CULTURAL STUDIES & COMMUNICATION
Year:2011 | Volume:7 | Issue:24|Papers Count:10

What kind of relationship is there between sociology and cultural studies? Are these two confronting to each other or there is a kind of interdependency and completing relation between them? These are under discussion questions in this article. For dealing with these questions, essentialism and genealogical perspective review and, on the basis of genealogical perspective, the relationship between these two areas explore in the social context of Britain and America. In this exploration, the main paradigmatic ruptures expound in the British tradition of cultural studies and measure the relation between these ruptures and social condition in Britain. On this basis, instead of exploring about relationship between “sociology” and “cultural studies”, relationship between “sociologies” and “varied cultural studies” come into view. Exploring in the relationship between these two discursive formations, especially in Britain, could help to explore this relationship in Iran and compare it with Britain. It could be helpful for maximizing the accomplishment of these areas.

One of the efficient tools to identify cultural evolutions and changes in different historical periods is use of name and its evolutions. Recognition of naming evolutions is one of the reliable and useful sources for recognition cultural evolutions in society of Iran.This paper determines process of public cultural evolutions in Iran from 1962 to 2010 with the theoretical approach of central government and naming process analysis. 50 names with high frequency from 1962 to 2010 that almost involve 60 percent of naming in every year analyzed and classified according to cultural trends behind them. Results show Islamic-National naming trend has been the most dominant trend in cultural context in recent years. The most important evolution in this trend is its significant increase in Reform period (1998-2006). Also results show application process of Traditional-Islamic names has declined in society of Iran. Trend to Modern-Islamic names increased in 1979. Trend to Ideological- Islamic names has had significant relation to revolution. This naming trend began in 1978 and increased in revolution period. The names that are related to Ancient-Iranian culture increased before revolution but this trend reduced with beginning of revolution but again increased significantly in construction period (1990-1998). One of the emerging trends in naming context is Modern-Iranian trend. This trend has expanded after war period in public culture.

Globalization is “the expansion of strange world”, the very world which is constituted of dialectics between “subjectivity of actors in near world” and “objectivity of elements coming from distant world”. The expansion of strange world will make the elements of familiar world undergo transformation. “Religiosity”, as one of the most important elements of familiar world, would not survive such effects. Religiosities in this article are divided by four types: 1- “Method- oriented religiosity” in which methods of achieving religious goals, takes priority over the goals itself. 2- “End-oriented religiosity”, in which the goals are attributed by originality and methods, remain fluid and variable. 3- “Moral-oriented religiosity” in which the believers make their whole living frame-work based on rational and moral codes, and religion, in its conventional meaning, constitutes just a part of the life. 4- “Custom-oriented religiosity” is a less conscious religiosity and more in following the conventional custom. Each religious has its different encounter with the expansion of the strange world which will have four different consequences: Increasing the actor’s consciousness; increasing the actor’s activation; sharpening of religiosities and creation of substitute religiosities.

This study aims to understand learning culture at E-learning environment in universities of Iran. The major question is: what is the main phenomenon of learning culture in virtual universities of Iran? Data were gathered by grounded theory method, using semi-structured interviews. Twenty-three students and nine faculty members, from three virtual universities, were interviewed through purposeful sampling. Data were analyzed by coding. Also, data reliability was illuminated through credibility, dependability and confirm-ability. Findings showed that the main phenomenon of E-learning culture is “academic identity challenge”, for both virtual students and faculty members. On one hand, students’ academic identity, regarding disciplinary, personal and collective dimensions, and on the other hand, faculty member’s identity, regarding role and educational commitment were not shaped properly. In general, virtual universities in Iran have a long way forward to shape academic identity for their users, specially students and faculty members.

This paper explains the concepts of Life-Style and Nation identity and their consolidations. The study is such a social survey and its data is gathered by questionnaire along with interview. Considered population is all citizens of Kashan on 1389 and 300 people are selected as sample society through a simple random sampling on the basis of Cochran model. To measure the Life Style variable the questionnaires of Christine Mayers (2004) and Rasouli (1383) are utilized and for measuring the National Identity the indicators of questionnaires of Azadarmaki and Ghafary (1383) and Alikhah (1383) are used. The reliability and validity of the two variables are confirmed by Chronback Alfa test. Results show the correlation between the variables is in the accuracy level of 99%. In addition, the results of multi-regression analysis show the effects of Low Obedience and Loyalty to Values, the Conditions of Residency, and the Leisure variables on the extent of National Identity are 18%, -21% and -19% respectively.

This paper investigates the relationship between environmental knowledge- both Systematic knowledge and action related knowledge- and energy consumption behavior in Urmia as an environmental. Scholars on environmental studies like Borden and Schettino (1979), Schahn and Holzer (1990), Kaiser et.al.(1999), and Bayard and Joley (2006) believe that there is an association between environmental knowledge and environmental significant behaviors. This research hypothesizes that there is a positive relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental behavior, and survey method is applied with cluster sampling method to choose the samples. The overall results show that there was no significant relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental significant behavior. The probable reasons of this controversial result are discussed thoroughly and several suggestions are put forward for further studies.

This study focused on female experience of watching the Channel Farsil’s serial, the Victoria. The qualitative method and in-depth interview technique in data collection are used to understand semantic implications of feminine readings. Results show 6 important factors which perusing females to follow the soap: entertainment, alternative gendered patterns which reproduced in the soap, collective participating for interpreting the text which offers a cultural authority to the audiences negotiating it, similar lived experience which shows some proportion among audience’s cultural circumstances, aural familiarity which creates excitement through expressing forbidden vocabulary and phrases according to formal Islamic culture, and closeness of the setting which is produced by camerawork. These 6 factors give female audiences distinctive opportunity of watching, interpreting and pleasure.

In the course of recent years, mass media and particularly television have an extreme effect in transmitting of norms and values to the societies. On the other word, they are considered as powerful means of making pattern attitudes to the societies. Due to binary roles of TV as a reflector of behaviors, patterns, and values of society and also as an effecting factor on society which in long term cause the some changes in the social values, it is very essential to evaluate of the sending messages through TV to the Iranian homes. Among the variety of TV programs, Iranian serials are selected for study due to their closeness to the audiences’ life and more possibility of model making as well as indirect massage sending. This article studies the represented values among the characters of 4 selected serials by classifying gender and the life period. The universe of this study contains 4 Iranian serials broadcasted on channel 1 & 3 in year 2001. And content analysis method is applied as the research method by the utilization of Ingelhart, Gerbner theories as well as representation theory. Findings indicate generally female characters do not have many differentiations in value system by the life period expect tiny differences only in economic values. On the other side, male characters have some differences in value system by according to the life period, in such a way that young male characters have less attention to economic worthies while elder male characters have more attention to wealth. Young male characters were shown more moral and less religious.