Explaining The Impact of Media Policies in Virtual Space on Employment-generating for the Iranian New Middle Class through the Accumulation and Transformation of Social Capital

Articles in Press

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Welfare and Social Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran.

2 Department of Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran

3 Department of Studying Social Problems of Iran, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Unit.

10.22080/ssi.2026.33104.2440

Abstract

Synthesizing Pierre Bourdieu's theory of "types of capital" and James Coleman's theory of "agency and structure", this paper will attempt to evaluate the role of capital transformation in class mobility in Iran. The main focus of the research is on analyzing the impact of Iran’s media policies, especially in virtual space, on the process of transforming cultural capital into economic capital among the new middle class in Iran. A mixed method has been used to meet the objectives of this research. The data were collected through library and documentary studies and secondary analysis of economic data. The data are related to the implementation period of the two development plans. In the end we will describe and interpret the data to indicate the formation and progress of new middle class in Iran. In this regard, the fourth and fifth development programs of the Islamic Republic of Iran have been evaluated to measure the extent to which media and cultural goals were achieved and to show their effects on the economic situation of this class. The research findings indicate that the lower middle class, especially after the Islamic Revolution, has sought to improve its social status through increasing cultural capital, such as benefiting from formal education. One of the most efficient mechanisms for converting this capital into economic benefits has been media policies in the context of virtual space. By providing communication and information platforms, these policies have enabled the exploitation of the cultural capital of the educated class for economic activity and entrepreneurship. The study findings indicate that the media policies of the Fourth and Fifth Development Plans have played an effective role in facilitating this transformation and improving the economic status of the middle class.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Sociology of Social Institutions

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 October 2026

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