Volume 21, Issue 83 (3-2022)
refahj 2022, 21(83): 349-387 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Javadi A, Bradaran M A, Baradaran M. (2022). Relationship between Political Culture and Social Classes in Ardabil. refahj. 21(83), : 9
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-3795-en.html
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-3795-en.html
Full-Text [PDF 784 kb]
(1695 Downloads)
| Abstract (HTML) (2394 Views)
Full-Text: (111 Views)
Extended abstract
Introduction: One of the factors influencing political development is the way the political system and the political role of the people in that society is oriented. These political orientations and actions of individuals may differ among social classes (depending on economic and cultural capital). Accordingly, the present study seeks to identify the political culture of social classes in the society.
The theoretical framework of the current research study in the field of political culture is the theory of Almond and Verba, and in the field of social class the theory of Eric Allen Wright was employed.
Method: The current study was quantitative, and the data were conducted through survey questionnaire from a sample size of 400 people in Ardabil in 2019. The research sampling method was multi-stage clusters. Thus, the city of Ardabil was divided into five regions: north, south, east, west, and center, and in each region, two clusters were randomly selected, and within each cluster, blocks and then streets and alleys. They were randomly selected and systematically interviewed by referring to the doors of the houses. The most important criterion for measuring class according to Allen Wright’s theories together with dimensions it presents (management or organizational authority and independence, ownership relations, having rare skills or competencies) as well as the theories of other researchers such as Sorensen, is the most important criterion for measuring class are known as job categories (Wright, 2016). Pressman (2007), Birdsall’s (2010) household assets, level of education, and job are considered as the main criteria for measuring class. Switch et al., (2013, as cited in Jalaeepour & Azizimehr 1396), family income, house price, and household savings as class measurement criteria. The New York Times survey used the variables education, income, occupation, and wealth to measure class (New York Times, 2005: 253). In this study, in order to measure social class, in addition to job category, indicators of education, income and assets (property, car, and its type) were considered. We collected the respondents’ scores in these items together, then divided them into three categories (low, middle and high). To measure the variables of political culture, the indicators of civic participation, individual political trust, political interest, gender equality, internal political efficiency, political knowledge, political tolerance, authoritarianism, attitude towards democratic government have been used. Cronbach’s alpha of all indicators was fund to be higher than 0.7. By Amos software, confirmatory factor analysis of political culture indicators was considered and variables with low factor loads were excluded in the measurement of political culture.
Findings: The average of civic political culture is 141 (141 from 49 to 254), which is the value with the assumed number 147 (average 49 to 254) and this average among the lower class is 137.8, for the middle class it is 140, and for the upper class it is 150.3. This shows that the upper class has a higher political culture than the middle and lower classes, and the middle class has a higher political culture than the lower class. Scheffe test shows that the average political culture of the lower class is not different from the middle class, but there is a significant difference between the lower class with the upper class and the middle class with the upper class. The result of Scheffe test shows that the difference between the upper class with the middle and lower class is statistically significant, but the difference between the political culture of the middle class and the lower class is not significant. Among the indicators of political culture, the indicators that became significant with social classes (upper, middle, and lower) are: civic participation, internal political efficiency, political knowledge and political tolerance. Also, the indicators of individual political trust and political authority were not significant with social classes. By stepwise regression test, entered the social class, age, and gender variables in relation to the political culture index, which all were significant: first, the social class variable, then the age variable, after that the gender were included in the model. Social class variable with positive beta coefficient of 0.27 and significance level of 0.01, age with positive beta coefficient of 0.09 and significance level of 0.05 and gender with negative beta coefficient of 0.08, and significance level 0.05 were significant.
Discussion: Findings of research on the political culture of social classes in Iran indicate a gap between the political system and the people, institutional distrust, distance from authoritarianism and the complexity of the issue of politics. According to the findings, the political culture has grown in the minds and thoughts, but in the behavioral and practical dimension has lagged behind, which can be due to the costs of political activity as well as the political culture that has existed in Iran throughout history. The findings also showed that the political culture of the lower class and middle class is subject-Parochial, and the political culture of the upper class is Parochial-participatory. There is no significant relationship between lower and middle class political culture, but there is a significant relationship between upper class political culture with lower and middle class. In other words, the lower and middle classes have a passive role in relation to politics and the political system. Citizens are unmotivated and apathetic to political issues, political actions and the political system. The policies adopted by the government in various social, political, economic and cultural affairs are carried out without the opinion of the people. The middle and lower classes do not react to the functioning of these policies, that is, individuals as active participants are unmotivated and apathetic.Political system is not considered as a general goal and if it is taken, it has a low degree. The tendency towards the inputs and outputs of the system is ignored, in other words, decisions and policies are imposed from above without regard to society. Considering that there is no difference between the political culture of the middle and lower class, a large number of citizens of Ardabil have this type of political culture.It is also important to note that the demands of these classes have become closer, which has affected the dispersal of the middle class and does not have specific class interests and ideologies, to distance themselves from the slogans of libertarianism, democracy, civil society and civil rights. In other words, the middle class and the lower class have now reached a political passivity, which, of course, is the situation that has prevailed over the middle and lower class during the past and recent years, and these classes are under pressure.
Ethical considerations
Contribution of authors: All authors have contributed to this article.
Funds: No direct financial support has been received for the publication of this article from any institution or organization.
Conflict of interest: This article does not overlap with other published works by the authors.
Adherence to the principles of research ethics: In this article, all rights related to research ethics have been observed.
