Evaluating the Role of Virtual Social Networks in Women's Empowerment (Case Study: Baghmalek City)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Majid Goodarzi ¹
• Zahra Soltani ²
• Afsaneh Ali Bakhshi ³

¹ Assistant Professor of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

² Assistant Professor of Geography and Rural Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

³ Masters Student of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Abstract

Nowadays social networks have occupied a place for the presence of different social layers, especially women, and the place of exchange of ideas to meet the women’s needs in social life and empower them. Increasing female users’ virtual information and their awareness of the role of information in higher empowerment and greater roles has made them more involved in the virtual world. The present study aimed to investigate the role of virtual social networks in women's empowerment in Baghmalek. The research employs a theoretical, descriptive-analytical research method. The theoretical data were collected using the available books and articles via library techniques. The field data were also collected using a questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS.22 software. The results indicate that the model developed by the research data is confirmed, that is, the goodness of fit of the data to the established model and all the indices indicate the desirability of the structural equation model. The results also show the direct and high effect of variable social media networks on women's economic, socio-cultural, and information empowerment. Estimates of the Friedman test illustrate that in economic empowerment, the variable of promoting entrepreneurial spirit; in socio-cultural empowerment, the variable of improvement of ideas; and in information empowerment, the variables of news and events are in the first rank.

Keywords

• Virtual Social Networks
• Economic Empowerment
• Sociocultural Empowerment
• Information Empowerment
• Baghmalek City

20.1001.1.20088566.1399.11.43.10.8

---

References

-Adlipour, Samad; Vahid, Ghasemi; Seyed Ahmad, Mirmohammadbar. (2014). The Impact of Facebook Social Network on the Cultural Identity of Youth in Isfahan, Iranian Cultural Research, Seventh Year, Spring 2014, Number 1 (25), 28-1.

-Afshari, Ali-Hashemi & Zohreh-Rezaei, Rasool. (2019). Assessment of Social Health and Self-Esteem in Female Families of Empowered and Disabled Supervisors (Case Study of Welfare Organization), Quarterly Journal of Women and Society, Vol. Third, Autumn, pp. 16-16

-Ahmadniya, Shirin. (2004). the status of women in the information society, Journal of Farzaneh Woman, 1, 8-21.

-Annabestani, Ali Akbar & Somayeh Vaziri. (2011). Analysis of the Social, Economic and Physical Impacts of ICT on Rural Development, Quarterly Journal of Social Sciences, Fourth Year, No. 9, pp. 154-129.

-Ashton, M., Verdery, B., Katherine Faust, R., and Rindfuss, R. (2012). Social and spatial networks: Kinship distance and dwelling unit proximity in rural Thiland, social Networks 34, 112-127.

-Ataei, Pouria & Zamani Miandashti, Nasser. (2017). Psychological Empowerment Levels of Tafihan Women in Shiraz, Quarterly Journal of Women and Society, Vol. 8, No. 1, Spring, pp. 57-76

-Azari, Gholamreza &Taban Omidvar. (2012). Investigating the Role of Virtual Social Networks on Social Capital, Journal of Communication Culture, Volume 2, Number 6, Summer, pp. 209 - 181.

-Bakhshi, Bahar; Bahar Nasiri Ameneh Bakhtiari; Maryam Taherian. (2013). The Role and Function of Social Networks (Case Study of Mamfah Social Network, A Network for Mothers and Children), Journal of Gynecology, Humanities and Cultural Studies Research Institute, No.4 Second, Autumn and Winter, pp. 37-59.

-Barat Dastjerdi, N., and Sayadi, S. (2013). Relationship between using social networks and Internet addiction and depression among students, Journal of Research in Behavioral Sciences, 2013; 10(5): 332-341.

-Boyd, D. M., and Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: definition, history, and scholarship, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1): 210-230.

-Castells, M .(2001). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

-Castells, M .(2005). The Geography of the Internet Industery: Venture Capital, Dot-Coms, and Local Knowledge; Oxford: Blackwell.

-CharmchianLangroodi, Mehdi; Ali Beigi, Amir Hossein. (2016). Investigating the Factors Affecting the Psychological Empowerment of Rural Women, Quarterly Journal of Women and Society, Volume I, Spring 2013, pp. 192- 165.

-Chidi, U. (2018). The Role of Social Media in Community Development in Nigeria: The Owe Unity Forum (Oaf) Model, IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), Volume 23, Issue 5, Ver. 8 (May. 2018) PP 34-43, e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845.

-Coleman, J. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital, American Journal of Sociology, Volume 94, PP: 95-120

-Fukuyama, F. (2000). Social Capital and Civil Society,  IMF Working Paper Wp/00/74, April.

-Golmakaniorcid, N., Ghorbani orcid, F., and Taghi Shakeri, M. (2018). The Relationship between virtual social networks usage and gender role attitude in university students of Iran, Journal of Midwifery & Reproductive health (JMRH), Article 9, Volume 6, Issue 3, July 2018, Page 1367-1374.

-Grasmuck, S. (2009). Facebook & Identity, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 15, pp. 158-188.

-Hafez Nia, Mohamadreza. (2010). Introduction to Research in Humanities, Tehran: Ghost Publications, 17th Edition.

-Hamelink S. J. (1999). Human Development in M.Tawfik (chief editir) Word Communication and Information Report 1999-2000 Unesco . pp23-45.

