Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Master's local-urban development, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Objective: The process of foreign immigrants social integration in destination countries has become an important research issue, and studies on nationals social integration of have contributed significantly to the sense of belonging of nationals. Nationals' understanding of citizenship is one of the topics that can act in line with the appropriate social integration process and, on the one hand, help those in charge of the matter in better managing social affairs and discovering the factors involved in the understanding of citizenship from the perspective of foreign nationals, and on the other hand, by teaching concepts related to this category, it can facilitate the socialization of nationals in host country.
Methods: Article uses Smart PLS software in the form of structural equation modeling to present a structural model of Afghan citizens' understanding of the concept of citizenship in the city of Islamshahr. The statistical population included Afghan citizens living in this city, from whom 381 people were selected as a statistical sample using the Cochran formula.
Results: Results of structural equation modeling showed that the formation of an understanding of citizenship is an active chain model in which social-civic awareness is at the starting point and strengthens social capital through increasing trust and social belonging. Social capital also helps to increase social solidarity and cohesion by creating a suitable environment for social, political, and civic participation and can ultimately lead to strengthening the understanding of citizenship.
Conclusions: Negative perception of citizenship shows the need to adopt multicultural policies to strengthen the sense of belonging. Adopting these policies improves integration but experience of social discrimination, cultural exclusion, and restrictions on access to some social services weaken the perception of citizenship whereas cultural, linguistic and historical commonalities can create a potential capacity to strengthen citizenship.
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