Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Year:2015 | Volume:8 | Issue:3 (31)|Papers Count:9

Considering perennial relation of the masses with concepts of determinism and free will, the intrinsic importance of these concepts in the area of religion, as well as regarding the ability of media in constructing the masses’ narrative of existence and also taking into account relations between religion, state and television in Iran, this study seeks to answer the question raised in the sample case study of a religious serial concerning representation of free will to its audiences. Hence, a brief introduction of the concept in Islamic thought and its implications has offered at first, to recognize the implied conflict between absolute determinism and absolute discretion in the practical part of this research. Adopting representational theory approach, we have used a combination of discourse analysis approaches and Greimas actantial model to analyze the serial dialogs about free will and underlying structure of activism, respectively. In this study we have shown that the series inspires deterministic-oriented discourse, by drawing actors’ charts of opening and final sequences as well as their schematic diagram. Type of narrative sequences and activity pattern also are deterministic, and the series is based on retributive nature of difficulties and reward-oriented character of pleasures. Two signifiers of fatalism and dreamful are attracted in its discourse area and influencing of social structures is rejected.

Protecting and upholding the ideology of media authorities, photo can be considered a tool for communication and meaning-making. Also the social-artistic activities of photograpy paly a significant role in communication as any other media does. The representation theory excessively concerned with media analysis. It should be noted that semiotic method gives the ability to examine hidden layers of media contents such as picture. Based on The representation theory and semiotics techniques, this paper involves in analyzing photography which represented in TotallyCoolPix Website with Theme of Muharam and Ashura (the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar). The outcomes of this analysis reveal that these photos represent Islam and Muslims as “other”, and also including a kind of deviation from the true Muharram rituals among Muslims. This set of pictures can be characterized by some features such as violence, masculinity, passive role of women in religious customs, cohesiveness and collective strength, which are become prevalent in Muslim communities. What is more, traditional Shiite symbols hinged upon these features and themes in these pictures. Overall, the concepts obtained from these pictures analysis illustrate that they are brimmed with violence which pave the way for more Islam- phobia in countries in the Occident.

This article is a qualitative research on changes in religious rituals: making places and people secared that are not considered sacred in religious traditions. Sohrab Sepehri’s grave is a case of those “modern places” and this research is a case study on its pilgrim’s rituals and insights. Young pilgrims of Sohrab’s grave are creating and experiencing new forms of religiosity. All these forms have complicated relations with traditional religion: Trying to be distinct as well as borrowing some elements of it. This phenomenon can be interpreted as an attempt to create a more flexible version of religiosity which is more fluid and pluralistic and is capable of creating deep warm spiritual experiences by changing some popular religious rituals as pilgrimage.

Religiosity has been pluralized and diversified at present era. This study, accepted this presupposition that religiosity as a varied, diverse and instable issue is out of duality of being religiousness or not. By accepting this presupposition we study and interpret one type of religiosity among youth in Isfahan. To achieve the given purpose, by review the previous studies, in interpretive approach, qualitative method framework, Grounded Theory tradition, interview and Simmel theory about religiosity, data is collected. Based on the findings of the study, and with criteria of “self-recognition” we discovered and identified Self referential religiosity. Also, the results of the qualitative data reveal that religiosity of Youth change to: individual, non-compulsory, private, dispositional, and selective, based on self- Intellection, non-accepting heteronomy of religious institution and tend to contingency, hedonistic Phenomena. Finally In this study we also tried to offer, describe and illustrate paradigmatic model of qualitative data in frame of casual, contextual, consequential circumstances about advent and influence this type of religiosity.

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of religious cartoons on religiosity of female six-grade students. This study is a quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and control group. The statistical population was primary school's sixth grade female students of Miyandoab city who were studying in non-public schools. By random sampling, a class of 15 people as experimental group and a class of 15 people as a control group were selected. Before performing any intervention, religiosity questionnaire was used in both groups. Then, after two weeks in experimental group, interventions (religious cartoons) were performed during 11 weeks and in the other class (control group) no intervention was done. Finally, after three months religiosity questionnaire was used again in both groups and the results were analyzed using MANCOVA. The results showed that religious cartoons could have significant impact on religiosity of students in experimental group.

Presence of Clergymen in religion, social and political life had been legitimized with Islamic theoretical base and historical necessity in Iran’s society. Surveys have shown that clergymen’s prestige has been changed (Particularly among the youth) after the Islamic Revolution. Regarding the extension of critical approach and critical thinking in education system, the purpose of this research is to investigate the relation between students' critical thinking and adherence to clergymen. The statistical population included all MA students of state universities in Tehran. Three hundred seventy (370) students were selected through Kuokran's formula and PPS sampling. The results have shown that there is not a significant relation between critical thinking and adherence to clergymen. But adherence to clergymen is shown to have a negative relation with inquisitiveness and open-mindedness subscales. There is a positive relation between truth-seeking and adherence. Also there is a positive relation between critical thinking and going to non-clergy specialists of religion.

Among the factors that are necessary to facilitate the consumer’s daily life with high mental involvement, fashion clothing is an important and significant factor for many consumers. According to the importance of the subject, this research reviewed the effect of religion, materialism and demographic features of the consumer on mental involvement in fashion clothing among citizens of Yazd. Confirmatory factor analysis method has been applied in analytical statistics of this research to determine the role and position of each one of the research elements by using Amos software. Correlation test has been used in order to review the relations between fashion clothing involvement and its dimensions, and linear regression test in order to determine the effect manner of involvement in fashion clothing and mental knowledge on confidence in fashion decision making. The statistical population includes all the individuals above 20 years old in Yazd City; the sample size was calculated 99 individuals by using Cochran formula. The research results showed that religion and materialism have significant effect on mental involvement in fashion clothing and involvement has a positive and significant effect on fashion decision making confidence. Furthermore, mental involvements in fashion clothing and mental knowledge have a positive and significant effect on fashion decision making confidence and it was specified in the reviewing of the relation between demographic factors (sex, age,…) and the studied variables that the correlation between them was not significant even in the confidence level of 95 percent.