Social and Cultural Determinants of Iranians’ Attitudes Toward International Migrants

نویسندگان

1 Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

2 Master of Demography, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

3 Master of Social Science Research, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran

چکیده

With the expansion of migration flows in recent decades, one of the major challenges facing host societies is shaping public attitudes toward international migrants and patterns of interaction with them. This study examines the attitudes of Iranian citizens toward international migrants and the factors that influence these attitudes.
To this end, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey, implemented in Iran in 2020, based on a sample of 1,499 respondents. More recent data on attitudes toward migrants are not collected in any national surveys; therefore, up-to-date information is unavailable, and we relied on the 2020 survey.
The findings indicate that 25.5% of respondents hold negative attitudes toward migrants, while 17% express positive attitudes. Analyses show that materialist values, social trust, and exposure to mass and digital media are significantly associated with more favorable attitudes toward migrants. Conversely, feelings of social insecurity and a high sense of Iranian national identity are linked to more negative attitudes. Path analysis further reveals that social trust has the strongest effect on the formation of positive attitudes toward migrants.
Accordingly, strengthening social capital, reducing perceptions of insecurity through public education, and promoting positive narratives about migrants in the media can contribute to improving societal attitudes. This is particularly important given the anticipated rise in migration flows in the coming years.

کلیدواژه‌ها

عنوان مقاله [English]

Social and Cultural Determinants of Iranians’ Attitudes Toward International Migrants

نویسندگان [English]

  • Milad Bagi 1
  • Herish Rezaei 2
  • Mohsen Jasim Zadeh 3
1 Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
2 Master of Demography, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
3 Master of Social Science Research, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
چکیده [English]

With the expansion of migration flows in recent decades, one of the major challenges facing host societies is shaping public attitudes toward international migrants and patterns of interaction with them. This study examines the attitudes of Iranian citizens toward international migrants and the factors that influence these attitudes.
To this end, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey, implemented in Iran in 2020, based on a sample of 1,499 respondents. More recent data on attitudes toward migrants are not collected in any national surveys; therefore, up-to-date information is unavailable, and we relied on the 2020 survey.
The findings indicate that 25.5% of respondents hold negative attitudes toward migrants, while 17% express positive attitudes. Analyses show that materialist values, social trust, and exposure to mass and digital media are significantly associated with more favorable attitudes toward migrants. Conversely, feelings of social insecurity and a high sense of Iranian national identity are linked to more negative attitudes. Path analysis further reveals that social trust has the strongest effect on the formation of positive attitudes toward migrants.
Accordingly, strengthening social capital, reducing perceptions of insecurity through public education, and promoting positive narratives about migrants in the media can contribute to improving societal attitudes. This is particularly important given the anticipated rise in migration flows in the coming years.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • Attitudes toward Migrants
  • Afghan Migrants
  • Iranians
  • International Migration
  • Social Tust
  • World Values Survey

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مطالعات و تحقیقات اجتماعی در ایران
دوره 14، شماره 4
Volume 14, Issue 4. Articles in English
دی 1404
صفحه 691-715

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