The Comparative Survey of Cyberspace Role in Political Development from Student’s Viewpoint of Islamic Azad and National University of Tehran

Subject Areas : Iranian Sociological Review

Neda Mohammadpour Khabazi ¹ , Mohammad Soltanifar ² , Ali Akbar Farhangi ³ , Sara Mohammadpour ⁴

1 - Ph.D. Student of Communications, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Associate Professor of Communications, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Professor of Media Management, Faculty of Management, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
4 - Assistant Professor of Communications, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2020-08-20 Accepted : 2020-08-20 Published : 2020-09-01

Keywords: Cyberspace, Political development, political culture,

Abstract :

Novel communication technologies significantly influence proactive behaviours by expanding and developing information highways and using satellite and computer facilities in the world. These influences can be examined in political, social, economic, and cultural aspects and so on. The main purpose of current research is to study the cyberspace role in political development from the student's viewpoint of Azad and the National University of Tehran. The research method is surveyed, and it is made of the researcher's questionnaire. A sample does it consists of 384 students of Azad and the National University of Tehran. Cronbach’s alpha of questionnaire is 84%, and questionnaire validity is confirmed by communication and political science experts. Mann-Whitney U test and the binomial test is used for data analysis. The results show that using cyberspace has a role in political development from student's viewpoint of Azad and the National University of Tehran and, besides, the impact of using cyberspace on political development from the student’s viewpoint of Azad and National University of Tehran is different. The findings imply that using cyberspace has a role in strengthening democratic values and traditions, economic development and political legitimacy, political culture, the strengthen of structural differentiation, the application of functional necessity and pattern variables, modernized and mobility of the political system.