Investigating the Impact of Social and Cultural Factors on Iranian Family Security: A Case Study of Tehran

Abstract

This study aimed to sociologically explain the direct and indirect effects of social and cultural factors on Iranian family security in Tehran. A mixed-methods qualitative–quantitative design was employed. In the quantitative phase, 402 Tehran residents aged 18 years and older were selected through multistage stratified-cluster sampling, and data were collected using an 88-item Likert-scale questionnaire. In the qualitative phase, 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts and scholars in family and social studies until theoretical saturation was achieved. Face and construct validity were assessed, and internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s alpha. Quantitative data were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, stepwise multiple regression, and path analysis, whereas qualitative data were analyzed through thematic content analysis. Family security was positively and significantly associated with social factors (r=.57), hope for the future (r=.60), social capital (r=.44), cultural factors (r=.42), and social connections (r=.41; p<.001). The multiple regression model was significant (R=.704, adjusted R²=.490, F=97.493, p<.001), explaining 49% of the variance in family security. Hope for the future (β=.385), social connections (β=.215), social factors (β=.208), and social capital (β≈.13) were significant direct predictors. Path analysis indicated total effects of .53 for hope for the future, .44 for social factors, .33 for social connections, and .27 for social capital. Cultural factors primarily exerted an indirect effect, with a total effect of .23. Significant differences in several dimensions of family security were also observed across gender, age, occupational, educational, and income groups. Family security in Tehran is shaped by the combined operation of social resources and cultural conditions. Hope for the future, social connections, and social capital constitute the principal direct mechanisms, while cultural factors operate mainly through these social pathways. Accordingly, policies aimed at strengthening family security should simultaneously promote social optimism, social capital, interpersonal connections, and cultural cohesion.