Rumor and Its Impact on Society (A field study in Mosul City)

Abstract

One of the mostsignificant and serious issues that has become very common nowadays in the world in general and the Iraqi community in particular is rumor. It is considered to be an old social and psychological phenomenon that dates back to the ancient times. It has a direct impact on individuals, groups and society. There are various types of rumors. One of the most important types of rumor is the one based on a particular subject; it has a direct impact on the social structure of the community and it includes political, social, and economic rumors.Rumor spreads in a society whose individuals and commumity suffer instability and chaos due to economic factors, and during war times. This is true of the Iraqi society which currently encounters different types of rumors including economic ones which are related to the conditions of the individuals themselves, social ones that comprise of seditions amongst the sects of the society, or political ones that cover issues such as the government situation, elections, and the system adopted by the government. This is the outcome of invasion which created social and political tensions in the Iraqe society which was evident in the results derived from (50) randomly chsen test subjects of different ages, professions, and educational backgrounds to obtain various opinions regarding rumor. The researcher relied on questionnaires, interviews, and collecting notes.After the analysis of general and specific results, the researcher recommends;1.Rumor leaves a great impact on the individuals of Iraqi society, particularly the ones related to political and social conditions.2.Despite the spread of rumor and its impact on the individuals, their fear and anxiety towards the countrys conditions and their own, it does not affect their social relations.3.Rumor influences the psychological states of individuals which causes them to be tensed, scared, and pushes them to think of leaving the country.4.Rumor has an effect on the daily duties; it causes the one to be unable to conentrate, and to re-do things over and over, and hence get notice from their employers.5.Rumor that comes through media and friends seems to be widely spread and easily accepted.6.Individuals prefer not to convey the rumors to the their homes which is the only safe haven where they find peace of mind.7.Certain sections of society have chosen to immigrate because of the rumor and due to social religious and security causes.8.The most common rumors are that the invasion will leave the country, fixing electricity problems and employment of graduates.

Keywords

Problems, society, rumors