Social Sciences and Communications
R. Ghanbari Ghadikolaei
Abstract
Technological revolution is an outcome of the third wave of revolutions that has brought forth tangible changes and transformations in all industries, including tourism. Technology advancement creates new opportunities for virtual tourism. As such, the virtual tour experience and the study of tourist ...
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Technological revolution is an outcome of the third wave of revolutions that has brought forth tangible changes and transformations in all industries, including tourism. Technology advancement creates new opportunities for virtual tourism. As such, the virtual tour experience and the study of tourist behavior have turned into an important subject of tourism studies. In this milieu, the current study aims to identify and explain theoretical frameworks of behavioral domain of virtual tourists. It systematically reviews researches on virtual tourist behavior by taking into account scientific articles published in Scopus-indexed journals between 1999 and 2022 as behavior indicators. The findings demonstrated that China and the United States have been on forefront in researches on the behavior of virtual tourists. The most important theoretical approaches to that behavior are: technology acceptance model, planned behavior, and stimulus-organism-response, theory of flow, attention recovery, immersion and presence. In order to identify main components in the proposed study related to the behavior of virtual tourists, the quantitative content analysis was used. In the end, a conceptual framework was extracted from the content of the articles. It was found that the most important and effective theory in this field is technology acceptance.
Social Sciences and Communications
M. Jami Pour; A. Naghdi Amiri; S. Kamarei
Abstract
In recent years, especially with the outbreak of the Coronavirus, social media has become a platform for interactions with user-generated contents among online communities. Despite undeniable advantages of social media in individual and social domains, its applications have also confronted human society ...
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In recent years, especially with the outbreak of the Coronavirus, social media has become a platform for interactions with user-generated contents among online communities. Despite undeniable advantages of social media in individual and social domains, its applications have also confronted human society with numerous ethical issues. Since these issues have been less focused by researchers, the present study intends to identify and prioritize ethical challenges being posed by social media. As such, a sequential mixed research method has been applied to reach the desired outcome. At first, after reviewing the existing literature on technological ethics in general, and social media ethics in particular, ethical challenges is defined and classified. Thereafter, a survey method is used to assess and localize the challenges identified by experts. The statistical population in both stages is professors and experts of information technology and social media, who were selected by the purposeful (judgmental) sampling method. The results indicate 7 main dimensions and 42 indicators in social media ethics such as: privacy/confidentiality, psychological/social effects, cyber bullying, accuracy (information content), intellectual property, and freedom of expression issues. The findings can provide policymakers in the field of technology with a comprehensive insight into the challenges of using social media and its importance.
Social Sciences and Communications
H. Gheblezadeh; A. Afshani; H. Eslami
Abstract
Today, living in the age of media and information, human beings are exposed to all kinds of seemingly real news and information, the rumored nature of which is hidden from the view. In the face of such unreliable news, people often republish it in virtual and real spaces, which can lead to a significant ...
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Today, living in the age of media and information, human beings are exposed to all kinds of seemingly real news and information, the rumored nature of which is hidden from the view. In the face of such unreliable news, people often republish it in virtual and real spaces, which can lead to a significant security, economic and social damage. Therefore, the present study is conducted with the aim of more deeply identifying users' strategies in the face of news and especially rumors in the virtual space and the process of reducing rumor-making and rumor-mongering with a qualitative approach and Strauss and Corbin's field theory method. Based on theoretical and purposive sampling, 24 young Yazdians active in cyberspace, including 12 men and 12 women, participated in the research and their narratives were analyzed. The data collection process was performed simultaneously with their analysis in three stages of open, axial and selective coding. Findings show the central phenomenon of dualism of trust in news sources, whether national, non-national or virtual. News were tracked from credible sources whereas credible and rumor contents were measured accordingly. Eventually, due to the timeliness of rumors and media literacy training, there was high probability of discrediting. The mentioned strategies, such as the temporary reduction of rumor mongers' visits were found to silence rumors.
Social Sciences and Communications
F. Zafar Abdollahzadeh; M.R. Rasoli; T. Shiri
Abstract
The global nature of social media has brought ethnic challenges from regional and national stages to the world arena. The current study analyzes these challenges under the framework of Globalization theories. There are two general approaches to globalization: the first believes in complete global homogeneity, ...
