How tolerant are people in the diaspora of opposing political views? An evaluation of media use and political tolerance among Iranians in the U.S.A

While prior studies have addressed factors influencing people’s level of political tolerance, few have investigated the potential impact of diversity of media use. Political tolerance plays an important role in the lives of people in diaspora as it can help them form a cohesive community. Like other minority groups in the culturally diverse United States, people of Iranian origin require a cohesive and organized community as well as political representation to make their voices heard. A cohesive community could also play an important role in thawing the relations between the U.S. and Iranian government. Examining the current media use and level of tolerance among Iranians living in the U.S., the current study employed a survey research method to study a sample of Iranians living in Southern California (N = 256). The results showed that diversity of media use contributes to level of political tolerance. But the strongest predictor of level of political tolerance is perception of ethnic identity compared to strength of community ties, diversity of media use, and political ideology. Individuals who have a high understanding of their Iranian ethnic identity but do not have strong community ties have the highest levels of political tolerance. The study contributed to the literature by investigating media use by Iranians living in the diaspora, specifically in California. In addition, government officials can use results of studies similar to this dissertation in developing effective policies for resuming relations with the government of Iran.