SOCIETAL SECURITY STUDIES
Year:2025 | Volume:16 | Issue:83|Papers Count:6

Background and Purpose: Given the increasing significance of water scarcity phenomenon as a central environmental challenge, this issue has emerged as a source of considerable law enforcement and security implications over recent years. The present study was designed and conducted to analyze the social indicators effective in preventing the law enforcement-security consequences of water scarcity. Method: The study is of applied type in terms of purpose. It employs a mixed-method (qualitative-quantitative) approach with an exploratory design, in the qualitative phase, 17 knowledgeable experts in the mission areas of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA) were selected through purposive sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Then the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. In the quantitative phase, based on the qualitative findings, a research questionnaire was developed and distributed. From among a statistical population of 440 individuals, 205 commanders, managers, and deputies of law enforcement units were selected through stratified random sampling using Morgan’s table. Quantitative data were analyzed using SmartPLS, employing descriptive and inferential statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Eight specialized professors confirmed the content validity of the research instrument. Its reliability was demonstrated by a highly favorable Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0. 950. Findings: In the qualitative analysis, 35 basic themes and 4 organizing themes were identified. Among these, 16 basic themes pertained to the "social" dimension (e. g., cultural development and public opinion management), while 19 basic themes were related to the "law enforcement" dimension (e. g., development of protection and proactive measures). In the quantitative analysis, the components of cultural development (factor loading: 0. 969) and proactive measures (factor loading: 0. 979) were confirmed as the strongest components. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the police approach in executing their missions should be based on establishing and strengthening social connections, enhancing social capital, and fostering public participation. In this regard, police proactivity, strategic public opinion management, and the implementation of cultural programs in areas related to security-oriented water scarcity crises serve as effective tools for crime prevention.

Background and Purpose: Drug use among university students, as a serious social issue, poses a significant threat to their mental health, academic performance, and future prospects. The present study aims to identify the multidimensional factors influencing the prevalence of drug use among students across the country.  Method: This qualitative study employed a systematic meta-synthesis approach based on Sandelowski and Barroso’s (2007) model. The statistical population consisted of 134 domestic studies conducted between 2001–2024. After applying inclusion criteria, 97 relevant and methodologically valid studies were selected and analyzed. Data were analyzed using axial and selective coding techniques. Findings: According to the findings, the prevalence of drug use occurs within the context of five major social factors: (family disruption, social capital crisis, differential association, easy access to drugs, weakness of social control mechanisms, and social anomie), economic factors (economic deprivation, unemployment, financial pressures, class inequality, wealth as status), cultural factors (deviant subculture, normalization of drug use, high-risk lifestyle, cultural poverty, weakness of counseling programs, harmful leisure activities, decline in religious attachment), psychological factors (emotional void, sense of alienation, identity crisis, individual curiosity, weak coping skills), and individual-contextual factors (history of use, young age, gender, place of birth, and field of study). Conclusion: To reduce drug use among university students, targeted interventions at the university level are essential. These should emphasize strengthening counseling services, enhancing social and emotional support for newcomer students, creating recreational and cultural spaces, providing long-term student loans, and fostering university-industry collaboration to promote students employment. Additionally, adopting security-oriented approaches such as increased campus surveillance and police-university cooperation to control drug access alongside community-oriented programs (e. g., psychological counseling, coping skills training, and cultural-sports activities to reduce sensation-seeking and resolve family conflicts) may significantly contribute to effective drug prevention.

Background and Purpose: The use of social networks has permeated all aspects of human life, including social and protest domains. Nowadays, social networks play a central role in organizing and representing global protests and unrests. The present research aims to analyze the functions and paradigms of Twitter and Instagram in organizing and representing protests, particularly the 2022 Iran protests, by examining and identifying the algorithms of these two platforms. Method: The study employs a computational social science approach and data mining techniques. The research data comprises hundreds of millions of Persian language posts from Twitter and Instagram. Data collection was conducted using the official APIs of each platform and relevant programming libraries, in the meantime structured data processing and storage systems utilized to manage the extensive volume of data. Findings: The results indicate that the “wave algorithm” may provide a framework for understanding information dissemination, social representation, and the formation of public opinion on Twitter and Instagram. Unlike traditional cascade or hierarchical models, by considering network interactions, individual and collective user characteristics, and the emotional load of content, the wave algorithm may explain the behavior of news dissemination and the formation of news flows more accurately and flexibly. Analysis of informal waves revealed that even low-influence sources, under suitable conditions, might generate news waves and influence the mainstream information flow by leveraging network interactions and emotional content load. Conclusion: Understanding the wave algorithm and its multi-level formation pathways may aid in predicting news dissemination, mitigating the effects of rumors, guiding public opinion, and enhancing social trust. A precise understanding of this algorithm enables us to design of information strategies based on network reality, the management of intermediary users and specialized influencers, and the identification of critical points for controlling or facilitating content dissemination.