-Hemmati, Esa. (2016). Measuring Citizens' Satisfaction with Urban Parks and Green Areas, MA Thesis in Geography and Urban Planning, Supervisor: Masoud Safaeipour, Ahvaz, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz.

-Jackson, M. A. (2010). Empowering Women of Nepal: An Experience of Empowerment in the Land of the Himalaya, M.A Thesis, Prescott College in Adventure Education.

-Jain, D., and Jain, B. (2012). Does microfinance empower rural women? An empirical study in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, Journal of Arts, Science & Commerce, 1, Pp. 7689.

-Jalali, Ali Akbar. (2005). Information Technology and its Applications in Public Relations, First International Public Relations Conference in Iran, Tehran: Public Relations Agent, pp. 103-93.

-Kara, E.H. (2007). New Society, Translator: Mohsen Salei, Tehran: Amir Kabir.

-Katabi, Mahmood, Yazdkhasti, Behjat; Farrokhi Rastaei, Zahra. (2003). Empowering Women to Participate in Development, Women's Research, Volume 1, Volume 3, Number 7, pp. 17-13.

-Kia, Ali Asghar; Nouri Moradabadi, Younes. (2012). Factors Related to Students' Attitude to Facebook Social Network (Comparative Study of Iranian and American Students), Journal of Cultural-Communication Studies, Spring 2012, Volume 13, Number 17, Machine 49, Pp. 212 - 181.

-Lenhart, A., and Madden, M. (2007). Teens, Privacy & Online Social Networks, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Wordpress, Com/ 2013/4/11.

-Liu, Y., lib, Z., and Britung, W. (2012). The social network of new-generation migrants in China s urbanized villages: A case study of Guangzhou, Habitat International, 36, pp. 192-200.

-Madanipour, Nadiya. (2006). Take a look at women's employment, Woman Message Monthly, 173, 48-61.

-Moein, Mohammad. (1992). Persian Culture. Tehran: Amir Kabir.

-Mohammadpour, Ahmad. (2006). Networking Society: The Social Dimensions of New Media, World Media Journal (University of Tehran Electronic Journals Database, www.globalmediajournal.com).

-Mollai Noushahr, Hossein. (2014). Investigating the Role of Virtual Networks in Different Dimensions of Satisfaction from the Viewpoints of Internet Users in Tehran, Media Studies, Ninth Year, No. 24, Spring, pp. 87-76.

-Naderi Mehdi, Karim & Wahdat moadab, Hajar. (2018). Investigating the Impact of Social Capital Components on Empowering Women with Domestic Jobs (Case Study: Razan County), Journal of Women in Development and Politics, Volume 16, Number 2, pp. 196- 175.

-Neil Anthony, W.,  Esbern, F.H., Stig Toft, M.,  Steen, F., Henrik, N., Marianne Nylandsted , L., and  Sanne, Ch. (2004). Farmer empowerment: Experiences, lessons learned and ways forward, Danish Institute of International Studies, [On line] Available on: http://www.neuchatelinitiative.net/english/FarmerEmpowermentexperienceslesso slearnedandwaysf.

-Pelling, E.L., White, K.M. (2009). The theory of planned behavior applied to young people's use of social networking web sites, Cyber Psychology & Behavior, 2009; 12(6): 755-759.

-Praprotnik, T. (2004). How to Understand Identity in Anonymous, Communication?, Available in: www.hsd.hr/revija/pdf/1-2-2004/01 praprotnik. pdf.

-Rasoolzadeh Aghdam, Samad; Samad Adlipour; Hakimeh Malek Ahmadi. (2014). Phenomenological Analysis of the Tabriz Women's Attitude to Facebook Social Network, Sociological Studies, Volume 6, Issue 24, Fall 2014, pp. 66-51.

-Schumacker, R., and Lomax, R. (2004). A beginner's guide to structural equation modeling, New Jersey: Mahwan.

-Shahriari, Umalbanin. (2008). Investigating the Empowerment of Rural Women in Sistan and Baluchistan and Their Impact on Entrepreneurship. Master thesis.

-Shakoee, Hossein. (1996). New Thoughts in the Philosophy of Geography, Volume I, Geology Publishing.

-Shava, H., and Chinyamurindi, W. (2018). Determinants of social media usage among a sample of rural South African youth, South African, Journal of Informaon Management, ISSN: (Online) 1560-683X, (Print) 2078-1865, Pp.1-8

-Sohrabi, Babak; Iman Raeesi Wanani; Marzieh Talebian. (2016). A Model for Analyzing the Behavior of Social Network Users Using Data Mining: A Social Network in Iran, Organizational Resource Management Research, Volume 6, Number 4, Winter 2016 , Pp. 106-83.

-Sohrabzadeh, Mehran; Nizavi, Mohsen; nejadi, Azam; Afra, Hadi. (2019). Virtual Social Networks and the Formation of Women's Mental Image, Quarterly Journal of Women and Society, Volume 10, Issue 2, Summer, Pp. 217-240

-Tiffany A. Pempek Yevdokiya A.YermolayevaSandra L. Calvert. (2009). College students' social networking experiences on Facebook, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30: 227–238, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010.

-Whittaker, J. (2002). The internet: the Basics, New York: Routledg.

-Willam, F.P, 2009. “Social networking sites: How to stau Safe Sites”, Multi- State Information Sharing & Anaiysis Center (MS-ISAC), 612:Pp. 1-5.

-Zakaei, Mohammad Saeed. (2007). Sociology of Iranian Youth, Tehran: Ag Publishing.