحد علوم تحقیقات تهران، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1855-6686عاصمهقاسمیاستادیار گروه جامعه شناسی علوم اجتماعی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، واحد علوم تحقیقات تهران، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تهران، ایران https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3119-10172025727A Meta-Analysis of Research on the Impact of Virtual Social Networks on Political Participation in Iran   Zhila Pourya<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">*</a> Tahmineh Shaverdi<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">**</a> Asemeh Ghasemi <a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">***</a>   Political participation serves as a benchmark indicator for social, cultural, and political development, constituting a defining characteristic of an active civil society. In the contemporary era, virtual social networks significantly modulate the dynamics and intensity of political participation. This study conducts a quantitative meta-analysis of domestic empirical research published in Iran between 2009 and 2023 (1388–1402 AH) exploring the relation between virtual social networks and political participation. The empirical findings indicate that all included primary studies are statistically significant at the 99% confidence level, with the sole exception of one study. A funnel plot analysis revealed the presence of a notable publication bias. Utilizing a random-effects model, the calculated combined average effect size of virtual social network utilization on political participation was determined to be 0.297. This estimated effect size falls within the acceptable confidence interval, thereby empirically validating the positive impact of virtual platforms on political activism. According to Cohen's criteria, this point estimate signifies a small-to-moderate effect size. Furthermore, the homogeneity test confirmed significant heterogeneity among the primary effect sizes. Sociologically, these results suggest that digital platforms up to some extend foster critical political awareness, lower communication barriers, and facilitate the self-organization of citizens into associations and civil society groups. This digital mobilization, in turn, enhances citizen oversight over political resource holders and institutional authorities.   Keywords: Meta-analysis, Social Networks, Political participation, Iran, Political behavior.       Introduction Political participation is widely recognized as a foundational pillar of civic identity and a primary source of institutional legitimacy for contemporary governments. This multifaceted phenomenon is shaped by an array of structural and environmental variables, including the institutional vitality of political parties, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), trade unions, grassroots syndicates, and traditional or digital elites. In the modern public sphere, the free flow of information has migrated from conventional mass media to virtual social networks. These digital platforms have thoroughly restructured not only everyday social integration but also the micro-dynamics of political behavior. Core political actions such as voting, participating in physical or digital rallies, expressing ideological dissent, and coordinating collective action are increasingly mediated through online communication. Consequently, political actors and state officials heavily utilize these tools due to their unprecedented audience reach, rapid dissemination capabilities, and the circumvention of traditional media gatekeeping. Prominent global examples, such as the strategic use of Twitter (X) during various US presidential campaigns and diplomatic standoffs, alongside the active digital presence of Iranian authorities, underscore this paradigm shift. Virtual social networks have evolved into autonomous domains for news production and public discourse, directly influencing whether citizens choose to participate in or alienate themselves from the political process. By using a systematic quantitative meta-analysis, this study synthesizes conflicting empirical findings within the Iranian academic literature to answer a central question: "What is the collective structural impact of virtual social networks on the political participation of the Iranian population?"   Experimental Background Globally, extensive research has studied the relation of digital media and political mobilization. For instance, Orijinwa and Perseus (2023), in their study "Agenda Setting for Public Discourse: Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Political Participation among Youths," demonstrated that virtual platforms successfully executed an agenda-setting function during the 2023 Nigerian general elections, substantially driving youth turnout. Similarly, Ahmed, Alvi, and Iftikhar (2019) explored social media dynamics in Pakistan, finding that university students leverage digital networks to cultivate political awareness, which translates into online activism and offline electoral participation. Furthermore, Mahmud and Amin (2017), investigating Facebook usage at the University of Dhaka, concluded that social media platforms are instrumental in coordinating physical demonstrations, human chains, and civil rights advocacy, reinforcing the hypothesis that online engagement catalyzes offline political mobilization.   