the study of the effect of citizens’ attitudes towards the...
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The Study of the Effect of Citizens’ Attitudes towards the Dimensions of Global Culture on the
Awareness of Citizenship Rights (Tehran: 2011)
Moslemi pour Lalami Pari 1
Keramati Mahin 2
Edrisi Afsaneh 3
Citizenship is a social phenomenon which is very important in modern society. It has extensive
consequences for human society which can be referred to as some transformation from
traditional to industrial sociology based on knowledge and information. Globalization refers to
the world compression and the consciousness intensification of the world as a whole.
Globalization, through the development of communication processes and multiculturalism due
to modernity including tourism, media, Internet and so on, has spread awareness about human
rights among nations. This paper mainly seeks to answer the question how Tehran citizens’
attitudes toward the dimensions of global culture affectstheir awareness of their citizenship
rights? This article is of descriptive–causal type which seeks to identify the impact of citizens’
attitudes toward the dimensions of global culture on awareness of their citizenship rights. In
terms of methodology, it is considered a survey. The analysis unit is 20-50 year-old citizens of
Tehran. After the reliability and validity of the research questionnaire were examined, it was
conducted among 580 households through cluster sampling in three districts of Tehran.
Findings suggest that those who have a more positive attitude toward the world culture are
more aware of their citizenship rights and vice versa; moreover, the dimension of global value
and identity in global culture has affected awareness of citizenship rights.
Keywords: Citizenship Rights, World Culture, World Culture Dimensions and Tehran Citizens.
1 PhD student in sociology at Azad University - Central Tehran Branch. [email protected] 2 Educational Research MSc, Roudehen Islamic Azad University, teacher of Farhangian university .
[email protected] 3 Full-time Assistant Professor of Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch. [email protected]
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Introduction
Cultural globalization is the formation and development of aspecial culture in the world. This
process creates the wave of cultural assimilation in the world and challenges cultural aspects
(Gol-Mohammadi, 2007:98). Generally speaking, three aspects can be identified in this regard.
These aspects include the spread of Western modernity, expansion and globalization of
capitalist consumer culture and globalization of American culture.
The most striking aspect of globalization of culture can be considered the globalized central
features of modernity such as industrialism, capitalism, existence of monitoring and
surveillance institutions and formation of nation-states (ibid, 2007:99-100). In addition, other
features linked with capitalism and modern government can also be identified for
modernization. The modern government is committed to democracy, citizenship and
nationalism and strives to promote these values in society. Along with these features, it should
be referred to expansion and spread of European languages, especially English, dress patterns,
food and architecture, urban and industrial life and a range of cultural values and approaches of
individual liberty, sexual relationships, human rights and secularism (Tomlinson, 2002: 23)
After implementing several periods of development plan, and with the increased social
classesrift and unintended negative consequences of unfair distribution of sources, the
citizenship rights issueswere addressed in Iran society. Today, because of developing some
changes such as globalization and subsequently the global culture, awareness of citizenship
rights has changed. Globalization, along with other sources of information, brings a new source
of knowledge to human mind, since it challenges the values of society. Today, a more general
and new concept of citizenship has emerged based on the individual’s global concern than
national belonging. Such perceptions can cause problems of citizenship individualism, the
intersubjective context of transnational communications, reproduction and changing the
concept of citizenship rights in the political micro-relations context, not in the political macro-
relations context, radicalization in the regional context of and global citizenship etc. Thus, the
study of citizens’ attitudes toward the dimensions of global culture and its impact on awareness
of citizenship rights is scientifically important as well as necessary. This article seeks to answer
the question of what the impact of citizens’ attitudes toward the dimensions of global culture is
on the awareness of citizenship rights among Tehranicitizens.
Research literature
Citizenship membership is standing for an individual related to the government that is also
respected in International Law. His/her rights and duties versus government is called citizenship
relation that is determined by the constitution and civil laws (Ashouri, 1373: 222).
In this study, the concept of citizenship rights is considered in two dimensions: the rights and
obligations which have civil, political, social and participation sub-domains, where some
indicators are considered for each dimension.
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Global culture is the manifestation of a single culture that encompasses all the people on earth
and is the successor to the diversity of cultural systems. (Tomlinson, 2002: 103)
In this study, global culture has been examined by 5 dimensions: consumption, value, identity,
virtual and religious - based on Haynes theory.
