Examining Social Factors Affecting Ethnic Conflicts in Pilgrimage Travels (Case Study: Pilgrims from Razavi Khorasan Province)

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to examine the extent of the impact of each social factor on ethnic conflicts in pilgrimage caravans in Razavi Khorasan Province, which is an applied research study. The statistical population of this study consists of pilgrims from Hajj Tamattu, Umrah, and Atabat pilgrimage caravans of Razavi Khorasan Province who were dispatched between 2013 and the end of 2022. Cochran's formula was used to determine the sample size, resulting in a sample of 384 pilgrims. The method for collecting the required data for this study was fieldwork, including referring to documents, books, credible websites, and databases in both Persian and English, followed by the development of a questionnaire based on theoretical foundations and provided indicators, which was distributed among the target population to measure the impact of social factors on ethnic conflicts. Using correlation coefficients and regression analysis, the type and extent of the relationship between the main concepts of the research were determined, and the obtained results indicate that, in order, educational, individual (background), cultural, service, and environmental factors influence the increase or decrease of ethnic conflicts among pilgrims. The findings from the analysis of the research data indicate that the influence of independent variables on the dependent variable (ethnic conflicts) is, in order, environmental factors, cultural factors, educational factors, service factors, and individual (background) factors, with environmental and cultural factors having a significantly greater impact on ethnic conflicts among pilgrimage caravan pilgrims compared to other factors. Among the sub-components of the independent variables, components related to the place of residence of the pilgrims, such as welfare facilities, economic development, sufficient income, modernization, urbanization, and cultural, religious, and political figures, have the highest and lowest impact on ethnic conflicts. This demonstrates that citizens’ access to material and economic facilities, especially sufficient income in their living environment, plays an effective role in reducing ethnic conflicts during pilgrimage travels. Furthermore, components such as religious sensitivities, traditions, dialect, ethnocentrism, and law-abidance affect ethnic conflicts, indicating that respect for the sacred, traditions, customs, and other ethnic features significantly reduces ethnic conflicts. Additionally, components such as the training of agency staff, pilgrim education, and public education (through radio, television, press, etc.) enhance pilgrims’ awareness levels and increase tolerance and accommodation with fellow travelers. Components such as the pilgrims’ accommodation, food diversity, service personnel, service provision according to contracts, and travel duration management, particularly during Hajj Tamattu, reduce ethnic conflicts among pilgrims. Finally, components such as gender, age, education level, occupation, and marital status of the pilgrims also affect the increase or decrease of ethnic conflicts.