Analyzing the Contexts and Foundations of the Erosion of Social Hope in Afghanistan

Currently, Afghanistan is experiencing unfavorable, chaotic, and unpredictable conditions in various aspects of social life. Certainly, the mentioned conditions did not appear all at once, and there are several reasons involved in it. Based on this, the aim of the current research is to analyze the background and foundations of the situation in Afghanistan, as well as the factors involved in the formation of this disorder and the erosion of social hope. This research was conducted within the framework of the interpretive paradigm and utilized a qualitative approach. The grounded theory method and in-depth interview technique were employed. The research targeted twenty elites from Afghanistan who were present in the country at the time of the interview. The findings showed that a multidimensional and historical process contributes to the current situation in Afghanistan. Several factors were identified, including people's passivity towards political systems, weak governments, and elitism in the management structure (as causal conditions). Additionally, non-democratic governments and foreign interference were identified as intervening factors. Furthermore, multi-ethnic-religious social structures, political instability, poverty, and illiteracy were identified as underlying conditions. These factors collectively form the paradigmatic model for understanding the current situation in Afghanistan. The central nucleus is determined by its chaotic past and uncertain future. The current unfavorable situation is a result of a troubled past. This situation has made the future of society uncertain and vague, ultimately leading to a decrease in social hope and the formation of a negative attitude towards improving the social situation.