Educational Sciences, Psychology, Behavioral Sciences and Physical Education
A.A. Hedayati; M. Farajollahi; N. Fazeli; M.R. Sarmadi
Abstract
Open education, in light of an amazing technological development, has transformed the educational system with changes in "educational culture" and an emphasis on the "learner-centered" principle. Since this has not been taken into account in Iran's educational system, the present article critically examines ...
Read More
Open education, in light of an amazing technological development, has transformed the educational system with changes in "educational culture" and an emphasis on the "learner-centered" principle. Since this has not been taken into account in Iran's educational system, the present article critically examines the issue of imperfect construction of an open education system in Iran. To analyze the issue historically, a genealogical method propounded by Foucault has been applied. Genealogy explains the evolution of historical moments in their internal power relations, as Foucault says: it is a discourse which intertwines power and knowledge. The "genealogical analysis" refers to an epistemological strategy formed in various domains of history, political and social sciences. To explain the aforementioned problem, we need to focus on both traditional and modern education discourses in the discursive space of open education. In response to the main question of the article i.e., what could have caused the imperfectness of open education in contemporary Iran? The findings indicate that "neglect to scientific software and discursive aspects", which followed the dominance of instrumental scientific view; "immature understanding of open education" which reduced it to complementary education and "bureaucratic relations" which are in conflict with the democratic character of post-modern education, have all led to the "imperfectness of open education" which has deepened the challenge of the alienation of "science" from culture and society.
Cultural Studies
N. Fazeli; S. Sharifi; M. Talaei
Abstract
The economic actors` behavior could not be understood in isolation, without considering the influence of cultural factors. Although there has been less attention paid to the role of culture in economic activism, it is of strategic importance, especially among the youth because culture can affect their ...
Read More
The economic actors` behavior could not be understood in isolation, without considering the influence of cultural factors. Although there has been less attention paid to the role of culture in economic activism, it is of strategic importance, especially among the youth because culture can affect their behavior valuation, behavior purpose, and behavior standard. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to investigate the cultural perception of money among the young generation. Analysis is based on a subtype of qualitative method: content analysis of the interviews. The study population includes young economic activists aged between 18 and 32 years. The targeted sampling is based on criteria and non-homogeneous method, reaching the theoretical saturation point with 12 subjects. Data are collected using semi-structured interviews. The credibility of the collected data is confirmed by credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability indexes, as well as by in depth description, reference to interviewees, and two encoders. The findings show that money is culturally perceived as an end, an indicator of social conflict, an alternative to happiness, and a benchmark for social credibility among the young generation; on the other hand, these perceptions could be attributed to priority of money function over money usage, educational conflict, the dominance of thrift, overview of values and money-based identity, will power, the social trap of money, and the ambiguity within monetary authorities. In general, findings show that ambiguity and contradiction in young people's understanding has caused the perception of money to be changed compared to the past, enriching its function.
Cultural Studies
S. Fotuhi; N. Fazeli
Abstract
The present study phenomenologicaly examines and analyzes the lived experience of the Nowdeshah’ borderline residences. Based on a thematic analysis, four dimensions of the lived experiences studied are identified consisting of the cultural, environmental, economic and political experiences. In ...
Read More
The present study phenomenologicaly examines and analyzes the lived experience of the Nowdeshah’ borderline residences. Based on a thematic analysis, four dimensions of the lived experiences studied are identified consisting of the cultural, environmental, economic and political experiences. In the cultural and environmental experience, the border is considered as a limiting wall and a factor in the abandonment of human communication, where as the political dimension is considered as a liberating frontier. From the economic point of view, the situation is more complicated and there are three different perspectives which are commonplace to the border phenomenon. The first one believes that the border is "potentially life- limiting". In this perspective the border is a barrier to economic relations, although it is necessary and might be existed and accepted. This is due to that fact that without the border it is too difficult to live and survive. In the second view, the border is seen as “liberalization of the market." In this sense, the frontier makes the two countries' economies more interconnected, and there is a two-way exchange between them, which does not provide for foreign cities. In the third approach, the border is considered as "deprivation from the center". In this view the border is seen an obstacle to development, and even to the acquisition of amenities.
Nematollah Fazeli
Abstract
This article analyzes rural housing from a cultural point of view in the past and present. It studies housing as one of the main elements of lifestyle to understand the rural life as a whole. The author, first, studies the effects of modernity on housing culture in the areas such as modernization, rationalization, ...
Read More
This article analyzes rural housing from a cultural point of view in the past and present. It studies housing as one of the main elements of lifestyle to understand the rural life as a whole. The author, first, studies the effects of modernity on housing culture in the areas such as modernization, rationalization, secularisation, globalization, individualization, democratization, urbanization, mediatization, commercialization and bureaucratization. Then, he describes these developments in an Iranian village which is the birthplace of the author using on ethnographical explanation. This study shows that the characteristics of rural housing which were: noncommodification, strong connection with village, being a birth place and somewhere to be nurtured, being mixed with family and historical myths and narratives, coexisting with the nature, lack of privacy have undergone charges. Therefore, we can not address them by adopting a classical approach considering village as the locus of tradition and city as the locus of modernity. The author believes that a kind of “Iranian rural modernity” has been formed in Iranian villages.