Theoretical framework The theoretical architecture of this study is grounded in two primary sociological paradigms: <ol style="text-align: left;"> <li>Lerner’s Modernization Theory: In his classic work, The Passing of Traditional Society: Modernizing the Middle East, which analyzed data from six developing nations (including Iran), Lerner demonstrated a robust, statistically significant relationship between exposure to mass communication media and the expansion of socio-political participation.</li> <li>Putnam’s Social Capital Theory emphasizes the vital role of social networks in generating civic engagement. He posits that denser social networks yield higher levels of generalized trust and reciprocity, enabling citizens to collaborate more effectively for mutual benefit. When transposed to the digital sphere, horizontal virtual networks function as modern institutional spaces that foster interpersonal interaction, build horizontal social capital, and lower the transaction costs of collective political action.</li> </ol>   Methodology The present study used the meta-analysis method. The statistical population is all research conducted in Iran on the same topic as the impact of virtual social networks on users' political participation. The internal criteria for entering the meta-analysis were Persian-language articles published between 2009 to 2023 in scientific and research journals. In addition, in this study, the dimensions of social networks such as Instagram, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook were studied. The external criteria also included the elimination of articles that were conducted using a qualitative method and did not obtain an acceptable score, as well as articles that did not raise the coefficients of coherence and regression despite the survey method. 47 article titles were extracted using the keywords of virtual social networks Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram between 2009 to 2023 were indexed and collected. After reviewing the titles and articles, fourteen articles that met the criteria for entering the meta-analysis were selected and were performed with the CMA2 software (Comprehensive Meta-Analysis and Effect Size Calculation Software).   Findings The variance and effect size of the studies were examined. According to the findings, all studies conducted on the relationship between the use of virtual social networks and political participation were shown to be significant at the 99 confidence level, except for the study by Khajeh Sarwari and Nourbakhsh (2018), where the largest effect size is related to the study by Amin et al. and the smallest effect size is related to the study by Bayat (2018). The effect sizes indicate that virtual social networks should be expanded not only as communication tools but also as effective and socially influential mechanisms from the individual to the structural level. Evaluating bias due to publication of published studies and non-publication of unpublished research is one of the basic issues in meta-analysis; the most common method is the funnel plot. In this method, the hypothesis (Ho) indicates that the plot is symmetrical and there is no publication bias, and the opposite hypothesis (H1) indicates that the funnel plot is asymmetrical and there is publication bias. Studies have shown that the average use of virtual social networks and political participation are somewhat scattered, and the effect size is not very accurate at points close to the mean. Publication bias with a high effect size can indicate the effect of virtual networks on political participation. The results of the findings in examining the effect size of studies on the relationship between virtual social networks and political participation show that the average effect size of using virtual social networks on political participation is 0.297. And the estimated effect size is within the confidence limit. Therefore, the limit effect of virtual social networks on political participation is confirmed. The point estimate with the Cohen criterion indicates a low to moderate effect. Therefore, the use of virtual social networks can have a small effect on political participation. The stochastic model states that the effect of virtual social networks on political participation is explainable and this effect reflect the developments in the digital space of political culture and power structures and institutional constraints.   