The Impact of Media and Social Variables on Students Political Participation in Political Parties and Political Organizations; Case Study of Shiraz University Students

Political participation is one of the most important signs of political development, which its quality and format differs from society to society. The realization of institutionalization and political participation requires the preparation of the psycho-social, cultural, economic and political conditions of each society. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of effective social and cultural factors, such as media, associations, social networks and friendship groups, on the political participation of students in political and party organizations. Quantitative and qualitative studies have shown that modern and classical media have been influential in political parties and political and civil formations. Today, modern communication and information technologies are considered as the driving engine of political, economic and cultural globalization and the spread of democracy     The research method is quantitative by using a questionnaire technique. Political participation is one of the fundamental requirements of citizenship and is one of the indispensable necessities of the political system in the twenty-first century and one of the main indicators of political development. This research is also based on a survey method and a questionnaire technique for collecting data and information. Dependent variable and some independent variables are measured based on the Likert spectrum. SPSS software was used to analyze the data; In order to extract the effect of each independent and intermediate variables on the dependent variable, Amos 22 software was used to analyze the paths. The statistical population in this study was Shiraz University students whose number in the academic year (1396) was about 16 thousand.   The present research try to answer this question that which one of the below factors (mass media, both classical and new, domestic and international, social networks and factors or social variables such as friends' groups and membership and cooperation with associations) has the most effect on the young people's political orientation and participation in parties and political organizations? The findings of present research indicate that the effects of media and virtual network with the intermediation of the association and friends on political participation are generally significant, up to the virtual network 0.110 and its lower limit is 0.040 that are both directional and its coefficient is 0.01. Also, the internal media has upper limit 0.0257 and bottom limit 0.0127 and significant is 0.01. The external media also has a high level of 0.042 and a low of 0.005 and its significant coefficient is equal to 0.02, which confirms the assumption that associations and friends have a mediating role in relation to the predictor variables of political participation. All relationships are meaningful. Internal media has the most impact on the community. The impact of it is 0.603, as well as the virtual network, has the highest impact after the medium, with a coefficient of 0.476. Interestingly, the virtual network has the greatest impact on political participation among variables. The group also has a significant impact (0.288) on the political participation. The results of the research indicate that, respectively, access and active communication with social networks in cyberspace, group friends, membership in civic and voluntary associations, domestic media and, ultimately, foreign media (radio and satellite television) on the tendencies and political participation of students at Shiraz University in political parties and political organizations have a positive and meaningful effect. The important role here is that the influence of the media on associations and friends that interfere with political participation. Of course, media are also directly affected. The importance of the media in the world today, especially in the broader field of policy, can be very effective in the process of community participation, especially political participation.