Scientific Research Manuscript
Cultural Studies
M. Farasatkhah
Abstract
Structures at the macro level and researchers’ habits hinder the effectiveness of research in Iran. But this is not the end of the story since researchers struggle with these structural and contextual limitations leading to the establishment of a diverse research cultures. This article takes into ...
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Structures at the macro level and researchers’ habits hinder the effectiveness of research in Iran. But this is not the end of the story since researchers struggle with these structural and contextual limitations leading to the establishment of a diverse research cultures. This article takes into account a specific and contextual theory with the aim of understanding the twisted pieces of humanities research in Iran. As such, the author has referred to the shared experience of 32 faculty members from various disciplines in order to achieve a relatively deeper understanding of the subject and explain it systematically as a grounded theory. More than 600 key propositions have been analyzed with the "CCDA" (Constant Comparative Data Analysis) model that with the help of the researcher's technical notes could lead to a model to explain the matter. Based on this model, we are facing with a dual border situation in researches. Varied research cultures have been explored by taking into account 12 categories of causal conditions, 11 contextual conditions and 12 genealogical groups of strategies that researchers undertake in such situations. The outcome of this process has been identified and categorized. Accordingly, it was found that the knowledge absorption and productivity is problematic in Iran. Instead of effective knowledge, we are faced with states of wandering knowledge, suspended knowledge, prestige knowledge and artificial knowledge. Still, the arena is not empty of all kinds of innovations in diverse research cultures of Iranian researchers.
Methodological Paper
Social Sciences and Communications
M. Yazdchi; N. Sharifi; A. Sharifiyan
Abstract
This paper puts emphasis on the necessity of discussing positionality in qualitative research methods, especially ethnography. Evaluating a qualitative study requires the reader to get information about the researcher's positionality with respect to their various social identities (like gender, race, ...
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This paper puts emphasis on the necessity of discussing positionality in qualitative research methods, especially ethnography. Evaluating a qualitative study requires the reader to get information about the researcher's positionality with respect to their various social identities (like gender, race, class, ethnicity, ability, geographical location etc and with their intentions for doing the fieldwork, their feelings and emotions, and their relationships with the informants. This paper ties to analyze eight published papers and one book based on qualitative and ethnographic studies in the Iranian society. It examines the harms and consequences of failure in discussing a researcher's positionality by applying a critical ethnographic and reflexive approach. Indeed, the paper analyzes the writers' use of language, their reasoning for doing the research and the reflexive discussion of their positionality while doing the research and later in writing a research report. It argues that not observing the reflective approach in research and concealing the researcher's positionality deprives the reader of the possibility of identifying possible bias. The paper also discusses two other consequences that are more recognizable in academic writing in Iran: "Self-heroism" display of research. Consequently, instead of clarifying their intentions and understanding the field and its relations, researchers solve problems and offer quick solutions.
Scientific Research Manuscript
Higher Education
R. Aghajari; A. Varij Kazemi; R. Mahoozi; M.R. Kolahi
Abstract
This article attempts to identify models, including the conceptual ones related to social responsibility of universities through the meta-analysis of researches conducted in this field in Iran, and then, by showing the shortcomings of these models, on the one hand, the fundamental principles governing ...
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This article attempts to identify models, including the conceptual ones related to social responsibility of universities through the meta-analysis of researches conducted in this field in Iran, and then, by showing the shortcomings of these models, on the one hand, the fundamental principles governing any form of conceptual formulation and on the other, alternative forms should be introduced that can realize the socially responsible university. This article focuses on the researches that were published in the last decade. In the first step, it tried to identify patterns based on the researches under review. Then, with a critical analysis, it was shown why it is necessary to go beyond the existing studies and think of alternative forms that can better formulate the responsibility of the university. In this research, three main forms of university, service-oriented (which itself is divided into two i.e. mission-oriented and citizen universities), and social university were identified based on the existing approaches in the study environment. These three forms were critically analyzed, so that the fourth form, i.e. ecological university could be introduced as a more socially-responsible alternative. Implicitly, we tried to show that the models and approaches have a fundamental role in shaping the research orientation, and thus the necessity of presenting alternative models because they create new theoretical and research possibilities. This research showed that without an ontological understanding, any form of social responsibility of the university can reduce aspects of the university in favor of preferred aspect (market or government); something that can be seen especially in Iranian academic researches on the social responsibility of the university. It is suggested that more attention needed to the ecological university as a specific alternative that Ronald Barnett had started to formulate.
