Futures Studies on the Development of Political Participation Through Social Networks
Keywords:
Social Networks, Participation , Development , Futures StudiesAbstract
The objective of this study was to identify the role of social networks in shaping the future of political participation and to determine how digital environments influence citizens’ political engagement. A mixed-method design was used. In the qualitative phase, in-depth interviews with experts were conducted and analyzed interpretively. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-made questionnaire was administered to 384 academics and specialists in political and digital communication fields. Instrument validity was confirmed through expert judgment, and reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. Data analysis included the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, linear regression, and Pearson correlation. The findings showed that the data followed a normal distribution and that the regression model explained a significant proportion of variance in the dependent variable. Significant positive correlations were found between political participation and several factors, including discursive capacity of social networks, governmental facilitation, dominant political discourse, platform type, information blockage, digital facilitation, and the political functions of social networks. The results demonstrate that social networks will play a decisive role in the future development of political participation, functioning as key arenas for public discourse and political action. Strategic and informed use of digital spaces can enhance participation levels, strengthen political culture, and improve collective decision-making processes.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Majid Rasoli Farimani (Author); Ali Geranmayehpour; Akbar Nasrollahi (Author)
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