NAMEH-YE OLUM-E EJTEMAI
Year:2003 | Volume:11 | Issue:1 (21)|Papers Count:13

Unprecedented rates of population growth in the modern era have largely been the product of reduced levels of mortality and stable, delayed, or reduced fertility. New drugs and technology have been instrumental in reducing mortality rates. Yet, advances against death have been uneven for various communities across and within nations. Socioeconomic development has been effective in reducing the rates of mortality and changing the causes of death. In the past, infectious and respiratory diseases were responsible for a great number of deaths. Advances in medicine have brought these diseases under control and have increased longevity. With these advances, the causes of death have also shifted to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and accidents. Levels and causes of mortality across age and gender groups are related to the levels of development and translate into life expectancy. Mortality rate in Greater Tehran has reached the low level of 6 per 1000. Further, the share of deaths as a result of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and accidents has been on the rise while infant mortality has been deceasing.

In light of the increasing importance of science and technology in agricultural development, this article focuses on the role of extension in disseminating innovative techniques and knowledge in Iran(s) agricultural sector. By constructing a conceptual framework following a review of the literature, it examines Iran(s) agricultural development as a function of the performance of the agricultural system and its internal elements including extension. The article utilizes a number of statistical methods to reach the following conclusions: Agricultural development is a function of a host of factors, among which agricultural extension is one of the most important. Agricultural extension influences agricultural development by enhancing the farmer(s) knowledge and skills. However, the extent of this influence depends on a few other factors that are referred to as control factors in this article. These include intra-sectoral factors of extension and the agricultural system as well as factors stemming form the natural and social environment. It is necessary to consider these factors in programs focusing on agricultural extension and agricultural development.

This article critiques the tradition of Marxian approaches to Iranian historiography. Two streams of Marxian thought may be identified in Iranian studies: historical materialism and Asiatic mode of production. The article argues that these approaches fall short of explaining Iran(s) historical specificities. Their shortcomings are both theoretical and epistemological. For one thing, the point of departure for both models is the European experience. Such approaches do not allow for an analysis of Iran(s) various historical periods whose structures diverge in significant ways from those of Europe. The article advances a new approach to Iranian historiography based on Althusser(s) theoretical formulations. The modified "articulation of modes of production" allows for the existence of several related modes of production in any specific period of Iran(s) history.

Hermeneutics, which was a method of discovering the truth in sacred texts, became a general method of understanding in its course of development. Schliermacher and Dilthey used hermeneutics as a method of understanding the life of mind. This kind of hermeneutics is referred to as subject-centric. Max Weber used this method in his outstanding classical The Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalifm. Yet, with the linguistic turn in the beginning of the 20th century, subject was replaced by language as the main category of understanding. Gadamer(s) linguistic-centered hermeneutics advanced the idea that discovering the truth is possible through dialogue among traditions in the context of their historical development. Habermas, criticizing the shortcomings of Gadamer(s) hermeneutics, suggests that understanding the life-world and everyday life is possible only through a dialogue aimed at redeeming the communication from distortion

This article focuses on various aspects of ethnic identity in the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan. It examines demographic shifts in Sistan-Baluchestan from a sociological perspective through analyzing developments in four cities of the province. Data are collected from Zahedan, Khash, Chabahar and Zabol. The sample includes 3,913 cases.

This article examines the "dual globalization" phenomenon in connection with the "global stress society". It is organized into four main parts. The first part examines the concept, factors, characteristics, and consequences of stress. The second part focuses on the concept and periodization of globalization while the third part examines the relationship between globalization and pressure, tension, anxiety and risk in light of main stress factors and the conceptual components of globalization. In the fourth part, the article critiques the concept of dual globalization on the basis of Bourdieu(s) theory of "symbolic violence and its relationship to hidden stress. The main initial assumption of the article is the existence of two globalization trends, one explaining that of the real world (first world) and another articulating the virtual world (second world). Simultaneous or instant connections between the real and the virtual worlds have created the stress of duality and. by extension the global stress society that differentiates the current world from that of modernity.

