Identifying and Classifying Sociological Factors Affecting Students’ Cultural Identity

Abstract
Today, cultural identity is of great importance for any society, because it plays a significant role in forming social cohesion, preserving cultural heritage, and creating a sense of belonging and stability in individuals. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify and classify sociological factors affecting the cultural identity of high school students in Golestan province. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of method. In the first step, sociological factors affecting cultural identity were identified through background research and interviews with 10 academic experts. Then, in the second step, the interpretive structural method was used with Excel software to classify the factors. The results of the first step showed that 10 factors (reference groups, lifestyle, use of social networks, level of religious beliefs, family participation in political-religious activities, individual personality, school environment, ethnicity, cultural capital, and socio-economic base) are effective on students’ cultural identity. Also, the results of the second step showed that these factors were placed at two levels, with the factors (lifestyle, use of social networks, level of religious beliefs, family participation in political-religious activities, individual personality, school environment, ethnicity, cultural capital, and socio-economic base) at the first level and the linked cluster, and the factor of reference groups at the second level and the independent cluster.
Keywords: Sociological, Cultural Identity, Structural-Interpretive.
 
1. Introduction
In the present era, identity is one of the multidimensional concepts in social sciences that helps individuals feel a sense of belonging to a group, strengthen self-confidence and self-awareness, and create strong social bonds (Ashayeri et al., 2024). One of the dimensions of identity is cultural identity. This identity in a group is based on the transfer and cultivation of knowledge, beliefs, norms, attitudes, traditions, and shared lifestyles among members (Sotrisno, 2023) and is a set of values and symbols that make an individual and society recognizable and distinguish them from other individuals and societies (Soleimani et al., 2022). Individuals and societies are distinguished based on their cultural identity and can integrate themselves based on past achievements (Niyazi et al., 2010). In the meantime, the education system is one of the best ways to integrate cultural identity in diverse societies. This system consists of several elements such as students and schools (Abbas Hashemi et al., 2010). Today, students, as the most important element of education, are struggling to choose and have a cultural identity (Asmandareh and Bakht, 2011), and schools, as another element of education, can help strengthen students’ cultural identity by providing a suitable space for cultural activities such as visual arts, music, theater, and holding cultural celebrations and ceremonies (Bigdlo, 2013). Given that Golestan Province, with more than 92,000 high school students, is one of the provinces that has the most students in this sensitive period of identity-finding, and on the other hand, these students include various ethnic groups such as Turkmen, Sistani, Farsi, Azeri, Kurd, and Baluch, therefore, it seems necessary to classify the sociological factors affecting the cultural identity of students in Golestan Province, but a review of past research shows that no appropriate and accurate research has been conducted in this field in Golestan Province so far. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to identify and classify the sociological factors affecting the cultural identity of high school students in Golestan Province.
 
2. Materials and Methods
The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey method. The participating team consisted of 10 university experts who had characteristics such as experience, field of study, academic degree, teaching at the university, research and writing background in the field of sociology, who were selected using a purposeful and snowball method. This research was conducted in two steps:
Step 1. Identifying sociological factors affecting students’ cultural identity.
Step 2. Ranking sociological factors affecting students’ cultural identity.
 
3. Data
The results of the first step showed that 10 factors (reference groups, lifestyle, use of social networks, level of religious beliefs, family participation in political-religious activities, individual personality, school environment, ethnicity, cultural capital, and socio-economic base) are effective on students’ cultural identity. Also, the results of the second step showed that these factors were placed at two levels, with the factors (lifestyle, use of social networks, level of religious beliefs, family participation in political-religious activities, individual personality, school environment, ethnicity, cultural capital, and socio-economic base) at the first level and the linked cluster, and the factor of reference groups at the second level and the independent cluster.
 
4. Discussion
The results of the first step showed that 10 factors (reference groups, lifestyle, use of social networks, level of religious beliefs, family participation in political-religious activities, individual personality, school environment, ethnicity, cultural capital, and socio-economic base) are effective on students’ cultural identity, and reference groups are consistent with the theories of Coley and Robert Merton. Lifestyle is consistent with the theories of Bourdieu, Giddens, and Weber. The use of social networks is consistent with the theories of Kasht, Thompson, Giddens, and Appadurai, and the results of research by Ashairi et al. (2024), Esmaili et al. (2020), and Niazi et al. (2018). The level of religious beliefs is consistent with the results of research by Bigdalo (2024), Abbas Hashemi et al. (2010), Mohammadpour and Tayebini (2010), Fu (2024), and Lunda et al. (2024). Family participation in political-religious activities is consistent with the results of research by Bigdalo (2024), Abbas Hashemi et al. (2010), Mohammadpour and Tayebini (2010), Fu (2024), and Lunda et al. (2024). Individual personality is consistent with the theories of Bourdieu, Giddens, and Weber and the results of research by Soleimani et al. (2010) and Ming (2022). School environment is consistent with the results of research by Bigdalo (2024), Abbas Hashemi et al. (2010), Mohammadpour and Tayebini (2010), Fu (2024), and Lunda et al. (2024). Ethnicity is consistent with the research results of Bigdalo (1403), Ashairi et al. (2024), Esmaili et al. (2021), Niazi et al. (2018), Mohammadpour and Tayebnia (1389), Fu (2024), and Lunda et al. (2024). Cultural capital is consistent with Bourdieu’s theory and the research results of Bigdalo (2024), Ashairi et al. (2024), Esmaili et al. (1400), Niazi et al. (2018), Mohammadpour and Tayebnia (1389), Fu (2024), and Lunda et al. (2024). Socio-economic base is consistent with the identity theory and the research results of Bigdalo (2024), Ashairi et al. (2024), Esmaili et al. (1400), Niazi et al. (2018), Mohammadpour and Tayebnia (2010), Fu (2024), and Lunda et al. (2024).
 
5. Conclusion
Finally, considering that the reference group factor is located at the second level and in an independent cluster, it has the greatest impact on the formation of students’ cultural identity. Therefore, it is suggested that education officials pay more attention to creating reference groups among students, because by strengthening these groups, a better cultural identity is formed among students.