A B S T R A C T
The rapid growth of urban societies and the increasing variety of citizens' needs have created numerous mental and emotional concerns, leading many individuals to focus primarily on personal issues while neglecting political affairs. This prevailing sense of apathy has raised significant concerns about public engagement. Among the key institutions influencing citizens' sensitivity to urban matters is the Islamic City Council, which aims to foster urban development through public cooperation and participation. However, despite the necessity of building a foundation for enhancing civic engagement, limited efforts have been made in cities like Tehran, resulting in heightened social apathy toward urban issues. This study investigates the factors contributing to citizens' social apathy toward Tehran's Islamic City Council policies. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. In the first stage, data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using a Chi-squared test. In the second stage, qualitative data were gathered via interviews and analyzed through thematic coding. Quantitative findings show that citizens' level of social apathy toward the City Council's policies is lower than average. Qualitative results reveal that the roots of social apathy can be categorized into seven major themes as council-related factors, political factors, psychological factors, socio-cultural factors, demographic factors, economic factors, and managerial factors. Each theme encompasses specific indicators that together explain the complex nature of social apathy toward municipal policies in Tehran
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Social apathy is a significant challenge observed in modern urban societies, particularly in large cities such as Tehran. This phenomenon refers to the decrease in citizens' sensitivity and participation in public and social affairs, which can have numerous negative impacts on urban development and progress. A prominent manifestation of this apathy is the lack of active citizen participation in the decision-making processes and policies of the Islamic City Councils. These councils, as local democratic institutions, play a crucial role in engaging the public in urban decision-making and planning processes. However, their failure to encourage active citizen participation has become a serious issue. This article examines the factors influencing citizens' social apathy towards the policies of the Islamic City Council of Tehran.
 
Methodology
This study employs a mixed-method approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was collected using a questionnaire in the quantitative section, while semi-structured interviews with experts and thematic analysis were utilized in the qualitative section. The data from the questionnaires were analyzed using statistical software, and the results were used as a basis for the qualitative interviews. Ultimately, the findings from both sections were combined to analyze the causes and factors contributing to citizens' social apathy.
 
Results and discussion
Quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed to assess the extent and reasons for citizens' social apathy towards the policies of the Islamic City Council of Tehran. In the quantitative section, a sample of 384 Tehran citizens was selected using the Morgan table, and they were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their level of social apathy towards the city council's policies. In the qualitative section, the snowball sampling method was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 15 experts in urban management to explore the underlying causes of social apathy.
The quantitative research results indicated that the level of citizens' social apathy towards the city council's policies is below average, confirming the study's main hypothesis. The Chi-square test, used as the data analysis tool, revealed a significant difference between the observed and expected levels of social apathy. Based on statistical data, this conclusion suggests that citizens are generally not indifferent to the city council's policies; however, this level of apathy can vary due to various factors examined in the qualitative section.
In the qualitative section, the data collected from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The qualitative findings identified seven categories of factors contributing to citizens' social apathy: council-related factors, political factors, psychological factors, socio-cultural factors, demographic factors, economic factors, and managerial factors. Each category includes indicators that play a key role in shaping and reinforcing social apathy among citizens.
These findings demonstrate that social apathy is a multifaceted phenomenon requiring serious attention and intervention from urban managers, policymakers, and Islamic City Councils. Only by identifying and addressing the existing barriers can active and constructive citizen participation in urban management be achieved, thereby contributing to sustainable and balanced urban development.
 
Conclusion
Citizens' social apathy towards the policies of the Islamic City Council of Tehran is a multifaceted and complex issue that requires comprehensive analysis and examination by urban management and policymakers. According to the findings of this study, in the first stage and the quantitative section, the results indicated that citizens' social apathy towards the city council's policies is below average, confirming the study's hypothesis. In the second stage and the qualitative section, the data analysis results revealed that the causes and roots of social apathy towards the policies of the Islamic City Council of Tehran can be categorized into seven constructive themes.
This article identifies seven themes, including council-related factors, political factors, psychological factors, socio-cultural factors, demographic factors, economic factors, and managerial factors. On the other hand, council-related factors can be identified in indicators such as the lack of quick returns from projects and resolutions, insufficient communication with citizens, the lack of impact of city council projects and resolutions on citizens' lives, the lack of awareness and disregard for citizens' needs and urban issues, insufficient oversight of the implementation of previous projects, incomplete projects, the lack of council independence in decision-making, and the broad limitations on the city council's powers. Political factors can be categorized into two main factors as the lack of governmental and legal support for local organizations and councils and the absence of democracy and freedom of expression. Psychological factors include citizens' distrust of the council's performance, dissatisfaction with its actions, lack of confidence in the effectiveness of their opinions, and fear among citizens regarding formal participation. Socio-cultural factors related to social apathy can be identified in indicators such as the lack of education to increase citizens' awareness, the absence of order and regulations in society, the declining culture of participation among today's citizens, and the lack of interest in voluntary work among citizens. Demographic factors related to social apathy include most citizens' limited knowledge of the complexity and importance of urban issues and the shortage of young people in the urban management structure. Economic factors can be attributed to financial difficulties and livelihood issues, leading to a lack of motivation to participate in city affairs and the mismatch between the quality of urban services and the taxes received from citizens. Finally, managerial factors include the lack of comprehensive participatory management, the absence of integrated management in project implementation, the appointment of ineffective individuals to managerial positions, and the lack of effective oversight and management by the council in previous terms.
 
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
 We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.