Background and Objective: In the contemporary industrial landscape, poverty and marginalization have intensified structural challenges, social exclusion, and deprivation of basic needs. In this context, identity as a multidimensional construct, plays a pivotal role in shaping individual responses and strengthening resilience against these pressures. This complex interplay between diminished social status and individual self-conceptions highlights the need to of re-examine the role of identity in reproducing or mitigating inequality. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the relationship between various dimensions of identity and the dynamics of poverty and marginalization in Lorestan Province.
Method: This applied, descriptive-survey study targeted the citizens of Lorestan Province. Using multi-stage cluster sampling, a sample of 1,250 participants was selected to ensure representativeness. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in AMOS. To ensure analytical rigor and control for measurement errors, both the measurement and structural models were evaluated simultaneously. Model adequacy was determined using standard goodness-of-fit indices (GFI, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA), taking into account the sensitivity of the Chi-square statistic to the large sample size.
Findings: The goodness-of-fit indices confirmed the adequacy, plausibility, and robustness of the proposed structural model. The measurement model demonstrated that all dimensions of multidimensional identity had significant and acceptable factor loadings, with ethnic and personal identities contributing the most to the overall identity construct. This highlights the joint significance of local cultural attachment and individual self-perception in mitigating vulnerability. Furthermore, the structural model revealed that multidimensional identity has a positive and significant relationship with both the prevention of poverty and the prevention of marginalization. Substantively, stronger and more integrated identity dimensions enhance collective and individual capacity to resist marginalization.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that multidimensional identity serves as a crucial regulatory resource and protective mechanism against social deprivation. By fostering belonging, social cohesion, and trust, it mitigates vulnerability and prevents the reproduction of social harms. Therefore, social policymaking in Lorestan Province should transcend purely economic interventions, integrating identity-focused, cultural, and community-oriented strategies to strengthen social integration.