Conclusion The empirical synthesis achieved through this meta-analysis confirms that virtual social networks up to some extend are capable of reshaping and expanding political participation within the contemporary Iranian context. However, this digital influence is not uniform; it is continually moderated by macro-structural, socio-cultural, and institutional variables. The findings up to some extend are congruent with the international literature, including the work of Ahmed et al. (2019) in Pakistan and Mahmud and Amin (2017) in Bangladesh, which established that digital media serves as an accelerator for political literacy and civil mobilization. The findings strongly validate Putnam's emphasis on horizontal social networks. Unlike vertical, state-controlled traditional media, virtual social networks cultivate horizontal social capital. By facilitating equal-status communication, mutual trust, and collective digital agency, these networks allow citizens to construct autonomous spaces for political discourse. Furthermore, as noted by Orijinwa and Perseus (2023), these platforms excel at digital agenda-setting, turning fragmented individual grievances into coherent collective actions. In conclusion, virtual social networks cannot be evaluated as mere passive tools for entertainment or simple information retrieval. They constitute highly dynamic institutional arenas that redefine state-society relations. By decentralizing information networks, digital platforms democratize political awareness and strengthen the capacity of civil society to monitor and critique institutional authorities. For policymakers and social scientists alike, these results indicate that traditional models of state gatekeeping are increasingly obsolete. Future social and political planning must recognize the decentralized, network-driven nature of modern civic engagement, shifting focus toward expanding digital literacy and building institutional channels that can constructively absorb the digital political agency of the population.   References Abdollahinejad, Alireza and Javad Sadeghi and Abuzar Ghasemi-nejad (2016) Social Media and political participation in elections: The relationship between the use of Facebook, Telegram and Instagram and students' political participation in the elections of March 2015, Quarterly Journal of New Media Studies, 2nd year, No. 5, pp. 77-102 <a href="https://doi.org/10.220547nms.2018.1022054">https://doi.org/10.220547nms.2018.1022054</a> Adlipour, Samad and Vahid Ghasemi and Rezvan Jazati and Nafi Zahri (2014) The effect of using the social network Facebook on youth trust and political participation, Studies on Culture and Communication, Year 15, Issue 28, pp. 3407 https;// doi.org/20.1001.1.2008870,1393.1528.7.3 Amini Salam and Mostafa Kawakbian and Tahmourt Shiri (2019) A study of social factors affecting the political participation of people in Ilam province, Political Sociology of Iran, No. 11, pp. 132-155 <a href="https://doi.org/10.30510/psi.2020.1176981">https://doi.org/10.30510/psi.2020.1176981</a> Arijeniwa, Nwaoboliadedeji. Precious, Emeke (2023), Setting agenda for public discourse: Examining the impact of social media on political participation amongst Nigerian youth, International Journal of Arts, Humanities and Management Studies , 10 (1), Pp 36-53 Ashtarian Kiumert and Mohammad Reza Amirzadeh (2015) A study of the effects of virtual social networks on political participation, a case study of Tehran city, Politics, Year 45, No. 4, pp. 111-95 <a href="https://doi.org/10.22059/jpq2015.055946">https://doi.org/10.22059/jpq2015.055946</a> Elahimanesh, Mohammad Hassan and Zahireh Ghadiri and Hadi Farjamikia (2018) The effect of cyberspace on the political participation of citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran (a case study of Tehran city, Shushtar Social Sciences, Year 12, No. 4, pp. 247-272 Ghafari, Gholamreza Niazi, Mohsen (2016) Sociology of Participation, Near, Tehran, Iran. Hersij Hossein and Reza Mahmoud Oghli Mahmoud Reza Rahbar Ghazi and Hadi Abbaszadeh Baghi (2012) An investigation into the relationship between media consumption and political participation of Isfahan University students Communication Research Year 19, Issue 2, pp. 7-34 <a href="https://doi.org/10.22082/cr.2012.23363">https://doi.org/10.22082/cr.2012.23363</a> Issa Nejad, Omid and Seyyed Javad Imam Jumezadeh, Baraza Mahmoud Oghli (2010) An investigation into the relationship between religiosity and political participation of Isfahan University students, Journal of Political Science Research, Issue 1, pp. 7034 https://doi.org/10.22034/psj.2011.8894 Kazemizad Heydarbaghi, Alireza and Hossein Ahmadi Sefidan and Aziz Javanpour Heravi and Ehsan Shakeri (1402) “The Impact of Cyberspace Management Strategies on Citizens’ Political Participation National Defense Strategic Management Studies Volume 7, No. 26, pp. 218-185 https://doi.org/10.S1547/issk.7.26.2526 Khaja Sarwari, Gholamreza and Seyyed Masoud Nourbakhsh (2018) The Impact of Mass Media on Political Participation of Tehrani Citizens, 9th Year, No. 2, pp. 81055 https://doi.org/1030465/cps.2018.3406 Khaniki, Hadi and Yousef Khojir (2018) Social Media and Political Participation: A Meta-Analysis of Political Participation of Social Media Users, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, Winter 21, pp. 101-128 <a href="https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2019.3122.3422">https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2019.3122.3422</a> Kvale, j. 