YOUTHS, CULTURE AND SOCIETY RESEARCH
Year:2011 | Volume:- | Issue:5|Papers Count:10

Extravagant use of the new communications technologies and its unwanted consequences has become a threat to social live. Among them, the internet has a special place because of its high attraction and various services it offers. Though it is useful, extreme use of the Internet can lead into Internet addiction which may cause disorder in both individual and social functions. Internet addiction can be found among different people but it is more common among young adults. The Objective of the present research is the survey of the relationship between social capital and internet addicted among the adults in Hamedan. Here we have used theories of social capital, social network, and the mutual effect of the two variables of social capital and internet addiction. The research method is survey. Universe of study includes the youth, among which 138 people were selected as research sample through n snowball sampling method. Data was collected using Young’s (1998) standard questionnaire on internet addiction, and a questionnaire made by the researcher on social capital. Data were processed with SPSS. Findings of the research show that the rate of internet addiction among men and women is 41.05 and 36.41 respectively. There is no significant relation between internet addiction and social capital. No significant relation also was seen between internet addiction and the variables of age and education, however, internet addiction and gender were found to be significantly related to each other.

The purpose of present study is to examine the relationship between ethnic identity and cultural congruity with political and social values of students. Research sample includes 412 students of Islamic Azad university of Kermanshah selected through multistage clustered sampling. They are asked to fill in questionnaire on demographic characteristics, ethnic identity and cultural congruity scales, and hierarchy of value questionnaire. Pierson correlation, regression, and MANOVA were used for data analysis. Findings of the research indicate that ethnic identity (r=0.453), seek for ethnic identity (r=0.403), belonging and commitment to ethnic identity (r=0.388), cultural congruity (r=0.385) have positive correlation with political values among students. Ethnic identity (r=0.317), seek for ethnic identity (r=0.294), belonging, and commitment to ethnic identity (r=0.301) and cultural congruity (r=0.382) have positive correlation with social values among the students. Results of regression showed that ethnic identity and cultural congruity explain 25 percent of the variance in political values and 17 percent of the variance in social values among the students. Results of MANOVA indicate that the mean of political and social values in male students was higher than female students (p<0.05). But the mean of ethnic identity and cultural congruity was not different for male and female students. Regarding the research results, it is suggested that paying attention to positive ethnic identity and cultural congruity can prevent formation of negative political and social value among the students.

Cultural identity constitutes a major part of identity structure, therefore, examining its nature and aspects is a priority in current situation of our country. This paper, extracted from a research project, deals with the factors influencing cultural identity of high school students in Asad Abad township of Hamadan province.Quantitative-survey method was used as a strategy for data collection and analysis. Data was gathered through questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software. Research unit of study is high school student. The research universe includes 364 students, selected based on stratified random sampling.Findings of the research showed that there is no significant relationship between cultural identity and independent variables, including parents education, family income, parents jobs, practical religious commitment, political participation, using national radio and TV, and reading newspaper. But the mentioned variables have significant relationship with cultural identity through the variable of self esteem.

Religion as a dynamic phenomenon is the most important element of cultural identity in the current situation of Iran and has an important role in shaping the youths’ identity. Cyberspace has changed social values and has made wide changes in the ways of shaping identities of individuals and groups. University students have been considered as reference groups. Modern communications technologies, such as web, chat and online group discussions, make it possible for them to know each other and expand their interactional field.This article focuses on the effects of cyberspace on religious identity of students in Kurdistan University. The survey studied a sample of 400 students in University of Kurdistan using questionnaire. According to the findings of the research, cyberspace has to some extent detached the students from their religious identity. The more access to the Internet, the more detached the students get from religious identity. Among different aspects and elements of religious identity, cyberspace has mostly affected consequential and experimental aspects rather than the cognitive ones.

Identity has been widely studied in its all aspects by many theorists and scholars. It is especially worth more attention when the youth are involved. Regarding the high number of young population of Iran, and their undeniable parts in political and social issues in the process of general changes, it is important to study formation of their social selves.The present article is a study of the relationship between national and ethnic identities of the young adults. It tries to find answers to three questions: a) To what extent do the youth in Kouhdasht tend to ethnic identity? b) To what extent do the youth in Kouhdasht tend to national identity? c) Is there any relationship between national and ethnic identities of the young adults.The research method is the survey type. Data gathering has done using questionnaires. Statistical population involves 20 to 27-year old young adults, living in Kouhdasht, among which 380 people were selected as sample for the research by random, stratified sampling method.The findings of the research reveal the population having various identities, which necessarily do not confront each other.An individual employs these identities as information packages in line with different occasions. National and ethnic identities are two communal identities that individuals internalize during their socialization process, as part of their selves, and use them when needed. Hence, people do not find any paradoxes among them.

Participation is considered as foundation of civil society and never loses its importance in a society aiming to progress. This study is an attempt to investigate youth social participation rate and its relationship with identity and social capital. 598 young people of 20-29 years of age in Shiraz, which are selected using multistage cluster sampling, answered the research questionnaire. The respondents were asked about 18 activities as the base for measuring the rate of their participation. The results indicate low level of social participation (4.8 activities in average out of 18 activities). Among demographic variables, only education had significant relationship with participation. Those enjoying more intimate communications, more supportive network (consulting and informative support) and believing more in reciprocity norms have more social participation. Besides, the youth with strong religious and national identity and modern gender identity participate more. According to the results from the research, when mentality is concerned, the youth are eager to participate, however, low rate of new social capital in social network that is supposed to act as empowering resource of performance, does not let them participate in practice.

Ashura moaning ritual not only took different shapes over different periods of time, they also were introduced to various discourses and theoretical viewpoints. Discourses develop under social and political conditions, they can develop and reproduce their own thinking systems and hereby can influence the society. So it is necessary to study them from a sociological perspective. The method of the present research is qualitative, in the framework of Durkheim views, and Fareclaugh’s method of discourse analysis. Research sample was selected among the publications of the year 1389 by heterogeneous national sampling. Data analysis revealed three kinds of discourse: 1) scientific discourse 2) poetic-artistic discourse 3) religiousjurisprudential discourse.