Sociological Explanation of the Impact of Economic and Societal Deprivation (relative deprivation) on Tehrani Citizens' Tendency toward Political Violence

The present study is aimed to investigate the impact of the role of relative deprivation (economic deprivation and societal deprivation) on the tendency of Tehrani citizens toward committing political violence. Since, over recent years, violent acts of citizens, especially in Tehran, is growing the sociological study of this phenomenon can be an important step toward recognizing the issue and making decisions based on scientific methods.

The present study, in terms of practical aim, is of explanatory-survey type. A self-made questionnaire was used to collect data. The population of this research includes all 18+ people resident in Tehran in 2020. The sample size was determined to be 1009 people, using SPSS sample power software. The samples of this research were selected using multi-stage cluster method. Following collecting information and entering data in SPSS, Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the variable of political violence, societal deprivation feeling and economic deprivation feeling were 0.78, 0.82 and 0.89, respectively. Statistical methods such as single variable analysis (Indicators of tendency toward focus and scattering) and structural equations modeling have been used.

The most important findings of the study indicate that economic deprivation feeling, did not directly influence the tendency toward political violence, and its impact on the dependent variable of the research (tendency toward political violence) indirectly makes sense through influencing social deprivation feeling. However, this level of impact is also very weak (the impact factor is 0.08). In contrast, social deprivation feeling with an impact factor of 0.29, has directly affected the tendency of citizens toward political violence. Economic deprivation feeling, with an impact factor of 0.28 has influenced social deprivation feeling.

The present study showed that growing social deprivation leads to tendency toward more political violence. It also came out that economic deprivation feeling does not directly affect the tendency toward political violence.