Political Quarterly
Year:2011 | Volume:41 | Issue:3|Papers Count:24

Bourdieu’s sociological theory contains all the elements necessary to form a political theory. Through reviewing the works of Bourdieu attempts have been made in the present paper to discuss those elements and also to reconstruct a political theory by combining them in a theoretical framework. This is a new attempt and has not been yet accomplished. Therefore, in the present paper attempts have been made to utilize the political potentials of Bourdieu’s sociological theory to produce a political theory.

The Collaps of Soviet Union shaped a new security, political and economic zone. The emerging vaccum facilitated US entrance into the regional and led to the shaping New Great Game. Players have had effects on Islamic Republic of Iran’s interests. This article surveys the impacts of US objectives in the Caspian region on IRI security and economic interests. The hypotheses are: - The presence of US in Caspian basin has challenged Iranian economic interests in this region.- US policy in the Caspian basin, has threatened Iran’s security and caused IRI emphasize on security in foreign policy and follow Russian’s policy in the region.

Historical role of Azerbaijan in developing of intellectual thought and revolutionary ideas before the Constitutional Revolution of Iran (1905-1906) is certain. Resistance of the people of Tabriz, in the Blockade of Tabriz accompanied with the concrete of Tehran by constitutionalists, which were From Turk and Shomali ethnics lead by Bakhtiari Lurs. Thinking the Constitutional Revolution, this question comes through that what was the role of the major ethnics (Turks and ethnicities with Farsi dialects in northern Iran (Gilaks and Mazandaranis) and Lurs (Laks and Bakhtiaris) in western Iran) in the process of victory of the revolution? The main question of this paper asks “what is the role of Turkish ethnicity in the North West region of Azerbaijan in the Constitutional Revolution? ”The paper hypothesizes, “Azerbaijan internally and externally (internationally) had a fundamental role in the development of the Constitutional Revolution. Internally, region of Azerbaijan-where the Prince of Qajar was growing there, until take the Crown- was one of the country's economic hubs and then it was developed. Iran-Russia War in the 18th century and the consequences of the war in Azerbaijan – which directly involved in war-increased the protests against the monarchy of Qajar. This factor, along with external factors –revolutionary ideas came from Europe and Russia, foreign trade and the British and Russian colonialism- caused protest of Azerbaijanis. Citing the results obtained from various sources, I can argue that the constitutional revolution has a multi-ethnic nature and some of Iranian ethnic groups, especially Azeris had crucial role in it.

Aside from internal historical and intellectual factors contributing to the stagnation of the Islamic civilization in the last two decades, this civilization has faced a challenge in the fast growing and spreading civilization of the West. Islamic thinkers, in tandem with reconstructing religious thought, have made strenuous efforts to find an internal religious answer for the emancipation of Islamic world from the yoke of western civilization and culture. This mode of reconstruction has undoubtedly broadened the horizons for the revival of Islamic civilization, the most important manifestation of which can be found in the Islamic revolution of Iran as the most advanced link in the chain of contemporary Islamic movements. Such endeavors have successfully prevented Islamic world from becoming isolated under current world conditions. In this essay an attempt is made to explore the process of reconstruction of religious thought in the context of the relationship between religion and politics and the idea of Mahdiism in cotemporary Iran, and explain its impact on the revival of Islamic civilization.

The Zionist state of Israel , that was fabricated as an agent state in the Middle East, after its defeats in 33 Days War of Lebanon and 22 Days War of Ghazza, has been faced with serious challenges in American society . The question that has been raised is that why the US, in the face of Israel’s failure to attain its objects in the region, steal decisively defend this regime? In response to this question, the scholars refer to the triangle of the conservatives, American Jews and Christian Zionists as the main source of American support of the state of Israel. This writing, supposing the Iranian scholars’ awareness of the role of the first two in this regard, attempts to study the functioning of Christian Zionism in America’s internal and external politics and to examine the activities of certain most important Christian Zionist organizations in the US.