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The global nature of social media has brought ethnic challenges from regional and national stages to the world arena. The current study analyzes these challenges under the framework of Globalization theories. There are two general approaches to globalization: the first believes in complete global homogeneity, while the other does not believe in such an optimistic viewpoint. The purpose here is to clarify which of these two approaches have been used by social media as a means of global communication in relation to Iranian ethnic identities. For that matter, the researchers have conducted in-depth interviews with 11 experts in social communications, anthropology, and sociology and data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software. The results demonstrated that the performance of social media has created a dual situation, that is, on the one side they have preserved the Iranian ethnic identity and on the other, they have led them to be influenced by global culture. In other words, social media have reinforced the cultural coexistence of ethnic groups nationally and globally. With regard to separatist ethnic groups, social media do not play a significant role, as this issue is influenced by other social and political factors. Ultimately, the Iranian ethnic motivation to resist global nationality and culture is limited, although social media give them such ability.
Social Sciences and Communications
N. Razeghi; M. Sharepour; F. Akhondzade
Abstract
An ever-increasing digital divide around the globe has turned into one of the greatest challenges to several areas of the information society with direct and indirect consequences. This has also increased the demand for more research in this field. This study, which is based on Bourdieu's cultural capital ...
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An ever-increasing digital divide around the globe has turned into one of the greatest challenges to several areas of the information society with direct and indirect consequences. This has also increased the demand for more research in this field. This study, which is based on Bourdieu's cultural capital reproduction theory, is an attempt to answer the question as: To what extent individuals' cultural capital affects the digital gap among them? The survey method was applied in this research where a questionnaire was used to collect the data. The population of the study consisted of 183,198 youths from the city of Bābol (Mazandaran, Iran) aged 18-29 years. The sample size was estimated to be 385 by Cochran formula. The data were then collected randomly in a multistage cluster sampling from 8 areas in the above city. The results showed that there is a digital divide among people with different cultural capitals. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the objectified dimension of the cultural capital (β = 0.472), the embodied dimension (β = 0.41) and the institutionalized dimension (β = 0.20) had the greatest effect on the people's digital divide. The results also showed that the independent variable of the research, i.e. cultural capital, explained about 0.26 percent of the variance of the dependent variable, i.e. the digital divide.
Sociology
G. Bayat; M. Ghasemi
Abstract
National-religious events attract media attention but different media views events differently in ideological frameworks which facilitate the failure or success of public diplomacy efforts all around the world. In this regard, Persian-language foreign media, including the BBC Persian, is among the sources ...
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National-religious events attract media attention but different media views events differently in ideological frameworks which facilitate the failure or success of public diplomacy efforts all around the world. In this regard, Persian-language foreign media, including the BBC Persian, is among the sources of meaning and conceptualization of national-religious events such as Chaharshanbehsuri for audiences inside Iran. In recent years, one of the most important events happening yearly with a large crowd of people is the Arbaeen Hosseini procession. According to Rodenbühler's approach to the concept of ritual, Arbaeen ritual is performed voluntarily, non-instrumental and seriously. This paper, considering the history and the extent of the BBC in professional news activity, analyzes the way of Arbaeen event representation on the BBC website using thematic analysis method. The findings indicate that the Arbaeen pilgrims' walking ritual has been strongly represented as a political and ideological movement under the seven main themes (documentary narration, separatism and Shia, crisis of disorder and inability of Iran and Iraq’s governments, Arbaeen downsizing, analysis of the eight-year Iraq-Iran war, allegedly imposed insecurity by Isil and the political Maneuver of the Iranian government). The representation of the relations between the actors in this ritual ceremony not only has nothing to do with Rothenbuhler’s view but also shows the negative image making of this religious event as a continuation of the Shia phobia in the western media and especially as a new manifestation of Iranophobia.
Social Sciences and Communications
H. Molaei; Z. Majdizadeh
Abstract
Social media with their features such as interactivity, participatory, and user-generated content have provided a great opportunity for self-expression of the users. However, cultural differences affect the extent and modality of users’ self-expression. This study aims to investigate the modality ...
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Social media with their features such as interactivity, participatory, and user-generated content have provided a great opportunity for self-expression of the users. However, cultural differences affect the extent and modality of users’ self-expression. This study aims to investigate the modality of self-expression of Iranian users of the social networking sites. In doing so, an online survey was conducted among the students of three Iran universities: University of Tehran, Amirkabir University of Technology, and Sharif University of Technology. A total of 371 students participated in the study. Having conducted quantitative analysis, the study results showed that women and ethnic minorities are more inclined to support their cultural differences compared to men and ethnic majority group. Supporting cultural differences was observed more among Shia religious majority group. Religious minorities expressed less tendency to create content in social networking sites and as a result support their religious identity.