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First published July 17.   <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">*</a> Corresponding Author: Ph.D. Student in Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tehran Research Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. firozbahram919@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4552-2023 <a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">**</a> Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tehran Research Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. T.shaverdi@yahoo.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1855-6686 <a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">***</a> Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tehran Research Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. asemeh.ghasemi@srbiau.ac.ir <a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3119-1017">https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3119-1017</a>مشارکت سیاسی، یکی از شاخص&zwnj;های توسعۀ اجتماعی، توسعۀ فرهنگی، توسعۀ سیاسی و از ویژگی&zwnj;های جامعۀ مدنی است. شبکه&zwnj;های مجازی، نقش گسترده&zwnj;ای بر فرایند مشارکت سیاسی افراد دارند. در پژوهش حاضر، تحقیقات داخلی از سال 1388 تا 1402 درباره مشارکت سیاسی و شبکه&zwnj;های مجازی بررسی شده است. در این مسیر از روش فراتحلیل کمّی استفاده شده است. یافته&zwnj;های پژوهش نشان می&zwnj;دهد که تمامی مطالعات در سطح اطمینان 99% معنادار هستند؛ به &zwnj;جز مطالعه خواجه سروری و نوربخش. اریب انتشار وجود دارد. میانگین اندازه اثر استفاده از شبکه&zwnj;های اجتماعی مجازی (اثرات ترکیبی تصادفی) بر مشارکت سیاسی در مطالعات مورد بررسی، معادل 297/0 است. اندازه اثر برآورد شده در محدوده اطمینان است. بنابراین تأثیر شبکه&zwnj;های اجتماعی مجازی بر مشارکت سیاسی تأیید می&zwnj;شود. برآورد نقطه&zwnj;ای محاسبه&zwnj;شده مطابق با معیار کوهن، بیانگر اثر در حد کم رو به متوسط است. نتایج حاصل از آزمون، فرض ناهمگنی اندازه اثر در مطالعات اولیه را تأیید می&zwnj;کند. نتایج نشان می&zwnj;دهد که ترس برخی حکومت&zwnj;ها از مشارکت سیاسی، توجیه&zwnj;پذیر است؛ زیرا شبکه&zwnj;های مجازی سبب آگاهی راستین بیشتر افراد جامعه شده، آنان را در قالب انجمن&zwnj;ها، گروه&zwnj;ها و جامعۀ مدنی شکل می&zwnj;دهد که مشارکت سیاسی را فرامی&zwnj;خواند و مشارکت سیاسی افراد، کنترل آنها را بر اعمال صاحبان منابع سیاسی، بیشتر می&zwnj;گرداند.

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مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوریپژوهش انحرافات و مسائل اجتماعی3060-821X5172026627A Pathological Analysis of the Social and Cultural Impacts of the Teacher Ranking System: A Case Study of Teachers in Khuzestan Provinceآسیب‌شناسی آثار اجتماعی و فرهنگی نظام رتبه‌بندی معلمان: مورد مطالعه: معلمان استان خوزستان147173fa زهرا درویشیدانشجوی دکتری رفاه تعاون اجتماعی، دانشکده علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7899-318620251013A Pathological Analysis of the Social and Cultural Impacts of the Teacher Ranking System: A Case Study of Teachers in Khuzestan Province     Zahra Darvishi<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">*</a>   This article evaluates the Teacher Ranking System from social, cultural, and economic perspectives to identify its constructive and adverse impacts and propose mitigating policy measures. The study focuses on eligible teachers within Khuzestan Province, Iran. Utilizing a qualitative approach, data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and extensive document analysis. The findings indicate that the negative social impacts include unhealthy competition, the erosion of collaborative networks, a hyper-fixation on administrative documentation overactive instruction, pervasive feelings of frustration and systemic injustice, and acute evaluation-induced psychological stress. Conversely, the positive social impacts manifest as latent improvements in instructional quality, heightened professional motivation, and a commitment to continuous professional development. Culturally, the system has inadvertently undermined teachers' professional prestige through rigid hierarchical classifications, though it has also fostered a culture of continuous learning and merit-based values. Economically, the initiative has introduced hidden personal costs for compliance, offset by salary increments and the baseline establishment of a merit-based compensation structure. The study concludes that implementing an evaluative system without addressing its contextual and multidimensional challenges undermines its efficacy. Therefore, a comprehensive, scientific, and realistic paradigm centered on equity, transparency, and teacher satisfaction is paramount for the policy's sustainability.   