New Media Studies

Offer the Model of Citizenship Culture Promotion Based on the Use of Social Networks Among Tehran Citizens

Haniyeh Naghdi; Faezeh Taghipour; Reza Ebrahimzadeh Dastjerdi

Volume 10, Issue 38 , November 2024, , Pages 336-297

https://doi.org/10.22054/nms.2024.60091.1180

Abstract

1-IntroductionThe newly emerged concept of citizenship culture has gained considerable attention from researchers in the context of modern society, as it serves as a guide to sustainable ... Read More 1-IntroductionThe newly emerged concept of citizenship culture has gained considerable attention from researchers in the context of modern society, as it serves as a guide to sustainable human interactions. Throughout history, the concept of culture and citizenship has been intricately linked to one another. In the past, this notion was primarily used in the legal domain and pertained to people's adherence to the law. However, over time, it has expanded in its significance, and currently, it holds a much broader meaning. The internet and social networks have become effective tools for the dissemination of cultural symbols, acting as a significant source of information and awareness across various domains, including culture. They play a pivotal role in driving cultural transformations and changes among people.The scope of the issue has broadened, and the importance of the matter has intensified with the widespread accessibility of smart mobile devices, allowing users to access social networks such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and others. The extensive use of these networks throughout the day and night by individuals has led to an increased focus on the creation, production, publication, and republishing of a wide range of information in various fields within these platforms. Given the increasing reliance on social networks in daily life, their impact on citizenship culture has become increasingly prominent. Ignoring this issue could lead to significant, and potentially irreversible, losses. Therefore, the importance of studying the benefits and drawbacks of these platforms is undeniable.The existing body of scholarly research has explored this topic from diverse angles, although a more detailed examination of the impact of social networks on citizenship culture appears to be lacking. Given the extensive usage of social networks by citizens and their influence on various aspects of life, there is a definite need for further study in this area. Therefore, the present report sets out to address the question of whether a model can be proposed to enhance the culture of citizenship by leveraging the power of social media, by investigating the role of social networks in shaping citizenship culture.2-LiteratureReviewMatani et al. (2019) conducted a study titled "Investigating the Use of Mass Media and Adherence to Citizenship Culture (Case Study: Citizens Over 18 Years Old in Ghaem Shahr City)" using the field method, survey method, and a questionnaire instrument. They concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between using mass media and the overall level of adherence to the citizenship culture and its dimensions, including social participation, publicism, responsibility, and a tendency to follow the law.Ghafarinasab et al. (2019), in a study titled "Sociological Explanation of Citizenship Culture (Case Study: Citizens 15 Years Above in Eqlid City)," assert that citizenship is a crucial indicator of development and progress in developing countries. One significant dimension of citizenship is the culture of citizenship. They highlight that the establishment and growth of citizenship can be viewed as a serious solution for resolving social challenges in developing nations. They utilize the theories of Marshall, Janoski, Faulks, and Turner to examine citizenship culture among citizens in Eqlid City. In addition, they employ the survey method and a questionnaire instrument to gather data. They also use a multi-stage cluster sampling technique to choose the sample. The results indicate that the citizenship culture among citizens is above average. The analysis of the hypothesis reveals that variables such as gender, marital status, the degree of religious commitment, social identity, the extent of media usage, and political awareness exhibit a prominent association with the culture of citizenship.Askarizadeh (2019) conducted a study titled “Identifying Social and Educational Factors Affecting the Promotion of Citizenship Culture in the Neighborhoods of Bandar Abbas City” with a descriptive survey-exploratory method, utilizing a random cluster sampling method. The sample size consisted of 458 individuals, and a questionnaire instrument was utilized in this survey. The findings highlight the significant impact of educational and socioeconomic factors on the promotion of citizenship culture. Among the social factors, awareness of citizenship rights, the rule of law and orderliness, collective interests, awareness of external and internal events, responsibility, publicism, use of cultural centers, and use of the media have been found to greatly influence citizenship culture, respectively.Among the educational factors, the legal infrastructure and bylaws, written and specific educational objectives, executive structures, the existence of diverse training courses, acceptance of change amongst citizens, awareness and competence of officials, innovative management and supportive managers, the capability of citizens, the attitude of officials, citizens' enthusiastic participation, incentives, communication between officials and citizens, technical infrastructure, and the presence of supporting human resources in setting up and supervision are all found to significantly impact the citizenship culture.3-MethodologyThe present study aimed to propose a model for promoting citizenship culture by leveraging social networks among citizens of Tehran. This is an applied study by objective, a cross-sectional study in terms of the data collection time, and a qualitative research design in terms of the procedure. A qualitative approach with a grounded theory approach was adopted, and the theoretical sampling method was utilized. The primary goal of conducting this study was to contribute to the promotion of the culture of citizenship, thereby enhancing the overall well-being of society.The statistical population of this research encompassed specialists and experts in social networks and citizenship culture (university professors, city managers, and so on) and reached saturation with no additional data being identified through conducting new interviews. The open, axial, and selective codes were extracted via analyzing the interviews. This study employed a grounded theory approach to identify the main codes and themes related to the culture of citizenship in social networks.The study, based on Corbin & Strauss's grounded theory model, examined the causal conditions (conditions leading to a change in an event), context, intervening conditions (barriers that may delay or prevent an event from occurring), action/interaction strategies (methods utilized to effect change), and consequences (outcomes or effects of the change process). Following this examination and identification process, the conditions for the promotion of citizenship culture were eventually specified, aligned with the established conceptual model.4-ConclusionAnalyzing and interpreting the statistical results indicate that social networks exert a positive and significant influence on the dimensions of citizenship culture, thereby upgrading the culture. However, it is essential to make several changes and transformations in Iran to ensure that there is effectiveness in promoting citizenship culture through social networks. Presently, the introduction of virtual social networks into the lives of citizens has been highly embraced in response to the diverse needs of individuals. These networks, in turn, have significantly influenced various aspects of existence. Undoubtedly, social networks have demonstrated ostensible and widespread effects on different areas of people's lives. Additionally, social networks play a vital role in enhancing and strengthening social interactions within the digital realm and have profound impacts on myriad facets of citizens' lives.

