Effects of Cultural Modernization and the Mechanism of its Effect on Family Values (Case Study: the city of Nahavand)

Over the past few decades, the family affected by the processes, and consequences of modernization has experienced profound changes in both objective-structural and semantic-subjective levels. The family has faced new issues, some of which represent progress and welfare, and some suggest traumatic social issues which reduce the pace of development in the society as hindering factors. Thus, the present study aims to examine the impacts of cultural modernization and the mechanisms of its effect on family values in the city of Nahavand. To this end, of the various factors and variables affecting the family in the process of modernization, such variables as risk-taking, reflection, and fading religious beliefs were selected as independent variables. Theoretical foundations of the variables and parameters are based on the theories of Smelser, Good, Giddens and Beck and Erich Inglehart. The method used in this research was survey, and the data-gathering tool was a reliable and valid questionnaire. The statistical population of this study consisted of eighteen-year or older members of Nahavandi families. The sample size of 390 people was obtained using Cochran formula and multi-stage cluster sampling method. The main method of data analysis was regression and structural equation modeling. The results showed that the three factors of cultural modernization namely risk-taking, reflection, and fading religious beliefs have been effective on the decline of family forms and emergence of its modern form. The risk-taking factor with (3.38) and the fading religious beliefs (with 3.02) have had the highest and lowest average respectively. And in general, the average of cultural modernization process in the study population was 3.25. Also, the results of multiple regression analysis indicated that the modernization factor and its components accounted for only 0.25 of the variance change in family values