Keywords: Education, Teacher Ranking, Teacher Professional Development, Educational Quality, Social Impacts Evaluation. Introduction Teachers constitute the foundational cornerstone of any educational system; their professional status, psychological motivation, and working conditions directly modulate instructional quality, student achievement, and long-term national development. Consequently, educational reforms targeting the teaching workforce must be designed with conceptual precision and executed with structural fairness and transparency. In Iran, the "Teacher Ranking System" was ratified within the macro-framework of the Fundamental Transformation Document of Education as a flagship reform initiative. Its explicit mandates were to elevate instructional quality, fortify teacher motivation, enhance professional prestige, institutionalize merit-based career advancement, and align financial compensation with professional competencies and real-world performance. The ranking system evaluates educators across multiple dimensions, including general competencies, specialized knowledge, professional skills, and experiential milestones. Theoretically, this policy replaces uniform, seniority-based promotion practices with a structured, meritocratic trajectory. By explicitly linking evaluation outcomes to step-up salary increments and professional titles, the policy aims to incentivize continuous professional development and optimize student learning outcomes. However, the empirical implementation of this system has yielded a highly convoluted matrix of unintended consequences. While a segment of the workforce reports enhanced motivation, structured professional growth, and formal validation of their pedagogical efforts, a significant counter-narrative highlights toxic competition, excessive bureaucratic documentation, psychological burnout, perceptions of institutional injustice, and the fragmentation of collegial solidarity. These polarizing outcomes demonstrate that the ranking system cannot be reduced to a mere administrative or technocratic adjustment. Instead, it operates as a multidimensional intervention with profound social, cultural, psychological, and economic ramifications that reshape the daily lived experiences of educators and the organizational climate of schools. Given these institutional complexities, this study conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the social, cultural, and economic repercussions of the Teacher Ranking System in Khuzestan Province. The primary objective is to map both the constructive and destructive impacts of the policy, assess their intensity, and furnish actionable recommendations for systemic calibration. Specifically, the study interrogates whether the current evaluation matrix genuinely advances educational quality and professional status, or whether it manufactures novel modes of inequality, stress, and institutional friction.   Theoretical Framework This research is theoretically grounded in the framework of Social Impact Assessment (SIA), which provides a systematic methodology for identifying and managing the social consequences of macro-policies, programs, and institutional interventions in human communities. SIA posits that policy outcomes invariably spill over formal administrative targets and quantifiable metrics; they fundamentally encompass the lived experiences, emotional responses, micro-social relations, perceptions of institutional justice, and cultural configurations of the targeted actors. Within this analytical matrix, "impact" denotes any enduring or meaningful alteration in human lives that is subjectively experienced, perceived, and socially validated. By deploying SIA, this study transcends narrow technocratic assessments of salary adjustments, looking instead at the broader social ecology of schools. Drawing on established SIA literature, the identified impacts are classified into interconnected analytical domains: social well-being and mental health, pedagogical quality, cultural identity and prestige, institutional justice, and localized economic conditions. This holistic categorization facilitates a nuanced understanding of how top-down structural ranking modifies school subcultures, professional identities, and collaborative paradigms.   Methodology This study utilizes an applied, qualitative research design. A qualitative approach was deemed appropriate to explore the subjective, lived experiences of educators and to interpret the social meanings they ascribe to the ranking process. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and purposive urban policy document analysis. The sample comprised 20 actively employed teachers from Khuzestan Province, selected via purposive sampling based on their direct engagement with the ranking system and demographic diversity. The participant pool included 11 female and 9 male educators, with an average teaching tenure of 17.3 years, holding academic degrees ranging from bachelor’s to Ph.D. Professional roles were diverse, spanning teachers, school counselors, vice-principals, and principals, thereby ensuring a multi-perspectival dataset. Interviews were conducted between October 2024 and March 2025, each lasting 30 to 60 minutes. Sampling ceased upon reaching theoretical saturation, where further data collection yielded no novel thematic variations. The gathered data was processed using thematic analysis, systematically transcribing, open-coding, and axial-categorizing statements into 13 core variables distributed across three primary domains: social, cultural, and economic impacts.   