Background and Purpose: Nowadays, social capital is considered a core principle for achieving measurable development, and successful organizations are those that manage to contribute to the development of greater social capital within society. One of the influential variables in explaining social capital is organizational culture. Hence, the present study aims to sociologically examine the impact of organizational culture on the social capital of police personnel in Khorasan Razavi Province. The theoretical premise of the research is based on the assertion that organizational culture has a significant impact on the social capital of police personnel. Method: The study is of applied type in purpose, and falls under descriptive research, conducted through a survey. The theoretical framework integrates the theories of Putnam, Fukuyama, and Coleman in the domain of social capital, along with Robbins’ theory in the domain of organizational culture. The data collection tool was a researcher-developed questionnaire comprising 42 items, including 15 questions in the area of organizational culture and 27 questions in the area of social capital. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, with values of 0. 89 and 0. 94 for organizational culture and social capital, respectively. The statistical population of the study consisted of police personnel in Khorasan Razavi Province in 2023, and a sample size of 373 individuals was selected based on Morgan’s table using multi-stage cluster random sampling. Findings: Organizational culture has a significant impact on the social capital of police personnel. The social capital of police personnel, across all dimensions—structural, cognitive, and relational—is strongly dependent on and influenced by the dimensions of organizational culture, including organizational coherence, organizational identity, organizational support, and organizational rewards (confidence level: 99%). Conclusion: The overall results of the study indicate that the organizational culture of the police has a significant impact on the social capital of police personnel in Khorasan Razavi Province. As the level of organizational culture increases, positive and significant changes occur in the enhancement of personnel social capital.

Background and Purpose: Many urban communities worldwide face various patterns of destruction and hooliganism, along with their negative consequences. This threat often targets public and even private properties and infrastructure, sometimes causing irreparable damage to urban spaces. The present study aims to identify exemplary indicators and factors of hooliganism and to categorize its types in two coastal parks—“Siadat “and “Marjan”—in the port-city of Bushehr. Method: The statistical population consisted of visitors to these two coastal parks, and 100 individuals (50 per park) were selected  from among the visitors through purposive sampling. Additionally, exploratory factor analysis in SPSS was used to classify and explain the types of hooliganism. Findings: According to the results, 18 indicators of hooliganism in the parks can be categorized into five types: "destruction of recreational and amenity elements”, “destruction of infrastructural elements", "destruction of services elements, " "destruction of environmental elements, " and "destruction of visual and aesthetic elements. " Together, these categories explain approximately 58% of the variance in factors. Conclusion: The final findings of this study indicate that the intensity of hooliganism is higher in “Marjan Park”, which is located farther from Bushehr’s activity and residential centers, compared to “Siadat Park”. This issue suggests the importance of the presence of citizens and tourists, and the supervisory role they may play in deterring individuals inclined toward destructive behavior. Finally, solutions for reducing the intensity of hooliganism in these two urban spaces are submitted.

Background and Purpose: International Humanitarian Law (IHL), as a set of binding international rules aimed at protecting the lives and property of civilians in situations of armed conflict, holds a fundamental position in the contemporary legal system. However, its primary importance is revealed in the stage of implementation and institutionalization of these rules within the domestic legal systems of states, as without national guarantees, humanitarian principles will have limited practical effectiveness. In Iran, to fulfill its international obligations, measures such as the adoption of the "Executive Regulation of International Humanitarian Law" in 2000 and the establishment of the "National Committee of International Humanitarian Law" have been taken. The present research aims to examine the effectiveness of these measures and to elucidate the future prospects for the implementation of IHL in Iran. Method: This study employs an analytical-descriptive approach based on the library and documentary research. Findings: The results indicate that although positive steps have been taken towards implementing Iran’s international obligations, including the creation of relevant institutions and the development of domestic regulations, a significant gap remains between the current situation and the desired state concerning the effective protection of victims of conflicts and the full realization of humanitarian obligations. Conclusion: In order to achieve the IHL objectives in Iran in a desirable way, it is essential to take some measures. Chief among them are strengthening legal and institutional frameworks (particularly by enhancing the status of the National Committee of International Humanitarian Law), amending domestic laws for greater alignment with international obligations, fostering effective political will at decision-making levels, and expanding interaction among the government, universities, and civil institutions such as the Red Crescent and Red Cross.