Structural-Interpretive Analysis (ISM) of Common Persuasive Methods of Message Sharing in Social Networks during City Council Elections based on the Metacomposite Approach (Case Study: Isfahan City Council Elections)

parvin javanbakht; Reza Esmaeili; Fazeh Taghipour

Volume 9, Issue 33 , May 2023, , Pages 548-493

https://doi.org/10.22054/nms.2022.48194.868

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: Elections are one of arenas where people express their opinions and desires and indirectly intervene in the public policy-making process. During the elections, ... Read More Abstract Objectives: Elections are one of arenas where people express their opinions and desires and indirectly intervene in the public policy-making process. During the elections, candidates, groups, and political parties try to compete with each other based on different political principles to gain power and, if elected, implement their desired policy. In the past, advertising in political arenas was mostly done through speeches in circles, tracts, urban advertisements, making documentary films, and advertisements in media such as television and to some extent short messages, and its influence on the electoral behavior of the people was moderate, because only those active in the political fields tended to attend these circles and participate in the speeches of election candidates. In fact, these advertising methods were more traditional and created huge costs for the candidates and their sponsors. However, with the introduction of social networks, the form and effectiveness of advertisements changed both in terms of content and in terms of how they were transmitted to citizens, and more people, especially the younger generation of society, who were involved in social networks, were informed about their views, and its effectiveness was many times higher. Other media were and are now considered to be one of the most important tools for increasing the accuracy and efficiency of advertisements, which can be effective in strengthening people's voting. In fact, social networks are a tool under the control of candidates who intend to attract the attention and trust of citizens by expressing their ideas and programs to gain political seats. This advertising includes various methods that the type of utilization of them, as well as the initiative in using new methods, can facilitate the process of selecting candidates to a great extent. In fact, the behavior of candidates and electoral strategies have created a wide tendency to choose social networks as a persuasive priority for citizens, so that they can get more votes. Social networks are the current view of society, culture, politics, economy, and science. By carefully examining the relationships of people and other social entities in social networks in various fields, we will know the characteristics of the target society. It is a short story that turned into a discussion of social networks. In our country, despite the high importance of the issue of social networks and the increasing use of social networks by people, the researches that have been done in the field of political behaviorism are less focused on the persuasive methods used in social networks, which are one of the main elements in the field of communication, and on the other hand, the effect of these persuasive methods of social networks on people's voting behavior, which is one of the main elements in the field of political behavior and sociology, has been studied. Based on this, in this article, a structural-interpretive analysis of persuasive methods used in social networks and their effect on voters' behavior has been done. Methods: This study was done with a qualitative approach, the research approach of this study is inductive-deductive in terms of data collection logic. For this purpose, it should be briefly stated, first by examining the theoretical and theoretical foundations of the research based on the synthesis of the results of the reviewed researches, the criteria related to common persuasive methods in social networks were identified based on the Delphi analysis, according to the two criteria, the average and the agreement coefficient. They are confirmed or deleted and finally, through structural-interpretive analysis, the identified layers are prioritized in the form of a pattern and explained from the point of view of the level of penetration and influence. In this research, 15 specialists from the fields of media, communication, and social sciences were selected through homogenous sampling and participated in two parts: overview and structural-interpretive analysis. Results: Based on the analysis, it was determined that the most effective and influential method of persuasion adopted by election candidates, stimulating collective emotions and creating enthusiasm is established as two indicators of the instrumental function of persuasion. In fact, election candidates and their supporting groups try to influence collective and group emotions by producing content on social networks and increasing enthusiasm among them. At the least effective level, there is a massive showing of the competitors' weaknesses, which can also be said, this type of advertising behavior conveys the most negative aspect of influence to the people, because it makes the capabilities and realistic slogans of the candidate in question. Negative advertising against the competitor will be lost and will reduce the motivation of the followers Conclusions: In fact, election candidates and their supporting groups try to influence collective and group emotions by producing content on social networks and increasing excitement among them. This issue greatly affects the increase of people's support, because such messages target the audience's perceptual bias and cause wider advertisements, both on social networks and in the minds of the audience. Messages are produced with the aim of mobilizing emotions and inciting them in social networks, causing stronger support groups to come into action. The messages that are published in social networks with the aim of informing about the candidate's future policies and plans, are aimed at creating more understanding about the goals and plans of the person in question, and the more these policies and strategies are based on facts, the more the audience will be affected.

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Author = Taghipour, Faezeh

Offer the Model of Citizenship Culture Promotion Based on the Use of Social Networks Among Tehran Citizens

Abstract

Structural-Interpretive Analysis (ISM) of Common Persuasive Methods of Message Sharing in Social Networks during City Council Elections based on the Metacomposite Approach (Case Study: Isfahan City Council Elections)

Abstract