Sociology
H. Emadi; S.A. Afshani; H. Eslami
Abstract
This study employs grounded theory (GT) to qualitatively explore preconditions for good governance in social media with an emphasis on accountability. The study sample consists of 20 media activists and social media managers who were selected using a theoretical or purposive sampling strategy. The data ...
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This study employs grounded theory (GT) to qualitatively explore preconditions for good governance in social media with an emphasis on accountability. The study sample consists of 20 media activists and social media managers who were selected using a theoretical or purposive sampling strategy. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with participants. The data collection process continued until saturation, i.e., no new pieces of information could add to the final model. The data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding, and then a paradigm model and a theoretical schema were developed based on the 15 main themes and the final theme extracted. The results indicated that the “tamed power of sovereignty” is the fruit of a set of factors such as accountability soft punch, reverse control and monitoring, popular network activism, and networked pressure groups, influenced by a set of contextual and intervening factors. What can cause public trust and social solidarity as the ultimate goal is the adoption of strategies such as normalization of accountability, good pragmatism, the networked activity of governing bodies, and institutional accountability of the government and then moving towards the establishment of an online accountability system. The theoretical schema and paradigm model proposed in this study can interpret the results more accurately.
Sociology
M. Shahabi; M.A. Ghaempour
Abstract
The system of differentiation and grading of individuals in every society is pervasive and inevitable, and its criteria vary from society to society. Hence, this article seeks to show that when and why do the citizens of Tehran make boundaries in their communications with others? When and how do they ...
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The system of differentiation and grading of individuals in every society is pervasive and inevitable, and its criteria vary from society to society. Hence, this article seeks to show that when and why do the citizens of Tehran make boundaries in their communications with others? When and how do they cross these borders? What strategies do they use to interact with each other and cross cultural boundaries and what are the consequences of such communication strategies? The findings of this research are based on a qualitative method with Grounded Theory strategy. The sample size included 45 individuals using the theoretical sampling method and in terms of accrediting/validating. Various tools such as interviewing, observing, participating, etc. were used to collect data, but the focus was on the deep interviewing. The findings were coded in a systematic version method (GTM) of the survey theory and the (causative, background, and intervening) conditions, strategies and consequences related to the cultural and mobility boundaries have been extracted and analyzed in the city of Tehran. The obtained nuclear issue includes “Management of cultural boundaries and cultural mobility/traffic in identity-based layers in the form of communication diplomacy”.
Sociology
M. Mokhtari; H. Malek Ahmadi
Abstract
Technology has important role in communications and shapes people’s relations but also imposes its principles on these relationships. The term “Mobilization” refers to special form of life style characterized by properties such as speed and quantity. This investigation aimed at studying ...
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Technology has important role in communications and shapes people’s relations but also imposes its principles on these relationships. The term “Mobilization” refers to special form of life style characterized by properties such as speed and quantity. This investigation aimed at studying user experiences with regard to mobilization in human relationships. To this purpose, we conducted a phenomenological approach and arranged in-depth interviews with 12 users of mobile phones focusing on different virtual spaces. The use of mobile and virtual networks was researched with the view of "satisfaction and happiness."The obtained data were analyzed with Colaizzi’s 7 steps method and the results revealed 2 themes: “experience from technology” and “relational experiences” with more detailed sub-themes. Results showed that users pass through the stages of “experience from technology” i.e., from “familiarity”, to “attraction”, then “drown to nakedness, “to” pointlessness,” and ultimately “control”. Also participants’ communication experiences showed different types of confounded relationships. This process called mobilization, in which the characteristics, application context, and specific nature of the mobile phone use enter the human relationships and change them. Indeed, mobilization is not a technologic process but is a cultural one. The problem is not the invention but is the feel and urge to use this technology.
Sociology
Zohreh Shahghasemi; Mohmmad Mahdi Forghani; Hadi Khaniki
Abstract
The movement towards the goals of "Vision plan 1404" needs the perception of the requirements to prepare plans for achieving the favorite objectives of development. With the advent of the information age, the rules of development policy-making strongly have changed in the world and also unique opportunities ...
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The movement towards the goals of "Vision plan 1404" needs the perception of the requirements to prepare plans for achieving the favorite objectives of development. With the advent of the information age, the rules of development policy-making strongly have changed in the world and also unique opportunities areprovided by variables of communications for countries that have been in early stages of development. Based on this, considering the communications in macro-level and in the political, social, economic and cultural development plans is important and necessary. This requires a review and pathology of previous plans and evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses for preparing of more comprehensive future plans. Themain question of this study is: what is the approach of development plans to communications section after Islamic revolution? Which aspects of communications are considered, and what aspects are ignored? This study analyzes five development plans after the revolution, by using of qualitative content analysis. Results show that in all five-year plans the focus was on hardware and quantitative dimensions of communication development and media, but qualitative and content aspects, such as the right to universal access to information, freedom to obtain and disseminate information within the constitution, freedom of speech and press, a move towards the information society and knowledge-based, also other dimensions of communications such as human, traditional and social communication has been less considered. In the fourth development plan that is "knowledge" – centered, new fields of communications has been studied comprehensively in comparison to other plans. According to these approaches and new scientific and experimental perspectives, this paper suggests further engagement in communications necessity for development policy-making.