Terrorism is a violent action with special features; terrorists are different than other criminals too and it is not possible to judge them as crazy criminals or a person with deviant character or someone who is affected by the inappropriate financial circumstances. Terrorists are individuals with planed acts faced to the specific aims which are prompted by the ideological motives. In this thesis, we are not superseded to detect new reasons in the terrorism or a way to decrease its different causes as an ideological case, but we want to show how a theoretic structure can help organizing a system of acts and anxieties, and how this system will be useful in fulfilling specific aims. Terrorism is a violent action with special features; terrorists are individuals with planed acts faced to the specific aims which are prompted by the ideological motives. Terrorists are different than other criminals too and it is not possible to judge them as crazy criminals or a person with deviant character or someone who is affected by the inappropriate financial circumstances. Individuals, following a justified and in harmony with self-condition ideology acceptation, join a group. These gropes give them aims and tools for reaching what they want. These ideological justified aims and tools simplify doing any unconsumed and violent act for these people.

One potentially basic concept in Islam, as a religion, as reflected in the Glorious Qur’an, is the theory of ‘Umma’ (community of Muslims). This concept that has been stemmed from Islam's political Doctrine refers to features such as: tribe, clan, racial groups as well as a nation with stabilizing elements of religion's celestial values under the leadership of one prophet and those who succeeded him. The theory of ‘ Umma’ as far as Islam's political- Geographical Doctrine is concerned was not primarily restricted to Muslim communities, but also contains non- Muslims. The theory of ‘Umma’ as arisen from Islamic ideology contrasts with nationalism originally emanated from humanistic common law values. In Islam's world, nationalism played no noticeable role in the construction of without nations’ pseudo- states, one obstacle which is the effect that Islam's universality values in the process of ‘Umma building’.

This research is based on explaining the relationship between globalization and al-qaeda. Author believes that al-qaeda as an anti-globalization terrorist movement does its activities against the U.S hegemony over the world especially Muslim world. From the other perspective al-qaeda uses professionally the globalization tools like information technology. Describing globalization and reactions against it, composes the first part of the article. Then author explains the conditions of Islamic countries in the era of globalization and also Muslim views about globalization. The last part is devoted to explaining the relationship between globalization and al-qaeda terrorism against U.S as the leader of globalization project.

The main goal of this article, This review is that Due to the decline of the United States America's soft power after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 - Due to the power of unilateral hardware-based - Iran can and should According to the religious, historical, and cultural Commonalities With its neighboring, strengthen software sources of power than the new Iraq to create a strategic and fundamental changes. New Iraq has become Conflict areas of soft power of Iran and America. This article first overview of the components of soft power, Public diplomacy and foreign policy traditions in America in connection with soft power, and then analyze soft power and appeal of Iran and America's policies in New Iraq. At the end of the urgency of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy in the new Iraq, According to the soft power approach will be described and explained.

Metaphorical thinking is a kind of creation of mind. A metaphor is the expression of an understanding of one concept in terms of another concept, where there is some similarity or correlation between the two. Metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe state and government in Islamic political thought. Some of these metaphors are: the metaphors of "way or road", "lord and slave", "mortmain", "court", "body", "pastor", "hire" and etc. in this article, I attempt to describe and evaluation the role of only two famous of these metaphors in contemporary Islamic political jurisprudence; the metaphors of lord/slave and mortmain.

Muslim Students were one of the active subjects during the movement of Imam Khomeini and advance its goals. Positions and hence the course of political and intellectual developments in the Islamic institutions as the main artery of the student movement in those years, can be enlightening part of the Islamic Revolution is on. Due to the ability of laclau and muffe discourse in explaining social phenomena, this theory as the theoretical framework is selected. Since in this theory are all issues and all understand discourse phenomena (as the text) and the corresponding rise in the bed with their external conditions (as background context) cases are being analyzed, Authors have tried to analyze the rise and fall of student movement in Iran after the revolution from establishment of the Islamic Republic to the 1376 based on text and background.