Social Sciences and Communications
Abdollah Bicharanlou; Seyedeh farzaneh Siasi rad
Abstract
Social networks affect remarkably in the lives of virtual space users. These networks like most human relations involve compromising between self-disclosure and privacy protection. A process which is realized through improving privacy and empowering the user at the personal level. This study aimed to ...
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Social networks affect remarkably in the lives of virtual space users. These networks like most human relations involve compromising between self-disclosure and privacy protection. A process which is realized through improving privacy and empowering the user at the personal level. This study aimed to assess strategies based on online privacy literacy. In particular, strategies that Instagram young girls users should employ to achieve the optimum level of privacy. For this purpose, firstly the paradox of privacy, benefits and risks of self-disclosure are explained, then according to online privacy literacy, some social and technological strategies are introduced by which users can solve the “paradox of privacy.” In the result section, after describing the main benefits and risks of self-disclosure by girl users, the current models of using these social and technological strategies to solve the mentioned paradox are discussed. The research method is ethnography based on non-collaborative observation of Instagram pages and semi-structured interviews with 20 girl users of social networks.
Social Sciences and Communications
R. Tavalaee; Z. Sabaghi; N. Nezafati
Abstract
Due to the growth of information and communication technology in societies Especially among students, the use of these technologies has become as part of regular working people. Social networks as one of the most important and widely in cyberspace which is Used by many people in various fields. application ...
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Due to the growth of information and communication technology in societies Especially among students, the use of these technologies has become as part of regular working people. Social networks as one of the most important and widely in cyberspace which is Used by many people in various fields. application of social network by students as young and educated population is important.In this regard, this study aimed to investigate and identify the opportunities and threats for shahid Beheshti University students in social network. This study aims to develop a practical and descriptive methodology. Information obtained from the questionnaires using SPSS statistical analysis software in two parts: descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed.The results indicate that five variables related to social networking opportunities, including e-learning, leisure, organized social groups, the possibility of dialogue and culture, as well as five variables related to social networking threats, including transfer value unethical, abusive, spreading false information, internet & Communications destructive addiction, has a significant positive effect on students.
Social Sciences and Communications
I. Erfanmanesh; S. Sadeghi Fasaei
Abstract
Conceptualization and deliberation around the society of Iran as a sort of the information society is one of the newborn issues after Islamic revolution of Iran. Hereupon, in the statements of the supreme Islamic revolution leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the socio-cultural aspects and considerations ...
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Conceptualization and deliberation around the society of Iran as a sort of the information society is one of the newborn issues after Islamic revolution of Iran. Hereupon, in the statements of the supreme Islamic revolution leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the socio-cultural aspects and considerations on ICTS are outstanding and elicitable. Applying the theoretical approach of “the socio-cultural impact, functioning, and shaping of ICTS” and the documentary research method, this article tries theoretically to code, form, and categorize the most important socio-cultural ICTS elements reflected in the statements of the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution, and review the relevant sociological theories. In this regard, the three key aspects are as follow: 1) the substantial and incentive features and socio-cultural placement of technology 2) the socio-cultural preparations and necessities of technology 3) the socio-cultural harms and threats of technology. Overall, it seems that, in articulating the abovementioned elements, besides some socio-cultural theoretical considerations, the themes such as religious believes, ethic, rational and cultural foundations, national identity, mobility, safety, and emphasis on the agency of the Iranian youths are of importance.
Social Sciences and Communications
Jamal Mohammadi; kamal khalegh Panah; Elahe Gholami
Abstract
BeeTalk is one of the most common social networks that have attracted many users during these years. As a whole, social networks are parts of everyday life nowadays and, especially among the new generation, have caused some basic alterations in the field of identity-formation, sense-making and the form ...
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BeeTalk is one of the most common social networks that have attracted many users during these years. As a whole, social networks are parts of everyday life nowadays and, especially among the new generation, have caused some basic alterations in the field of identity-formation, sense-making and the form and content of communication. This article is a research about BeeTalk users, their virtual interactions and experiences, and the feelings, pleasures, meanings and attitudes that they obtain through participating in the virtual world. This is a qualitative research. The sample is selected by way of theoretical sampling among the students of University of Kurdistan. Direct observation and semistructured interviews are used to gathering data, which are interpreted through grounded theory. The findings show that some contexts like “searching real interests in a non-real world” and “the representation of users’ voices in virtual space” have provided the space for participating in BeeTalk, and an intervening factor called “instant availability” has intensified this participation. Users’ participation in this social network has changed their social interaction in the real world and formed some new types of communication among them such as “representation of faked identities”, “experiencing ceremonial space” and “artificial literacy”. Moreover, this participation has some consequences like “virtual addiction” and “virtual collectivism” in users’ everyday life that effects their ways of providing meaning and identity in their social lives. It can be said that the result of user’s activity in this network is to begin a kind of simulated relation that has basic differences with relations in the real world. The experience of relation in this network lacks nobility, enrichment and animation, rather it is instant, artificial and without any potential to vitalization.
