A study on relationship between social capital and tolerance among the students of Social Sciences Faculties of Tehran and Allameh Tabatabaei Universities

Today, the presence of different people at life, work and social places is of crucial importance. Since such diversity may create some conflicts in social situations, it is required to provide coexistence among different individuals through implementation of scientific studies. Using the Putnam social capital theory, the present study tried to study the relationship between the components of social capital and tolerance dimensions. Survey research method was employed and 220 students of Social Sciences at Tehran and Allameh Tabatabaei Universities were sampled in the first semester of the academic year 1387-88. They answered the questionnaire in a self-administered way. The results show that among the components of social capital, institutional trust had a significant negative relationship with all dimensions of tolerance. There was also a direct and significant relationship between participation in formal and informal political networks and tolerance. Regression analysis results indicate that among social capital variables and background variables, institutional trust, age, informal political networks, bonding and bridging social capital were the most important determinants of tolerance.