The Sociological Study of Factors Affecting Women's Social Security in Mashhad as a Metropolis

Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

Security is considered as an important social, psychological and culturalcomponent in the community which isrequired for thesocial and politicallifeof thataccordingtosociologicalstudies.The main objective ofthisstudy is to examinethe factors thatcreateandenhancethesocietal securityof women inMashhadMetropolis. The theoretical framework of this study includes the combination of ideas and theoretical approaches including power-driven, identity-based, feminist theory of urban space, defense, etc. Thisstudy isbasedonahybridapproachbased on asurveyin 2013amongwomen who were between 20 and 64 years old. The studywas conductedbyaquestionnaire witha sample size of391 patients selected­bysimplerandom samplingandcluster samplingin urbanareas ofMashhad. The relationship between the dependent variable of societal security and independent variablesincluding social support, attitudesto the irindivid­ualeconomic security, approachestocoverage, socialre­sistance, the useof communicationsandplanningandurban designwere examined. Finally, using multiple linear regression indicates that the use of mass media, vision coverage, design and urban planning, the attitude of the individual and economic security have a meaningful relationship with societal security. To compare the societal security among women in Mashhad according to area of residence, the target population was divided into two groups: the first group of women haslived at the top part of the city and the second group of women has lived in down part of Mashhad. To compare the difference between these two groups, T-test was used. The results showed no significant difference between the areas of living and societal security of women. Totally, the level of societal security for women in Mashhad was middle (58.2%) Direct and indirect effects of independent variables on the dependent variable in the path analysis model showed that the mass media has the most effect on societal security. Finally, according to results, practical suggestions for improving the level of societal security are offered.

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