The Relationship between Media Literacy and Attitude towards Fair Social Rights: A Case Study of Women in Mashhad

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

2 . Associate Prof. Department of Political Science, Shiraz University, Iran

3 . Graduate Student, Payam Noor University, P.O. Box 3697-19395 Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Becoming an active citizen is a complex process that requires legal equality of social groups or at least a feeling of equality with other citizens. The feeling of equality, fairness, economic independence, and the fulfillment of basic needs constitute the essence of fair social rights, and citizens' attitude towards these rights is the foundation of social justice. The media, as intermediaries, play a key role in shaping this attitude, and media literacy, including the skills of accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and engaging with media content, has become a determining factor in this process. In Iran, especially in the city of Mashhad with its specific cultural-religious context, women's attitude towards fair social rights is influenced by media literacy and religious values. This research was conducted with the aim of examining the relationship between media literacy and attitude towards fair social rights 




The Relationship between Media Literacy and Attitude towards Fair Social Rights …




among women in Mashhad. The main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between media literacy and attitude towards fair social rights (including economic independence, equality, fairness, and fulfillment of basic needs) among women in Mashhad. The secondary objectives include examining this relationship in different dimensions of fair social rights and analyzing differences in attitude based on demographic variables (age, education, income, occupation, and marital status).
 
Methods
This research employed a survey method with a descriptive-correlational approach. The statistical population consisted of women residing in Mashhad (over 1.5 million according to the 2016 census). A sample of 350 individuals was selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method from 7 urban districts (Districts 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 12) and 17 neighborhoods. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale, whose content and face validity were confirmed by experts and whose reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha (0.921 for media literacy and 0.935 for attitude towards justice). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software, including descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation), Pearson correlation, t-test, ANOVA, and path analysis.
 
Findings
The results showed that media literacy has a positive and significant relationship with attitude towards fair social rights (R² = 0.41). The behavioral dimension of media literacy (β = 0.40) had the greatest impact, while participation (β = 0.25) showed the least effect. Correlations indicated a strong relationship between the behavioral dimension and attitude towards justice (r = 0.70). Younger women (18-35 years), due to their interaction with digital media, had a stronger attitude towards economic independence, while older women (56-75 years) showed a greater tendency towards fairness and need fulfillment. High education and middle income were associated with attitude towards equality, and married women had a stronger attitude towards fairness and need fulfillment. The cultural-religious context of Mashhad strengthened the attitude towards fairness and need fulfillment.
 
Conclusion
The findings were consistent with the theories of Rawls, Fairclough, Hall, Bandura, and Mead and showed that media literacy, especially through active behavior and critical analysis, strengthens the attitude towards fair social rights among Mashhad women. The religious values of Mashhad have highlighted fairness and need fulfillment more prominently and showed differences with Western studies that focus on individualism. Comparison with domestic studies also confirmed the influence of Mashhad's religious context. This research suggests that media literacy educational programs be aligned with local values and that social laws be revised to support a justice-oriented attitude. This study, by integrating Western and indigenous theories, presented a novel framework for analyzing media literacy in a cultural-religious context and highlighted the influence of collective values on attitude towards justice. Examining demographic differences in this context added to the richness of the social justice literature.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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