The Effects of Using Internet on Cultural Attitudes of Clergymen (Case Study: Clergymen of Qom City)

It is important to note that any orientation of the thoughts, beliefs, behavior and lifestyle of clergymen, as the major “reference group” among religious people of Iran, can have deeply influence religious or even non-religious parts of Iranian society.Fortunately, positive attitude of Qom hawza towards modern communicational technologies has led to vast adaption of latest communication devices by clergymen in order to study, research, promote and effective communicate with political, social and cultural arenas of the society and the world and this has caused an influential and bold presence of them in virtual realm. In fact, the complex communicational world of nowadays (especially internet) has drawn clergymen from their traditional studying corners to the open scene of the international community (to face various viewpoints, attitudes and ideological, cultural, behavioral and value views).Therefore, in this interdisciplinary study the effects of internet media on cultural attitudes of clergymen are investigated according to the communicational theories, as well as social psychology theories on formation and transformation of attitudes.