نشریه علوم اجتماعی
سال چهارم شماره 2 (پیاپی 10، پاییز و زمستان 1386)

This article studies the degree of individualism and factors affecting it in the students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2006. To analyze the individualism, we made use of the sociological views of Max Weber, Durkheim, Habermas, Simmel, Merton and Mead. The research method in this study is survey and the data were collected through standard questionnaires. To analyze the data, we used bivariate regression analysis, multivariate regression analysis and the analysis of variance in accordance with research hypotheses. The sample consisted of 300 subjects selected through cluster, multistage, random, disproportionate stratified sampling and by means of Cochran’s formula from a population of 18152 students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The results indicated an average individualism score of 3.4 out of 5, which is an upper-medium individualism score. The bivariate analysis showed that sex, permanent place of residence, role set, personal privacy, social relations system, traditionalism, social class and field of study affect the degree of individualism. Such variables as role set, personal privacy and social relations system had positive effect and traditionalism had negative effect. Masculine gender and residence in city had positive effect on the degree of individualism. Those who study theology or psychology showed lower individualism. bivariate analysis and path analysis indicated that the independent variable personal privacy (0.364) traditionalism (-0.289), sex (masculine 0.103), permanent place of residence (in city 0.122) role set (0.181) and fields of study (theology 0.146, psychology -0.127) appeared to affect the variable of individualism. The items of the individualism variable were formerly considered as three factors (independence, personal goals and competition). The results of the factor analysis also clustered the items in three factors.

Thought-based and wisdom-centered actions have always made different civilizations and cultures closer together. These actions need continuous and stable trends. Remaining fixed in a changing world inflicts severe damages on the society and culture. In this regard, the dialogue among civilizations can open many new ways which were non-existent or hardly achievable in the past. Meanwhile, the dialogue of civilizations, in its turn, has such requirements as civilizational needs, and political, economic and social interactions. On the other hand, it is faced with such obstacles as communicative gap (based on culture), organizational or structural obstacles and technical barriers.

Women’s political participation is one of the important issues dealt with in different fields of social and political sciences. The promotion of the educational level of women, their interest in participating in different social and economic fields and, in sum, their attempts to gain different social roles illustrates the emergence of the social movement of women in Iran. Despite this movement, however, their participation is not great in the present situation while in most of the countries undergoing globalization women are widely active in political positions. In this paper we are going to adopt a new approach to the study of the relationship between globalization and women’s political participation and analyze the reasons of the low political participation of women in Iran. The research is quantitative and uses survey method. The sample under study consists of about 2260 women from Tehran, Shiraz and Estahban between sixteen to forty five years old, who were selected through systematic random sampling. The data were collected through self-report questionnaires. The results indicated that the variables secularity, the exposure of the city to ICT, social capital, modernism, years of married life, social trust and mass media, in sum, accounted for %41 of the variance in women’s political participation (R² = 0.411

Public participation in urban decision-making process is one of the main elements of a democratic system, which can help establish balance and harmony between different sections of the society. This paper mainly aims to study the effect of economic and social welfare on the degree of citizen participation in urban affairs. Our main hypothesis emphasizes that there is a strong positive correlation here. The research method used in the study was survey method. To assess the dependent and independent variables, we selected 700 respondents through multistage sampling method from among the family heads of 7 municipal districts in the city of Isfahan as the final samples to answer the questionnaires (2007). Based on the findings, obtained through SPSS16 and Lisrel software, most of the Isfahani Citizens had high participation in urban affairs, and there is a significant linear correlation between economic and social welfare on the one hand and citizen participation in urban affairs on the other. The value of revised regression R² indicates that %67 of the variance in the dependent variable is explained by the variables applied in the regression model. Overall, in comparison to other variables, the variable “the appropriateness of the residential district,” was of greater effect on the dependent variable.

Due to his nature, man always asks questions about the meaning of things. All branches of knowledge and civilization are the answers he has given to the mystery of being, of his own and of other things. Here, the question about the meaning of action is also considerably important. In this study, we are going to analyze the answers given from a sociological view to the question about the meaning of human actions and their manner of formation and perception. We do this within a psychological and analogical framework while assessing the relationship between these answers and each of the current sociological paradigms and theories.

Security as a basic need for the members of society is in mutual relation to economic, social and cultural factors. Today, this is of such importance in the progress of every society that it is considered as the prerequisite to any kind of development. Social security has been defined as a complex – emotional – concept which is essential for protecting social groups and giving them the opportunities and facilities to obtain their intended goals. The main aim of this paper is to study family violence and its effects on social security in society with emphasis on the city of Sanandaj. The theoretical framework adopted in this article derives from theories of interactionism, social learning and gender discrimination. The research method in this paper was survey method and the data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed by means of SPSS software. The data were analyzed on descriptive and explanatory levels (Pearson coefficient, T and F tests, and multiple regression). The results indicated that three variables, namely family violence (Beta= - 0.234) religious attitudes (Beta = 0.18) and masulinistic attitudes (Beta = -0.17) have entered the regression equation in the order of their importance in determining the variance of the dependent variable. Overall, these three variables could account for %42 of the variance of the dependent variable (R² = 0.42

Creating confidence in the stock market through a secure environment is one of the main achievements of stock markets in the world. In the stock markets of developed countries, there are markets which provide confidence and reduce the risks resulting from the fluctuation of share prices. These markets are called “stock transaction choice markets”. While comparing stock transaction choice contracts and insurance policies, this paper studies the possibility of reducing the risk resulting from stock purchase through insurance policies in the stock exchange market. Having introduced the theoretical framework of the study, we first reviewed the literature using domestic and overseas references. We then collected our data by means of field study. The data were obtained by means of the questionnaires given to the shareholders in the stock exchange hall and analyzed by software. The results indicated that shareholders are inclined to insure their shares and believe that the intervention of the insurance industry in the stock market, as the confidence provision market, can increase the investments. We conclude with some suggestions based on the findings.