Social Apathy, Causes and consequences (Case Study of Hamedan)

Some sociologists, such as Georg Simmel, have identified alienation and oddity as a characteristic of modern and urbanized societies, with their emergence in metropolitan areas. Cognitive, behavioral, and affective dimensions of apathy are the most prominent theoretical frameworks. According to social specialists, feelings of loneliness and isolation, senselessness and absurdity, abnormality and pessimism are indicators of alienation from family, society, and organizations. It is evident in the social passivity of some citizens. Apathy is defined as a lack of active engagement and participation in social and political activities. One of the primary objectives of planning in the new world is to encourage the active participation and engagement of citizens in all sociopolitical dimensions. Increasing social aphaty is a result of the unfavorable aspects of exogenous modernization, which is exemplified by an overemphasis on personal preferences and individualistic interests in contemporary urban life and is viewed as an impediment to the formation of positive social relationships and the expansion of citizen participation in social affairs. It impedes or even halts the development of the nation.
This study is a survey, and the questionnaire created by the researcher was used to collect data. The statistical population consists of 350 adults older than 18 years old.
According to numerous experts on social issues, apathy is an injury that occurs in transitioning and contemporary societies. As a consequence of the rapid transition from the pre-modern to modern era and the currents of modernization, apathy is prevalent in developing countries, according to the findings of researchers. In exceptional circumstances (such as war, natural disasters, and disease), Iranians are extremely empathetic and compassionate. However, due to the aforementioned factors, a pattern of cleverness and specialization is sometimes observed in daily life, for example, in bread lines, store lines, and ticket lines, etc. Consequently, in the civil and social sectors, including respecting the rights of others and the environment, etc., we face “objective or practical apathy” even among those with a positive attitude in subjectivive.
According to findings, the apathy index in Hamedan was moderate to high for the majority of respondents. It can be argued, based on the experiences of developed countries, that economic progress and social development necessitate the “promotion of empathy and reduction of apathy.”