Beliefs and expectations about the future of personal life and future of the world in a sample of Iranian and Canadian students

Abstract This study was aimed to assess expectations about future of personal life and future of the world among a sample of Iranian and Canadian students. 60 Iranians from Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities in Iran and and 62 Canadians from Carleton University in Canada completed a researcher made questionnaire asking their beliefs and expectations in four areas such as personal future, generational comparison, future of the world and personal life goals. The results showed that both Iranian and Canadian participants were more optimistic about their personal future than about the future of the world but Iranians were less optimistic about the future of the world than were Canadians. Both groups expect to be richer and have a higher quality of life than their parents, and both expect their children to have a lower quality of life than their parents and to be poorer than themselves. Cultural differences were found in the importance Iranians and Canadians attach to life goals. Results and implications are discussed.