A Sociological Study of the Impact of Social Factors on Electoral Behavior (Comparison of Youth and Adult Age Study Group in Mazandaran Province)

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the sociological impact of social factors on the electoral behavior of citizens of Mazandaran province by comparing the two age groups of youth and adults. In this regard, a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a researcher-made questionnaire. Statistical population of this study is men and women over 18 years old that are divided into two groups: 18-35 years old and 36-60 years old; Through Cochran formula, 384 individuals were selected as sample from the whole target population and finally, using multi-stage sampling method, the selected sample participated in the questionnaire. The theoretical foundations and framework of the research are the Pippa Norris theory and other theories of electoral behavior. The results of the comparison tests showed that the two age groups had different electoral behavior. In the youth age group, there was no statistically significant difference in electoral behavior by gender, place of residence, marital status, and type of occupation, and only by education; and the same tests were similar for adults of the same age group by residence, marital status, education, and statistically different electoral behavior by gender and occupation. The results of linear regression between the two groups showed that the age group of youth of national identity and in the age group of adults' social networks had the most influence on their electoral behavior.