According to Friedman et al, attitude is a durable system that includes a cognitive component,
an affective component and a-willingness-to-act component. In this definition, the cognitive
element implies information, facts, and knowledge; the affective element is the pleasant or the
unpleasant excitement that is felt about those attitudes; and the behavioral elementis the
tendency and preparedness to practice in that attitude. Three types of attitudes toward global
culture has emerged which include: positive attitude (pure surrender), opposite attitude and
active attitude. (Tomlinson 1999, Gol-Mohammadi 1381, Giddens 1994, Hall 1996, Quoted from
Edrisi 1386).
There are many researchesabout the impact of globalization on various areas of humans.
MikkoKuisma (2008)concluded that globalization for citizenscan be the key of demanding all
rights in the global community and return some citizenship values in neoliberalism age while
creating civil partnership, such as the trade union movement.
Liberand Weisberg (2002) believe that culture serves as a major carrier of globalization and
modern values, and of course there are reactions against globalization and supremacy
ofAmerican culture in the world on behalf of mass and local culture.
Patrick M. Jenlink (2007) argues that globalization goes beyond the nation-governments; the
space forces generated by economic, cultural and political discourse and further open the way
for the development of a democratic civil society.
Sarrafi and Abdollahi (2008) believe that, there is good context and potential in Iran's
Constitution to create citizenship. However, "the citizenship rights" is ignored in the laws and
regulations for civil engineering and the Iranian juridical system of urban management lacks the
citizenship viewpoint.
Shiani (2002) believes the main obstacles to citizenship research might be considered partly
related to the lack of social resources and opportunities in the social structure. Moreover, lack
of awareness and good welfare conditions, non-participation in volunteering activities, as well
as individuals' personality.
Piran (2001) believes that in Iran, people have hardly had the citizen rights (for centuries) and
the public has been regarded as subordinates. Therefore, when the discourse of modernity,
restricting the authorities of the monarchy, creating a parliament, and the involvement of
people in their society's destiny and ultimately citizenship was discussed following the
Constitutional Revolution, only the citizen rights were underlined. So, there has been little
discussion on citizen obligations.
Nedjati Hosseini (2004) believes the current status of "welfare of social citizen" is far from being
desirable. Civil citizenship is at its "most fragile and vulnerable" condition. This situation could
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be considered as "a crisis". Meanwhile, it continues to be in a dialectical status between "crisis
and relative improvement". Citizenship in Iranian society is more "Top-down" than "Bottom-up
". The social domain of citizenship in Iran has more tendencies towards the "private sector"
than "public sector".
According to Ameli (2001), there is a kind of challenge among globalization, religion and
citizenship in contemporary society.
Serajzadeh and Babaei (2010) believe that students have high tendency to those dimensions of
global culture which corresponds to the market economy and citizenship rights and have low
tendency to dimensions including theWestern world life style.
Theoretical framework
Gol-Mohammadi quotes Robertson as saying "globalization refers to the compression of the
world and the consciousness intensification of the world as a whole."In Robertson's point of
view, globalization theory is not just about the structures, institutions and networks, but about
how we understand social life and our status in that life as well (Gol-Mohammadi, 2007, 21).
Robertsondefines the globalization as awareness about world issues as a single place and refers
that people in all around the world will involve in this issue and globalization enters their lives
(Robertson, 2006: 81-275).Communications in globalization conditions has led to the change of
space and time sense and time and place differences between communities and cultures have
been taken. Therefore, the world goes toward a variety of consistency and uniformity at the
same time, variety and diversity. Robertson provokes the idea of a world–localization that
separates the consumers of locally produced goods of a multinational company in terms of
civilization, region, community, and ethnicity, gender, etc. (Robertson, 2004: 217).
Sadeghi believes that Anthony Giddens through a structuration theory argues that citizenship
involves rights and responsibilities of social life, an idea that recognizes the individual credit and
returns to the social conditions in which a person behaves. Thus, a citizen is a wonderful
example of what Anthony Giddens has called "duality of structure". And according to Giddens,
social policy must strengthen private citizenship through providinga network of rights and
responsibility amongst family members. In fact, Giddens relates the public life and personal
relations in the framework of rights and responsibilities. According to him, people who have a
good understanding of their feelings structure and communicate well with others, probably are
more prepared for citizenship tasks. Sadeghi finally concludes that, according to Giddens,
democratization of the various institutions is related to the democratization of the whole
society and the world (Sadeghi, 2006: 87).