Social Sciences and Communications
M.A. Taleghani; S. Sharifi; M. Shahnoshi; R. Ebrahimzadeh Dastjerdi
Abstract
Managing cultural changes in the virtual space is inevitable since it is a place of conflict between power flows, especially the reputation system. Achieving desirable and sustainable cultural changes requires attention to changeability requirements. It means that ignoring these requirements can affect ...
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Managing cultural changes in the virtual space is inevitable since it is a place of conflict between power flows, especially the reputation system. Achieving desirable and sustainable cultural changes requires attention to changeability requirements. It means that ignoring these requirements can affect the process and content of changes. Based on this, the purpose of this article is to investigate and answer the question: What are the requirements of cultural changes through the fame of celebrities in the virtual space? The research is based on Husserl's descriptive phenomenology as well as Colaizzi's method (1978). The research population is those who are active in various fields of science, art, sports, and virtual space activism. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 people as a research sample using the criterion-dependent purposeful sampling method until the level of data saturation. The data were validated through external auditors, returning to the interviewees, and in-depth descriptions. The findings showed that the requirements of cultural changes through celebrities in the virtual space can be found at structural and content levels: in the dimensions of optimal networking, control of structural resistance, family changes, and social capital building in the form of structural requirements, and in the dimensions of cultural flow, cultural leadership and attention to social status in the form of content requirements. The results, in addition to showing the role of celebrities in cultural changes, emphasize the factors facilitating the influence of celebrity culture in the Iranian society.
Social Sciences and Communications
S. Koohestani; F. Alikhah; N. Ofoghi; H. Hallajzadeh
Abstract
With the emergence of new social media networks, the mechanisms of gaining fame have undergone massive transformations. Today, users have attained the opportunity to reach fame, which was not easily accessible before. In this regard, due to its easy-to-use capabilities and high popularity among users, ...
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With the emergence of new social media networks, the mechanisms of gaining fame have undergone massive transformations. Today, users have attained the opportunity to reach fame, which was not easily accessible before. In this regard, due to its easy-to-use capabilities and high popularity among users, Instagram has become a main platform for creating fame. Many Instagram users are inclined to become famous on this social network for various reasons, and this fame brings considerable consequences in the society, which enhances the importance of sociological analysis of the issue. By this way, the present paper tries to examine and analyze the causes and effects of fame on Instagram while reviewing the theories about economy, fame, and microcelebrity. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 Instagram users. The findings obtained from the interviews were also extracted and analyzed with the thematic analysis technique and demonstrated 6 main themes and 12 sub-themes. Finally, based on the interviewees' responses, significant reasons for seeking fame on Instagram include monetizing and acquiring economic capital, a shortcut to success, and an opportunity to be seen and heard, which has led to important outcomes such as the standardization of taste, the consumerism of everyday life, and changing values and norms in the society.
Social Sciences and Communications
Z. Majdizade; A. Ravadrad
Abstract
Instagram texts need to be analyzed from a multimodal perspective because a large part of it on this social media platform is conveyed to the audience through images. The multimodal critical discourse analysis approach, like others, focuses on power and ideology concepts, as well as the context involved ...
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Instagram texts need to be analyzed from a multimodal perspective because a large part of it on this social media platform is conveyed to the audience through images. The multimodal critical discourse analysis approach, like others, focuses on power and ideology concepts, as well as the context involved in text production and at the same time, due to attention to multifacetedness and using the social semiotics approach, it is suitable for analyzing Instagram texts. The study of childhood, motherly and fatherly identity construction on child-centered Instagram pages was chosen as a case study. For this purpose, first the analytical framework of Kress and Leeuwen was explained with the focus on how to analyze each of the intellectual, interpersonal, and hybrid meta-roles. Then only the child-centered page of fraternity that is among the top-ranked Iranian Instagram influencer pages was analyzed using the same method. Findings were analyzed by separating texts as corpus. Following that, the discourses of patriarchy and capitalism were identified and their connection to social and industrial context was described. Findings also demonstrated the fluidity and simultaneity of identities influenced by the emergence of social media.