Iran(s) transhumant populations constitute a unique opportunity for research in light of their special social and cultural characteristics. While technology has reduced the role of animals in human societies, they remain important in various contexts, including transhumant life, for guarding and transport, and as game. Dogs have had a prominent position in the Iranian literature, mysticism, folklore, and oral traditions. This article examines the role of dogs in the life of Boyrahmadi transhumant population in terms of economic value, social relations, and popular beliefs and rituals.

This article uses Iranian provincial census data for the Persian calendar years 1355, 1365, and 1375 (1976-7, 1986-7, and 1996-7) to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic and demographic factors and the participation of women in the labor force. Women(s) participation dropped during the first decade under analysis. The decreasing trend was however reversed between 1365 and 1375. The highest rates of female participation were recorded for the provinces of Gilan, Yazd, and Charmahal-Bakhtiari. Ilam, Kohkiluyeh-Boyrahmad, and Hormozgan registered the lowest female participation rates. Reduced participation for age groups 12-10, 15-19, and 20-24 reveals a shift in the Structure of labor force. Overall, increases in the rates of female labor force participation were concurrent with reduced levels of educational attainment, reduced fertility rates, increased age of first marriage, and increased share of indvstrial workers in the labor force. Yet, the extent of the changes varied across provinces. Enhanced levels of female education, changes in the relative importance of economic sectors, and shifts in cultural and social milieu seem to have contributed to the developments in female labor force participation.

This article examines the academic contributions of Iran(s) scientific community across various fields for the year 2001. Data on academic journal papers are used to construct a measure for comparing fields. Overall, the level of contributions is low for a country like Iran. Journal paper contributions are also highly uneven across fields. In particular, chemistry has become most prominent in the number of published papers. While the uneven structure is a source of concern, the experience of chemistry reveals the potential for improving the performance of other fields.

This article examines various levels of secularization in Iran. It argues that a systemic secularization is taking place at the macro level. It also cautions that, at the meso level, a distinction should be made between the state-sponsored religion and popular faith. Further, in the realm of life-world and in the public and private spheres, religion continues to have a significant impact. Indeed, actions of individuals are highly influenced by their religious beliefs. At the same time, individuals are inclined to distinguish between religious actions that are freely formed and those that are enforced from the top. While secularization is more serious at the macro level, secularization in the life-world and individual realms is accelerating due to the arbitrary intervention of the formal sphere in the everyday life of people. Thus, to bring spirituality back to people(s) lives, formal sanctions should be avoided.

Karl Popper introduced his situational logic/situational analysis as a methodological framework for exploration and explanation in social science. However, despite a positive reception, especially amongst economists Popper(s) somewhat terse formulation of his model, together with the nuances in different versions of the original idea, have created an impression of internal inconsistency and conflict with other parts of his otherwise unified system of thought. In this paper, following a brief, though critical review of Popper(s) methodological approach to social science, the author shall tries to introduce a more consistent reading of the methodology of situational logic/ situational analysis. It will be argued that in making sense of events, processes and texts, situational logic/situational analysis lays emphasis on notions such as situations institutions/structures social constructs intention, action, rationality meaning and context The upshot of the arguments of the paper is that while "situational logic/situational analysis cannot be claimed to be the only suitable approach for its intended realms of application, it offers the benefit of a number of explanatory frameworks including covering and causal Law idiographic and hermeneutic models with the extra bonus that, contrary to other models, its findings are objective and therefore publicly criticizable.

This article first probes the relationship between general/utopian and specific/reformist approaches to social problem solving to endorse the paradigmatic shift from the former to the latter. It then presents the Popperian 3 world theory and augments it with the views of Lacatos to highlight the effective role of rival research programs and cross-criticism in social problem solving and the advancement of science. Finally, based on these theoretical formulations, the article critiques problem solving approaches within the Iranian academic structure. problem solving, science, 3 worlds, general to specific, research program, academia, objective knowledge, criticism, Iran.

Two waves of revitalization efforts impacted the Iranian society in its second post-revolutionary decade (1991-2001). These were economic revitalization (reconstruction) and political revitalization (reforms). The rapid changes these waves brought about have had various impacts. One impact in the Iranian political arena is the intensification of disorder. This article attempts to identify the causes of this phenomenon by advancing the concept of political anomie in Iran based on Durkheims theory of political anomie.