Formation of a global culture is one of the globalization consequences. According toHaynes
(1999), global culture can be considered in 5 perspectives: the global value, consumption,
identity, virtual and religious. In global value view, he considers the dissemination of some
ideas and values globalizing the Enlightenment age such as human rights, freedom, democracy
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and secularism. In consumption view, a variety of common consumption patterns derived from
the Western Capitalist system developsin global level. In identity view, floating sense and
politicization of identity areconsidered;in virtual view, similar behavioral patterns have been
expanded in global level. In religious dimension, global culture means that religious thoughts,
patterns and groups could be able in the light of globalization process to represent and
reinforce their place in the globalized world through utilizing the most important forces of this
process such as communication system (Haynes, 1999: 82-83).
According to Manuel Castells, globalization and informationality performed through wealth,
technology and power networks, will transform our world. These two processes enforce our
cultural creativity and communication (Castells, 1996: 101-97). i
According to the theory proposed, three approaches have been formed towards global culture:
The cosmopolitanism idea: Being a global citizen is not limited to the immediate locality
interests, butrecognizes belonging, involvement and global responsibilities and can integrate
these broader interests in the today’s routine life styles (Tomlinson, 2002: 252 -251).
The ideology of cosmopolitans’ superiority on locals: The important point is that these two
components of cosmopolitan disposition should not be considered as conflicting and
contradictory to each other, but should be considered as components that mutually encourage
each other.
The cosmopolitanism as "ethical globalizing-localizing": It means that a cosmopolite should
accept legal pluralism of cultures, be tolerant in dealing with other cultures. This awareness
must be thoughtful (Tomlinson, 2002: 256-251).
Research hypotheses
Hypothesis 1: It seems that there is a significant difference between awareness of the
citizenship rights in various kinds of attitudes towards global culture (negative, positive and
active).
Hypothesis 2: It seems that there is a significant correlation between dimensions of attitude
towards global culture andcitizenship rights.
Research Method
The present study isof a causal type; In terms of methodology, it is a survey with the analysis
unit being Tehran’s 20-50 year-old citizens. It is a cross-sectional study which was reviewed in
2011and wascategorized as applied research.
The population includes people aged 20 to 50 living in Tehran in 2011. The data gathering
instrument is questionnaire. Cochran formula was used to calculate sample size. 580 people
were selected through cluster sampling and inappropriate classification.
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Validityand Reliability
In this study, content validity was used to measure the validity, and referees’ consensus was
used to providecontent reliability of citizenshiprights. Chronbach's Alphwas used to assess the
reliability level. Based on Alpha Cronbach, "citizenship rights" variable was 0.74 and "attitude
toward global culture" was 0.74.
Research findings
Descriptive statistics:
Table 1: Statistical indicators of dependent variable (awareness of citizenship rights)
Descriptive statistics of
dependent variable Average Median exponent Standard deviation Variance
Citizenship Rights 97.71 98 97 10.32 106.53
Commentary: The average awareness of citizenship rights is 97.71 and the median is 98.
Exponent equals 97; i.e. most respondents view hasscores equivalent to 97. Dispersion
indicessuch as variance is equal to 106.53 and standard deviationis 10.32.
Table 2: Frequency Distribution of citizens’ awareness of citizenship rights and commitments
Citizenship Rights and Commitments of Frequency Valid Percentage
Average 6 1
High 166 28.6
Very high 408 70.3
Total 580 100
Commentary: Only one percent of citizens are moderately aware of the rights of citizenship,
28.6 percent are in high-level and 70.3 percent have a very high awareness of their citizenship
rights.