Scientific Research Manuscript
Sociology
K. Keshavarz
Abstract
Students play a vital role in determining the future of their country, and in the case of Iran, their mental state with regard to hope and despair in planning their future has an impact on the Iranian society. For years, hope and concern about the future and the feeling of futureless Iranian society ...
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Students play a vital role in determining the future of their country, and in the case of Iran, their mental state with regard to hope and despair in planning their future has an impact on the Iranian society. For years, hope and concern about the future and the feeling of futureless Iranian society are the issues that have attracted thinkers, politicians and social activists. This article tries how to focus on the formation of hopeful or hopeless mindset of students in the prevailing constitutions in contemporary Iran. The research is qualitative in nature where interviews have been conducted with 26 female and male students from public universities in Tehran using a semi-structured questionnaire. The thematic analysis method was used for the acquired data. In this article, Ghassan Hage, a Lebanese-Australian anthropologist's conceptualization of societies as "mechanisms of production and distribution of hope" is used. The findings show that collective hope an important part is absent among research participants; they, due to the existence of systematic discrimination, are excluded from the circle of production and distribution of hope. One of the consequences of social despair among the research participants is their desire to migrate outside of Iran. Since the economic, political and social obstructions fuel the spread of social despair among the participants, the recognition of social movements and the openness of governing institutions to the economic, social and political demands of the people and efforts to fulfill these demands can help spread social hope in the community. The results of this research can deepen our view on the issue of hope among all sections of the society.
Scientific Research Manuscript
Psychology, Video Games
F. Mohammadi
Abstract
The main issue of the present study is how the power domain is represented in the TV series Aghazadeh. In order to answer the problem, Pierre Bourdieu's theory was used as an approach. Methodologically too, Bourdieu's Genetic Structuralism was used and this text was analyzed at three levels of habitus, ...
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The main issue of the present study is how the power domain is represented in the TV series Aghazadeh. In order to answer the problem, Pierre Bourdieu's theory was used as an approach. Methodologically too, Bourdieu's Genetic Structuralism was used and this text was analyzed at three levels of habitus, structure and relationship between power and other fields using document analysis research method and thematic analysis technique. The results indicate that the power domain is structurally heterogeneous and hierarchical as well as a place of competition and conflict between l agents with religious-traditional habits and agents with economic and worldly habits. In terms of intra-field relationship, the power field is directly and indirectly related to all social domains, and it has affected other structured such as justice, economy, law and politics. The influence of utilitarian agents of the power field on these has reduced the relative independence of these fields on the one hand, and has led to the spread of corruption on the other. Of course, the greater relative independence of the justice field has made it possible for justice-oriented social agents to monitor and investigate the activities in other fields, control illegal activities of other social agents carefully, and eradicate the corrupt power network in the society. This means that one must hope for the future.
Scientific Research Manuscript
Cultural Studies
J. Honarvar; M. Rostami; M. Aznab; F. Taheri Sarmad
Abstract
Native design of buildings is a branch of architecture based on local needs and available materials that reflect regional traditions. The city of Paveh in the northwestern Iranian province of Kermanshah has many valuable buildings, with some dating back to more than three thousand years which are stepped-type ...
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Native design of buildings is a branch of architecture based on local needs and available materials that reflect regional traditions. The city of Paveh in the northwestern Iranian province of Kermanshah has many valuable buildings, with some dating back to more than three thousand years which are stepped-type based the topography of the land. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of culture and livelihood on the physical and biological space formation of traditional houses in Paveh. Data were collected through measuring livelihood standard, geographical location, and type of materials, culture and environmental factors through observation method in spring 2023 and based on questionnaire as a tool. The data analysis was done through factor analysis and regression tests with Lisrel and SPSS software. Validation of the questionnaire was confirmed through content validity and its reliability was checked through Cronbach alpha (r=0.701). By confirmatory analysis, research components with a factor load above 0.4 were identified and confirmed. The ADJR2 index in the regression test showed that the research indicators predict 61% of the physical and biospatial variance of the traditional houses in Paveh. The component of culture and climate has the highest influence (beta=0.779) on the physical and spatial formation of traditional houses there. The results obtained from the observation method also showed that the cultural, social, religious, livelihood features include the use of natural materials, spatial hierarchy, proper separation of spaces, building houses on top or next to each other and paying attention to the environment, including the correct orientation, the use of brick laying, the appropriate dimensions of the openings, etc. which have been the most important factors in bodily and spatial formation of houses in Paveh.
