The State of Consciousness and Its Reflections on the Formation of Public Opinion in the Kurdistan Region: The State of Consciousness and Its Reflections on the Formation of Public Opinion in the Kurdistan Region

Abstract

This is a field study aimed at identifying and understanding the (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) aspects of the collective state of awareness and how communication messages are received in shaping public opinion. The research seeks to explore whether the dynamics and factors influencing the levels and states of public awareness impact public opinion, as well as to understand the role and influence of media and other sources of awareness in the Kurdistan Region.

The research adopts a descriptive approach and is supported by survey-based methodologies. For the field aspect and data collection, the main tool used was a questionnaire, and a secondary tool was in-depth interviews. The sample for the questionnaire consisted of 179 university professors from departments of Media, Sociology, and Public Relations across the universities of Salahaddin, Sulaimani, Sulaimani Polytechnic, and Erbil Polytechnic. Of these, 152 valid responses were collected.

The sampling method used was non-random purposive sampling, due to the research’s focus on specialized academic fields (Media and Sociology) and complex concepts such as (consciousness and public opinion), which require informed participants who can give complete and nuanced responses. The most important findings of the study are:

1. The higher the level of collective awareness, the more societal fragmentation along lines of party, group, tribe, or affiliation decreases in matters related to the public good.


2. A lack of public awareness contributes to political, economic, and administrative decline and crises.


3. High levels of awareness and collective understanding lead to appropriate engagement with public issues, while low levels may result in the distortion and manipulation of public opinion.


4. The absence of national media and the control of media by political parties is a fundamental cause of the lack of comprehensive public awareness and unified public opinion.