Evaluation and comparison of the rate of social isolation consequences between the mass and elite groups in reconstruction and reforms periods

Regarding to different social policies of two former presidents (Hashemi Rafsanjani & Mohammad Khaatami), the present essay is going to evaluate and compare the rate of social isolation consequences between the mass and elite groups in Iran during 8 years of their presidency. At first, different dimensions of social isolation consequences have been reviewed and four main dimensions have been determined which are: disappointment feeling, solitude feeling, weakness feeling and social tolerance. Then, indicators of social isolation consequences in two surveys on values and attitudes during the two presidential periods (2 national surveys on 1995 & 2003 [second wave]) have been studied by secondary analysis method, and after measuring the rate of difference between the mass and elite groups, they have been compared in the years of reconstruction and reforms. The results of the study reveal that although Khaatami’s policies have been successful in some indicators of social disappointments such as family satisfaction, health satisfaction and residential place satisfaction, other indicators of social isolation consequences show a rise in disappointment feeling between the mass and elite groups. Also, the differences in views have increased between these groups. Solitude feeling dimension showed different results. While the elite group strongly felt solitude and alienated during the reconstruction period, in reforms period, their solitude feeling decreased. In social weakness dimension, high rate of weakness feeling in the mass and elite groups indicates that Hashemi’s function in comparison with Khaatami’s has been better. Social tolerance rate has increased a little in Khaatami’s presidential years. It is necessary to say that the differences in views between the mass and elite groups happened as the elite’s out-group interaction was more than the mass.