The structural relationships of social vulnerability of female heads of households based on critical thinking and social acceptance with the mediating role of self-esteem

Abstract

Female-headed households face multiple challenges due to simultaneously fulfilling paternal and maternal roles. The present study aimed to investigate the structural relationships of social vulnerability based on critical thinking and social acceptance, with the mediating role of self-esteem. This research employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population included all female-headed households in Yazd city in 2023, from which 200 participants were selected through convenience sampling. They completed questionnaires on attitudes toward social harm, critical thinking, social acceptance, and self-esteem. The results indicated that the variables of critical thinking, social acceptance, and self-esteem had significant relationships with social vulnerability in female-headed households. The relationship between self-esteem and social vulnerability was significant, with a t-value of -10.95 (p < 0.01). The relationship between critical thinking and social vulnerability yielded a direct t-value of -5.71 and an indirect t-value of -3.60. The t-value for the relationship between social acceptance and social vulnerability was -1.42 directly and -4.35 indirectly (p < 0.05). The findings confirmed that self-esteem plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between critical thinking and social acceptance with social vulnerability. Enhancing self-esteem, increasing social acceptance, and developing critical thinking skills may help protect female-headed households against social harm.

Keywords

• social vulnerability
• social acceptance
• critical thinking
• self-esteem
• female heads of the household