The aim of present article is to review social classes and forces(political and economic ) situation in Iran 1981-2001.the writer explained the discussion. By relative relying on poulantzas theory, this discussion indicates that in mentioned years, some groups, such as commercial and traditional middle class, because of enjoying political and economic resources were stronger than other strata and classes, under such condition, ruling Islamic state controled by these two groups as hegemonic groups alternatively. In 1980s from view point of economic, the state was autonomous from ruling class (commercial bourgeoisie) relatively, but in 1990s,the state nearly acted as a instrumentalist force and defended capitalism and commercial capitalism more than former period.

IR students in Iran do not find themselves strong enough in IR theories. Furthermore the published and unpublished work suggests that the relationship between theory and research is not appropriately established. This article is based on a research done to examine some hypotheses that can explain this partial weakness. Three sets of factors (teaching IR theories, IR theory sources available in Persian, and students’ attitude towards and interest in IR theories) were identified and nine main hypotheses were suggested and examined. The research findings suggest that the number of courses and some aspects of teaching IR theories as well as the quantity and quality of the available sources on IRT in Persian have influenced the knowledge level of students. Yet lack of interest and negative attitudes were not found as being influential.

This article is examining the General Assembly’s efforts on terrorism and the impacts they have had on states’ behaviors in last three decades. General Assembly actions on terrorism can be divided in two types: first, actions contributing to development of normative conceptions of the problem by defining terrorism as a common phenomena which proceeded in its resolutions; and second, encouraging cooperative actions among states through more international and national legal rules. While the General Assembly was successful in adoption of various conventions, but there is no consistent pattern in its affection on behavior of states. Efforts for increased cooperation and coordination led to various results. It seems that states are still not ready for more devotion and cooperation on the basis of UN General Assembly approach to deal with terrorism as a transnational crime.

Although the subject of amending was reffered to in the draft Constitution ,but due to revolution time circumstances, this principle was not approved. Ten years of Islamic state (1358-68) revealed some problems of the Constitution like multiple decision making centers and existence of parallel organisations at administrative, legislative and judicial levels. After the war and considering appropriate opportunity, Imam Khomeini issued the command of amending and thus, the Council of amending created some changes in Constitution and centralized the country’s decision making structure without any change in the role of people.

In this article, after examining the definitions of «political stability», the impact of political stability and instability on development is explained. But, beyond the limited definition of political stability, its broad meaning, including social and political environment, is the major concern of this article. In order to realize development, it is necessary to have a calm and peaceful socio- political space within which laws, politics and managements are orderly continued and pursued without any kind of war, chaos and threat. Having a stable internal and external environment is extremely important for planning, accumulation, and realizing the goals of development.

The history of politic is the history of the efforts of individuals or groups of individuals to accumulate, exercise, and distribute power. Indeed politics might be viewed as bounded conflict, as a means of manage conflict such that it does not deteriorate into private feuding or mob violence. We all used the word power often. We all have an intuitive understanding of the term, which is (usually) perfectly sufficient for pub conversation. But the rapidly growing mountain of literature on the concept of power indicates that this understanding is not considered adequate for academic discourse. Michel Foucault has been theorizing about and practicing a new form of politically engaged reflection on the emergence and nature of power. This reflection which Foucault calls Genealogy of power has produced some extremely valuable result. This paper offer a new analysis and rereading on this matter that how human beings are made subjects. Therefore, I have tried to undertake a topic which would be linked to the analysis of power, subjectivity and regimes of truth in Foucault's view. This paper aims to survey the principal strengths and shortcoming of Foucault's work and to provide a balanced assessment of it.

The purpose of establishing foreign reserves account in Iran was mainly to secure Iran's economy from the oil's price changes. It was to compensate for oil price reduction. But foreign reserves account withdrew excessively and did not allocate it optimally. That's why; it went for away from its practical purpose. This study focuses on the use of official assessment pattern to reveal the gap between foreign reserves account official purposes and its practice.