An analysis of the strengths and opportunities for the formation and development of civil society in contemporary Iranian political culture from the perspective of political activists.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Sociology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Social Sciences and Communication, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

3 PhD in Sociology, Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University of Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the effects of Iran's political culture on the formation and development of civil society using a survey method using the SWOT model. The statistical population includes the secretaries-general of political parties licensed by the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which numbered 126 parties. Using systematic random sampling, 92 people were selected as a sample. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. The findings and results of this study showed that the most important strengths of Iranian civil society are the increasing interest of people in using cyberspace for political activism, the growth of public participation in politics and society, the spirit of anti-oppression among the people, and the most important opportunities for the development of civil society include the rapid growth of the use of social networks and mass media among the general public, the growth of public education and the level of literacy of the people, the growth of the country's young population in the two decades after the revolution, and the social and political presence of women.