Findings The empirical findings reveal that the Teacher Ranking System functions as a double-edged sword, inducing both constructive advancements and profound institutional pathologies. Positive Impacts <ul style="text-align: left;"> <li>Social: The policy has catalyzed a latent drive for instructional optimization. Many participants noted that the ranking criteria incentivized them to update lesson plans, refine classroom management, and participate in action research and collaborative lesson studies. Furthermore, receiving a formalized tier acted as an objective validation of professional efficacy, bolstering self-confidence and job commitment for certain demographics.</li> <li>Cultural: The system has successfully reinforced a professional ethos centered on continuous lifelong learning and meritocratic advancement, shifting the perception of professional growth from a one-time box-ticking exercise to an ongoing career responsibility.</li> <li>Economic: The most immediate positive outcome was the manifest increase in baseline salaries and structural benefits. Educators generally viewed a merit-based salary scale as philosophically superior and more equitable than flat, seniority-only progression models.</li> </ul> Negative Impacts <ul style="text-align: left;"> <li>Social: Conversely, adverse social impacts were highly pronounced. Chief among these was the generation of hyper-individualized, unhealthy competition. Rather than fostering a supportive professional environment, the system has injected rivalry, mutual suspicion, and mistrust, thereby weakening collegial bonds and intensifying friction between frontline teachers and school administrators.</li> <li>Operational Shift: A critical pathology identified was the displacement of authentic pedagogy by exhausting bureaucratic documentation. Teachers expressed intense frustration over dedicating immense time and personal energy to hoarding certificates and manufacturing compliance portfolios. This administrative burden diverted focus away from direct classroom interaction and occasionally incentivized superficial or exaggerated reporting practices.</li> <li>Psychological and Institutional: Widespread feelings of discouragement and perceived injustice emerged, primarily because the evaluation metrics failed to account for contextual structural inequities, such as systemic variations in school resources or student socioeconomic backgrounds. This omission induced severe evaluation anxiety, scoring uncertainty, and psychological stress.</li> <li>Cultural & Economic Dimensions: Culturally, the public and rigid hierarchy created by the ranking system risked stigmatizing lower-tiered educators, fracturing the symbolic solidarity of the teaching profession. Economically, hidden compliance costs surfaced; teachers frequently spent personal funds and off-duty hours on training modules and portfolio assembly, which diminished the net financial utility of the salary increments.</li> </ul>   Discussion Empirical evidence indicates that the Teacher Ranking System is a highly complex policy whose systemic feedback loops extend far beyond simple administrative restructuring. When executed under baseline conditions of organizational justice, transparency, and supportive infrastructure, it possesses the structural capacity to stimulate professional growth and optimize instructional architectures. However, flawed implementation produces severe, unintended systemic distortions. An over-reliance on easily quantifiable, bureaucratic documentation distorts professional behaviors, alienating teachers from core pedagogical duties. When the evaluation process is perceived as intrinsically unjust, it liquidates institutional trust, damages morale, and replaces a collaborative school culture which is fundamentally essential for educational development with toxic, individualized rivalry. Ultimately, the success of educational labor reforms is contingent not merely on theoretical design, but on the perceived fairness of its operational criteria, contextual flexibility, and the democratization of policy implementation through active teacher participation.   Scenarios and Policy Recommendations Based on the analyzed trajectories, the study models three potential systemic scenarios: <ol style="text-align: left;"> <li>The Pessimistic Scenario: A rigid, hyper-bureaucratic, and context-blind execution that solidifies institutional distrust, fuels toxic rivalry, damages teacher morale, and degrades real-world educational quality.</li> <li>The Optimistic Scenario: A transparent, supportive, and justice-oriented execution that organically fosters professional collaboration, objective skill acquisition, and systemic educational optimization.</li> <li>The Realistic Scenario: The introduction of gradual, iterative policy calibrations that systematically minimize administrative pathologies while preserving the baseline financial and meritocratic benefits.</li> </ol> To steer the policy toward the optimistic trajectory, five strategic interventions are proposed: <ol style="text-align: left;"> <li>Incorporate School-Based Collective Evaluation Elements: Integrate group-level metrics to suppress individualized rivalry and preserve institutional collaboration.