Table 3: Frequency distribution and respondents' percentage according their attitudes toward
global culture and its dimensions
Attitude towardglobal
culture
Global value
dimension
Consumption
dimension
Identity
dimension Virtual dimension
Religious
dimension
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Negativ
e 22 3.8 32 5.5 383 66 0 0 186 32.1 246 42.4
Active 282 48.6 164 28.3 172 30 73 12.6 200 34.5 299 51.6
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Positive 276 47.6 384 66.2 25 4 507 87.4 194 33.4 35 6
Total 580 100 580 100 580 100 580 100 580 100 580 100
According to the results of the descriptive statistics, 5.5% of respondents had a negative
attitude toward the value dimension of global cultures, while 28.3% had an active attitude and
66.2% had a positive attitude towards the value dimension of global culture. 94.5% of citizens
had moderate attitudes toward value dimension of global culture. In consumption dimension,
66% of respondents had a negative attitude, 30% had an active attitude and 4%had apositive
attitude towards the consumption dimension of global culture. 66% of Tehran’s citizens had a
negative attitude toward this dimension. In identity dimension, 12.6% were active and 87.4%
were positive. So 100% of Tehran’s citizens had moderate to high attitude toward this
dimension. In virtual dimension, 32.1% of respondents were negative, 34.5% were active and
33.4% were positive. 67.9% of Tehran’s citizens had a moderate to high attitude toward this
dimension.In religious dimension, 42.4% of respondents had a negative attitude, 51.6% had
active and 6% had positive attitude towardreligious dimension of global culture. 57.7% of
Tehran’s citizens had a moderate to high attitude toward this dimension. According to the
results of descriptive statistics for attitude toward global culture, 3.8% had negative, 48.6% had
active and 47.6% had a positive attitude toward global culture. A total of 76.2% of Tehran’s
citizens had a moderate to high attitude toward global culture.
Hypothesis 1: It seems that there is a significant difference between awareness of the
citizenship rights in various kinds of attitudes towards global culture (negative, positive and
active).
Table 4: One-way Variance analysis Test for Hypothesis 1
Changes
Source Sum of Square df
Mean
square F sig
Confirmation or rejection of
hypothesis
Intergroup 11282.56 2 5641.28 64.579 0.000
Research hypothesis is confirmed. Intragroup 5040.282 577 87.351
Total 61683.338 579
According the above test, people who have a positive attitude toward global culture, have more
awareness of citizenship rights.
Hypothesis 2: It seems that there is a significant correlation between dimensions of attitude
towards global culture and citizenship rights.
Table 5: Interpretation of Pearson Test for Hypothesis 2
First Step Second Step Third Step Fourth Step Fifth Step Sixth Step
Correlation
between two
variables
significance
level of
Pearson Test
Commentary Relationship
Intensity Commentary
Relationship
Direction Commentary
Awareness of Sig = 0.00 , Significant r = 0.16 Average Direct Same-direction
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citizenship rights
and consumption
dimension
99%
confidence
interval
correlation change of
variables
Awareness of
citizenship rights
and global value
dimension
Sig = 0.00 ,
99%
confidence
interval
Significant
correlation r = 0.49
Relatively
strong Direct
Same-direction
change of
variables
Awareness of
citizenship rights
and identity
dimension
Sig = 0.00 ,
99%
confidence
interval
Significant
correlation r = 0.34 Average Direct
Same-direction
change of
variables
Awareness of
citizenship rights
and virtal
dimension
Sig = 0.00, 99%
confidence
interval
Significant
correlation r = 0.26 Average Direct
Same-direction
change of
variables
Awareness of
citizenship rights
and religious
dimension
Sig = 0.00, 99%
confidence
interval
Significant
correlation r = 0.17 Average Direct
Same-direction
change of
variables
According to Table 5, there is a significant correlation between all dimensions of attitude
toward global culture and awareness of citizenship rights.
Multivariate regression
The prerequisite of multivariate regression is the presence of correlation between variables
that Pearson correlation coefficient must be significant between the independent and
dependent variables. According to Table 5, there is a significant relationship between
awareness of citizenship rights and all independent variables.
Table 6: Regression models and interpretations prior Yeni B. Meyer
R
Determination
Coefficient
( R 2 )
Modified
coefficient Result
0.528 0.278 0.272
It means that 5 dimensions of global culture as independent
variable have the ability of 0.27 to explain dependent
variable and in humanities field this is desirable for R2, in
other words 73% of the dependent variable’s explain is done
by other variables.
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Table 7: ANOVA Test results And its Commentary
Sum of
Squares df
Mean
square F Sig. ANONA test result
Regression
Coefficient 978.17177 5 598.3435 310.44 .000 Sig <0.05; i.e. regression line has more ability to
explain variance of dependent variable than of
residual variance. In other words, independent
variables effect the dependent variable.
