The relationship between the use of virtual space and the social capital of People with physical disabilities

Mohammadi, Zahra; Zahedi Mazandarani, Mohammad Javad; Ebrahimian, Siddique

doi:10.22054/rjsw.2024.72803.668

The relationship between the use of virtual space and the social capital of People with physical disabilities

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

zahra mohammadi ¹

Mohammad Javad Zahedi Mazandarani ²

Siddique Ebrahimian ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Payam Noor University, Tehran

² Professor of the Department of Social Sciences, Payam Noor University, Tehran

³ Master's degree in Sociology, Payam Noor University, Tehran

https://doi.org/10.22054/rjsw.2024.72803.668

Abstract

Nowadays, access to the Internet and virtual space has spread among all sections of society and has affected various aspects of life. The purpose of the research is the relationship between the use of virtual space and the social capital of people with disabilities. The research method is a survey and the statistical population of people with physical, mobility, vision, hearing, sound and speech disabilities is covered by the welfare of Tehran province. Using Cochran's formula, 383 people were randomly selected as a sample size. The social capital questionnaire of Nahapit and Ghoshal (1998) was used to collect data. The findings showed that the use of virtual space by people with disabilities had a direct and meaningful relationship with interpersonal trust, generalized trust, institutional trust, cooperation, social support and social cohesion. But the use of virtual space had an inverse and significant relationship with social participation and social relations. In general, 63.8% of the variance of social capital is explained by the use of virtual space. The educational and research use of virtual space compared to other variables has had the greatest impact on the social capital of people with disabilities covered by the welfare of Tehran province. The result is that although the use of virtual space has reduced the participation and face-to-face social relations of people with disabilities. But more use of this space, especially in the educational aspect, has led to cooperation, support, trust and social cohesion of people with disabilities.

Keywords

"Internet"

" social capital"

" virtual space"

" People with physical disabilities"

Subjects