JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF LITERATURE AND HUMANITIES (KHARAZMI UNIVERSITY)
Year:2007 | Volume:15 | Issue:56-57 (THE SPECIAL ISSUE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES)|Papers Count:6

Generally speaking, three approaches to the study of the Islamic revolution in Iran are dominant in the literature of the sociology of revolutions. The first one is the "Why" approach which deals with the causes of the revolution. Most of the existing studies on the Islamic revolution have employed this causal explanation. The second kind is the "How" approach, that concerns the way in which revolutionary mobilization was formed. And the last, but not least, approach asks about the consequences of revolutionary mobilization. This article attempts to explain the revolutionary mobilization of Iranians based on the second approach. To this end, the mobilization process of the Islamic Revolution of Iran from 1977 to 1978 is explained based on rational choice paradigm and mobilization resources theory. The article is claimed to contribute to providing a live and vivid experience of increasing waves of revolutionary populations.

In the present article, initially, an attempt was made to formulate the hypotheses of the study concerning political instability based on the main relevant theories, that is, relative deprivation, mobilization of resources and dependency/world-system. Then, a theoretical model was developed through a combination of these hypotheses. The model incorporates the main constructs of the aforementioned theories and is, in fact, a synthesis of all of them. Finally, the theoretical model was tested empirically with the data from 147 countries in a long-term period (20-year) to find out the level of compatibility and correspondence between the theoretical predictions and empirical data in this study.In general, the findings of the present cross-national research indicate that none of the three proposed theoretical viewpoints (i.e. relative depravation, mobilization of resources, and dependency/ world-system) could be empirically proved or refuted. In other words, the findings did not completely support the theories. In fact, some of the predictions of the theories of political instability were proved while others refuted. Consequently, it is acknowledged that – at least in the field of political and social sciences –no single theory is fully capable of explaining the facts and realities; rather, a number of parallel theories could partially and incompletely explain the empirical world.

One of the current social changes occurring in Iran is women's educational revolution and their extensive participation in various activities of the society. Within the past three decades, especially after the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian society has experienced an evolutionary expansion in women’s education. The greater number of women who have been admitted to the universities is a proof to the growth of female’s participation in higher education. In this research, we explore the social implications of the growth in women’s higher education. Using Boudon’s theory concerning the results occurring at systems of interaction, a survey research was conducted and the corresponding hypotheses were probed. Our population consisted of 2000 women from various provinces of Iran  The implications were measured by variables of: 1. Rising age of marriage, 2. Declining fertility rate, 3. A better nurturing of the children, 4. More extensive social participation, 5. The mode of espouse selection, and 6. Participatory decision making within the family. The results showed that: as education level rises, the age of marriage and also woman’s choices in espouse selection increase, while fertility decreases. The only case that a significant relationship could not be found was that of child rearing. Higher education also showed significant relationship with these variables. That is, it revealed significant relationship indices with women’s social participation, women’s involvement in participatory decision making within the family, women’s increased control over family issues, and their enhanced awareness about citizenship rights.

This research identifies the extent of the "differential association" ideas in the theories of deviance. Then, analyzing the content of the Holy Quran and its commentaries (Tafa'sir), it formulates the points that can be attributed to the Quran, in an introductory form of a theoretical model. The ultimate aim is to explore the possibility of developing a social theory of deviance based on Islamic teachings. The research is intended to introduce an approach to making policies, which tends to be compatible with religious teachings and scientific findings. The findings indicate that:   the Quranic statements have analyzed the links between association and deviance and formulated their controlling propositions in terms of all variables that entered into the differential association model over time; the statements have quantifiable vocabularies; the links are partial and mutual; and the associates affect each other. Variables, in macro-, meso-, and micro-levels, include values, norms, collective patterns, learning, socialization, social influences, labeling, interpersonal attraction factors (resemblance in attitude and behavior, etc.), and needs (physical, security, affiliation, and esteem). These variables lead the individual to deviance or continuing deviant behavior in the different milieus of action (even in interaction with the other-worldly beings) and through the causal mechanisms. The proposed controlling mechanisms consist of prevention, norm-making, making cultural messages, rehabilitation, value and emotional control, and reinforcement.

The globalization of economy and culture has created a new context for the Iranian Baluchi ethnic group, in terms of consumption of the media. Such consumption can be characterized as having three main features: 1. the consumption of ethnic texts, 2. The consumption of attractive American animations dubbed into the ethnic language, and 3. The extensive consumption of the popular Indian movies These features have shaped a local cultural policy, of some sort, which on the one hand has come to challenge some traditional components of the Baluchi identity through attempting to institutionalize a new ethnic identity, and, on the other hand, the same policy acts to weaken components of the Islamic identity and thereby by spreading the cultural elements of the Indian subcontinent, has created a crisis for the Iranian national identity within that location. The methodology adopted in this study includes qualitative - quantitative methods, semiotics, in depth interview, participant observation, and the library method. Initially, an analysis is presented concerning socio-cultural conditions of the Iranian Baluchistan. Then, the elements of the generic ethnic texts, the American animations dubbed into the ethnic language, and the popular Indian movies are analyzed, interpreted and deduced. Based on such a deduction, the perceived readings of the Iranian Baluches from such texts are explained.