Residual
Coefficient 350.44505 574 535.77
Total 338.61683 579
Table 8: Regression coefficient for predictedmodels
Unstandardized regression
coefficients
Standardized
regression
coefficients t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
Constant value 67.529 2.514
26.858 0.000
Consumption Dimension -0.115 0.100 -0.048 -1.155 0.249
Global Value Dimension 0.581 0.059 0.433 9.920 0.000
Identity Dimension 0.378 0.081 0.180 4.697 0.000
Virtual Dimension 0.241 0.139 0.075 1.727 0.085
Religious Dimension -.0103 0.087 -0.048 -1.174 0.241
Using unstandardized regression coefficients, linear equations of prediction regression can be
written as follows:
y = a + b1. x1 + b2. x2 + B3. x3 ...
y = 67.529 + 0.581 (Global Value Dimension) + 0.378 (Identity Dimension)
Constant value with width from origin is equal to 67.529. Due to the effect coefficients of above
variable for the global value variables0.581and the identity variable of 0.37, awareness of
citizenship rights variable increases a standard deviation. The standardized regression equation
was used in order to answer the question of which independent variable has the most effect.
Standardized regression coefficient formula is as follows:
Zy = B1.X1 + B2.X2 + B3.X3
Zy = 0.433 (Global Value Dimension) +0.180 (Identity Dimension)
According to the above equation, the most influence of independent variables on awareness of
citizenship rights includes global value dimension and identity dimension.
Path Analysis
Due to Beta-coefficients obtained from the regression tables, direct and indirect effects of each
independent variable on the dependent variable were computed and are given below.
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Table 9: Direct and indirect path Coefficients of independent variables on dependent variables
Independent
variable
IndirectPaths Coefficients of indirect
paths
Sum of
Indirect
Coefficients
Direct
Coefficients
Sum ofdirect and
indirectCoefficients
Global Value
Dimension
X1 X2 y 0.36*0.180=0.064 0.064 0.433 0.497
Identity Dimension X2 X1 y 0.36*0.433=0.155 0.155 0.180 0.335
Discussion & Conclusion
The research results indicate that people who have positive attitudes toward global culture,
hashad greater awareness of citizenship rights. The awareness of citizenship rights has a direct
positive relationship with all aspects of global culture. Findings of this research have confirmed
the results of Mansur-nedjad (2008) theories that communication globalization has expanded
human interaction with each other and thus, the world is going towards a cultural unity.
The results of Liber and Weisberg (2002) research were not confirmed in this research. And
unlike MikkoKuisma (2008) results who believes that globalization challenges citizenship values,
this study indicates that appositive attitude toward global culture leads to the increased
citizenship rights awareness.
According to Serajzadeh and Babaei (2010), students have a high tendency to those dimensions
of global culture which corresponds to the market economy and citizenship rights and have a
low tendency to dimensions which include Western World life style. However, the research
results indicate that there is a direct positive relationship among all dimensions of global
culture and awareness of citizenship rights.
0.36
0.433
0.180 Identity Dimension
(X2)
Awareness of Rights
Global Value
Dimension( X1)
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The results of current study are consistent with Robertson (2006) theories about globalization
as “awareness of global issues as a single location”. It is also coordinated with Castells theories
which consider globalization and informationalityas the factor of the world transformation.
One of this research results is the effect of identity and global value dimensions on awareness
of citizenship rights that is consistent with Giddens theories who believes that globalization
changes the life, identity and interaction with other people and make a new shape for it
(Giddens, 2008). Positive attitude toward identity and Global value dimensions createsa kind of
common identity for Tehran citizenswhichcausesmore awareness in global level. Empirical
studies in Iran confirm that formation of national identities in Iran is more populist (Lotf-abadi,
2001; Mohammadi, 2000).
1. The policymakers and planners must accept the reality of global culture and pay
attention to all dimensions of global culture becauseits dimensions can lead to
widespread citizens’ awareness about citizenship rights. Given this increased
awareness of citizens through global cultural attitudes, it is suggested that thelaws
and regulations should be reviewed in relevant organizations, in accordance
toglobal standards.
2. The Interior Ministry should pay attention to citizens' awareness about global
indices of citizenship rights,while informing the citizens about the citizenship rights
regulations in Iran through educational centers, I.R.I.B, etc.
3. Training workshops at different levels to be held, aimed at familiarizing the citizens
with their legal rights.
4. I.R.I.B. should provide more effective programs about citizenship rights and the
contexts to realize the citizenship.
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