</li> <li>De-emphasize Portfolio Bureaucracy: Shift the evaluative focus from paper-heavy documentation to qualitative, real-time metrics, such as peer and expert classroom observations.</li> <li>Streamline Digital Portfolios: Eliminate redundant, low-impact, and repetitive documentation requirements within the compliance infrastructure.</li> <li>Institutionalize Context-Sensitive Feedback: Deliver individualized evaluative feedback that actively factors in geographic, regional, and school-resource disparities.</li> <li>Safeguard Professional Prestige: Protect the symbolic status of educators by eliminating public disclosure of individual tiers and avoiding structural labeling practices that act as institutional stigmas.</li> </ol>   Conclusion While the Teacher Ranking System holds substantial theoretical promise for modernizing professional growth pathways and merit-based compensation in Iran, its current operational format carries critical risks of psychological burnout, perceived systemic injustice, and structural alienation. This study concludes that a sustainable educational reform requires an equity-oriented redesign, characterized by localized criteria flexibility, transparent accountability structures, and the active democratic inclusion of educators in policy refinement. Only by restoring institutional trust and transitioning to a supportive implementation model can the system fulfill its mandate and sustainably advance national educational development.   References Burr, Rable J. (2009) A Practical Guide to Social Impact Assessment, trans. Mohammadali Ramazani and Morteza Qalic, Tehran: Jameeh-ye Sosi-shenasan Publishers. Dandalt, E., & Brutus, S. (2020) “Teacher Performance Appraisal Regulation: A Policy Case Analysis,” NASSP Bulletin, 104(1), 20–33. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636520911197">https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636520911197</a> Fazeli, Mohammad (2017) Social Impact Assessment, Tehran Municipality, General Directorate of Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran: Jameeh-shenasan. 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Hassan Chavoshian, Tehran: Akhtarān Publishing, with financial support from the Social and Cultural Studies Office of Tehran Municipality. Rodriguez, L. A.; Swain, W. A.; & Springer, M. G. (2020) “Sorting Through Performance Evaluations: The Influence of Performance Evaluation Reform on Teacher Attrition and Mobility,” American Educational Research Journal, 57(6), 2339–2377. Tanang, H., & Abu, B. (2014) “Teacher Professionalism and Professional Development Practices in South Sulawesi, Indonesia,” Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 3(2), 25–42. DOI:<a href="https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v3n2p25">10.5430/jct.v3n2p25</a> Van Schouten, Marlies; Venclay, Frank; and Slotegraaf, Roel (2009) “Conceptualizing the Process of Social Change and Social Outcomes,” in: International Handbook of Social Impact Assessment, ed. Becker et al., trans. Hadi Jalili, Tehran: Social and Cultural Studies Office of Tehran Municipality. Zizi Torab, Zahra; Mohajeran, Behnaz; and Hasani, Mohammad (2022) “Designing a Model for Improving the Quality of the Teacher Ranking System,” Research in Educational Systems, Vol. 16, No. 57, pp. 37–50.  <a href="https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.23831324.1401.16.57.3.2">https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.23831324.1401.16.57.3.2</a>.   <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">*</a> Ph.D. Student in Social Welfare, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran. <a href="mailto:zdarvishi@ut.ac.ir">zdarvishi@ut.ac.ir</a> https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7899-3186هدف مقاله حاضر، ارزیابی طرح رتبه&zwnj;بندی معلمان از منظر اجتماعی و فرهنگی و اقتصادی است، تا ضمن شناسایی تأثیرات مثبت و منفی، راهکارهای تعدیلی ارائه شود. جامعه مورد مطالعه، معلمان استان خوزستان هستند که مشمول این طرح شده&zwnj;اند. داده&zwnj;ها از طریق مصاحبه و مطالعات اسنادی جمع&zwnj;آوری شده&zwnj;اند. یافته&zwnj;ها نشان می&zwnj;دهد که تأثیرات منفی اجتماعی شامل: رقابت ناسالم و تضعیف روابط همکاری، تمرکز بر مستندسازی به جای آموزش، ایجاد احساس ناکامی و بی&zwnj;عدالتی، فشار روانی ناشی از ارزیابی و مستندسازی است. در مقابل، تأثیرات مثبت اجتماعی عبارتند از: بهبود کیفیت آموزش و یادگیری، بهبود انگیزه و تعهد شغلی، تأثیر مثبت بر احساس شخصی و توسعه حرفه&zwnj;ای مستمر. از جنبه فرهنگی، تأثیرات منفی شامل خدشه&zwnj;دار شدن منزلت حرفه&zwnj;ای است. تأثیرات مثبت فرهنگی نیز شامل ارتقا و بهبود فرهنگ یادگیری و ارزش&zwnj;های شایستگی&zwnj;محور احصا شدند. در بُعد اقتصادی، تأثیرات منفی شامل افزایش هزینه&zwnj;های آموزشی است، در حالی&zwnj; که افزایش حقوق و مزایا، استقرار نظام پرداخت مبتنی بر شایستگی از تأثیرات مثبت اقتصادی به&zwnj; شمار می&zwnj;روند. نتایج نشان می&zwnj;دهد که اجرای نظام رتبه&zwnj;بندی بدون توجه به تمامی ابعاد و چالش&zwnj;ها، نمی&zwnj;تواند مؤثر باشد. از اینرو رویکردی جامع، علمی و واقع&zwnj;بینانه، با تأکید بر عدالت، شفافیت، توسعه حرفه&zwnj;ای و رضایت معلمان، برای موفقیت این طرح، ضروری است.

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