Introduction: One of the factors influencing political development is the way the political system and the political role of the people in that society is oriented. These political orientations and actions of individuals may differ among social classes (depending on economic and cultural capital). Accordingly, the present study seeks to identify the political culture of social classes in the society.
The theoretical framework of the current research study in the field of political culture is the theory of Almond and Verba, and in the field of social class the theory of Eric Allen Wright was employed.
Method: The current study was quantitative, and the data were conducted through survey questionnaire from a sample size of 400 people in Ardabil in 2019. The research sampling method was multi-stage clusters. Thus, the city of Ardabil was divided into five regions: north, south, east, west, and center, and in each region, two clusters were randomly selected, and within each cluster, blocks and then streets and alleys. They were randomly selected and systematically interviewed by referring to the doors of the houses. The most important criterion for measuring class according to Allen Wright’s theories together with dimensions it presents (management or organizational authority and independence, ownership relations, having rare skills or competencies) as well as the theories of other researchers such as Sorensen, is the most important criterion for measuring class are known as job categories (Wright, 2016). Pressman (2007), Birdsall’s (2010) household assets, level of education, and job are considered as the main criteria for measuring class. Switch et al., (2013, as cited in Jalaeepour & Azizimehr 1396), family income, house price, and household savings as class measurement criteria. The New York Times survey used the variables education, income, occupation, and wealth to measure class (New York Times, 2005: 253). In this study, in order to measure social class, in addition to job category, indicators of education, income and assets (property, car, and its type) were considered. We collected the respondents’ scores in these items together, then divided them into three categories (low, middle and high). To measure the variables of political culture, the indicators of civic participation, individual political trust, political interest, gender equality, internal political efficiency, political knowledge, political tolerance, authoritarianism, attitude towards democratic government have been used. Cronbach’s alpha of all indicators was fund to be higher than 0.7. By Amos software, confirmatory factor analysis of political culture indicators was considered and variables with low factor loads were excluded in the measurement of political culture.
Findings: The average of civic political culture is 141 (141 from 49 to 254), which is the value with the assumed number 147 (average 49 to 254) and this average among the lower class is 137.8, for the middle class it is 140, and for the upper class it is 150.3. This shows that the upper class has a higher political culture than the middle and lower classes, and the middle class has a higher political culture than the lower class. Scheffe test shows that the average political culture of the lower class is not different from the middle class, but there is a significant difference between the lower class with the upper class and the middle class with the upper class. The result of Scheffe test shows that the difference between the upper class with the middle and lower class is statistically significant, but the difference between the political culture of the middle class and the lower class is not significant. Among the indicators of political culture, the indicators that became significant with social classes (upper, middle, and lower) are: civic participation, internal political efficiency, political knowledge and political tolerance. Also, the indicators of individual political trust and political authority were not significant with social classes. By stepwise regression test, entered the social class, age, and gender variables in relation to the political culture index, which all were significant: first, the social class variable, then the age variable, after that the gender were included in the model. Social class variable with positive beta coefficient of 0.27 and significance level of 0.01, age with positive beta coefficient of 0.09 and significance level of 0.05 and gender with negative beta coefficient of 0.08, and significance level 0.05 were significant.
Discussion: Findings of research on the political culture of social classes in Iran indicate a gap between the political system and the people, institutional distrust, distance from authoritarianism and the complexity of the issue of politics. According to the findings, the political culture has grown in the minds and thoughts, but in the behavioral and practical dimension has lagged behind, which can be due to the costs of political activity as well as the political culture that has existed in Iran throughout history. The findings also showed that the political culture of the lower class and middle class is subject-Parochial, and the political culture of the upper class is Parochial-participatory. There is no significant relationship between lower and middle class political culture, but there is a significant relationship between upper class political culture with lower and middle class. In other words, the lower and middle classes have a passive role in relation to politics and the political system. Citizens are unmotivated and apathetic to political issues, political actions and the political system. The policies adopted by the government in various social, political, economic and cultural affairs are carried out without the opinion of the people. The middle and lower classes do not react to the functioning of these policies, that is, individuals as active participants are unmotivated and apathetic.Political system is not considered as a general goal and if it is taken, it has a low degree. The tendency towards the inputs and outputs of the system is ignored, in other words, decisions and policies are imposed from above without regard to society. Considering that there is no difference between the political culture of the middle and lower class, a large number of citizens of Ardabil have this type of political culture.It is also important to note that the demands of these classes have become closer, which has affected the dispersal of the middle class and does not have specific class interests and ideologies, to distance themselves from the slogans of libertarianism, democracy, civil society and civil rights. In other words, the middle class and the lower class have now reached a political passivity, which, of course, is the situation that has prevailed over the middle and lower class during the past and recent years, and these classes are under pressure.
Ethical considerations
Contribution of authors: All authors have contributed to this article.
Funds: No direct financial support has been received for the publication of this article from any institution or organization.
Conflict of interest: This article does not overlap with other published works by the authors.
Adherence to the principles of research ethics: In this article, all rights related to research ethics have been observed.
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2020/11/27 | Accepted: 2022/01/11 | Published: 2022/03/16
Received: 2020/11/27 | Accepted: 2022/01/11 | Published: 2022/03/16
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
Contact Information
Social Welfare Quarterly
Social Welfare Quarterly, Social Welfare Research Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Daneshjoo Blvd, Evin, Tehran, Iran, 19857-13834
Journal Tel: 02171732851
Website: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir
Email: refahj@uswr.ac.ir
