Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 7 4 2015 03 20 The Identity Negotiation of the New Muslim Converts in Iran (with Emphasis on the Role of Islam) The Identity Negotiation of the New Muslim Converts in Iran (with Emphasis on the Role of Islam) 1 38 252 10.7508/ijcr.2014.28.001 FA Saeid Reza Ameli (full) Professor of Communications, University of Tehran Gholamreza Solgi Researcher in the Field of Information and Communications Maryam Razani M.A. Student of Communications, University of Tehran Mansore Hejazi M.A. Student of Communications, University of Tehran Zahra Karami M.A. Student of Communications, University of Tehran Rozhan Eskandar M.A. Student of Communications, University of Tehran Faeze Mostofi M.A. Student of Communications, University of Tehran Journal Article 2014 09 26 Typically, people deal with their environment and talk about their identity, and shape their identity with the results of such negotiations. In situations where the person experiences changes like migration or converting to a new religion in his life, the negotiations will be intensified in order to adapt to the new findings, and leads him/her to choose strategies to adapt to these changes and to reach a new identity. Now the question is: what strategies does the Newly Muslim choose in Iran about the factors of identity, such as name, dress, entertainment, relationships (with friends and relatives), Sharia (Islamic Laws) and prayers and financial issues in order to achieve a new identity? What aspects of the Identity of the New Muslim Converts are distinct from their identity before Islam? What aspects of their former identity have continued and what are their specific features? The study has been conducted in two stages by interviewing many converts, and with the categorization of the interviews, nine strategies have been extracted about the negotiation of New Muslim Converts’ identity with the Iranian society. Typically, people deal with their environment and talk about their identity, and shape their identity with the results of such negotiations. In situations where the person experiences changes like migration or converting to a new religion in his life, the negotiations will be intensified in order to adapt to the new findings, and leads him/her to choose strategies to adapt to these changes and to reach a new identity. Now the question is: what strategies does the Newly Muslim choose in Iran about the factors of identity, such as name, dress, entertainment, relationships (with friends and relatives), Sharia (Islamic Laws) and prayers and financial issues in order to achieve a new identity? What aspects of the Identity of the New Muslim Converts are distinct from their identity before Islam? What aspects of their former identity have continued and what are their specific features? The study has been conducted in two stages by interviewing many converts, and with the categorization of the interviews, nine strategies have been extracted about the negotiation of New Muslim Converts’ identity with the Iranian society.

http://www.jicr.ir/article_252_03c6b06952c750899bb03d998e631860.pdf

Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 7 4 2015 03 20 Functional Interpretation of Neighborhood Public Spaces in Terms of Identity Functional Interpretation of Neighborhood Public Spaces in Terms of Identity 39 61 254 10.7508/ijcr.2014.28.002 FA Hamid Majedi Professor of Urbanism, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Islamic Azad University of Tehran Science and Research Branch Majid MansourRezaei M.A. of Urban Design and Planning, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Islamic Azad University of Tehran Central Branch Elham Mansouri Ph.D. Student of Urbanism, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Islamic Azad University of Tehran Science and Research Branch Journal Article 2014 07 06 The aim of this article is to evaluate the effect of neighborhood public space transformation due to rapid urbanization in Tehran since 1960s, on the formation of neighborhood identity. In order to find the role of public spaces in enhancing neighborhood identities, two middle class neighborhoods with different spatial organizations are compared with each other: Nazi Abad a planned neighborhood and Mehran a typical unplanned neighborhood which developed through rapid urbanization. Next, the effect of neighborhood public spaces on neighborhood inhabitants is evaluated from two perspectives: Perceptual dimension and social dimension. The findings indicate that planned spatial organization and various neighborhood public spaces result in stronger neighborhood identity. It enhances both perceptual dimension of neighborhood identity(place attachment) and its social dimension (sense of community). In contrast unplanned spatial organization which is the typical feature of Tehran neighborhoods leads to weak neighborhood identity. The aim of this article is to evaluate the effect of neighborhood public space transformation due to rapid urbanization in Tehran since 1960s, on the formation of neighborhood identity. In order to find the role of public spaces in enhancing neighborhood identities, two middle class neighborhoods with different spatial organizations are compared with each other: Nazi Abad a planned neighborhood and Mehran a typical unplanned neighborhood which developed through rapid urbanization. Next, the effect of neighborhood public spaces on neighborhood inhabitants is evaluated from two perspectives: Perceptual dimension and social dimension. The findings indicate that planned spatial organization and various neighborhood public spaces result in stronger neighborhood identity. It enhances both perceptual dimension of neighborhood identity(place attachment) and its social dimension (sense of community). In contrast unplanned spatial organization which is the typical feature of Tehran neighborhoods leads to weak neighborhood identity.

http://www.jicr.ir/article_254_c52f1bd66cc19d05628bd8bf27af3ad6.pdf

Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 7 4 2015 03 20 Investigating the Relationship between Internet Usage and Attitude towards Online Friendship (Case Study: Students of Guilan University) Investigating the Relationship between Internet Usage and Attitude towards Online Friendship (Case Study: Students of Guilan University) 84 63 255 10.7508/ijcr.2014.28.003 FA Mohammad Amin Kanaani Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Guilan 0000-0002-2081-9318 Hamide Mohammadzade M.A. of Sociology, Professor of PayamNoor University, (Corresponding Author) 0000-0001-7750-5750 Fateme Mohammadzade M.A. of Sociology, Professor of PayamNoor University 0000-0001-8531-6204 Journal Article 2014 05 06 Internet is causing to transform the profile of the everyday life, especially for the youth. Attractiveness of internet has caused that most youth being appealed to the internet friendships, rather than face to face interactions. The present research aimed to investigate the relation between internet usage and attitude towards internet friendship with opposite sex among students. The survey method and researcher constructed questionnaire is used to gather appropriate information. The statistical universe is all under-graduate and post-graduate students of Guilan University, and from among them, 372 students have been selected through proportionate stratified sampling method. The observed positive relations between attitude towards online friendship and internet usage reveal that quantity and quality of internet usage are important variables creating positive attitudes towards online friendships with opposite sex. In accordance with Giddens it can be said that increasing electronic interactions changed traditional attitudes regarding relations between two sexes. The observed relation between the age of students and attitude towards internet friendship reveals the combined effect of time and space factors on changing attitudes. In overall, expansion of internet usage as a part of the process of globalization has an special role on formation of new social meanings such as online friendship with opposite sex, which itself is an apparent feature of modern world. Internet is causing to transform the profile of the everyday life, especially for the youth. Attractiveness of internet has caused that most youth being appealed to the internet friendships, rather than face to face interactions. The present research aimed to investigate the relation between internet usage and attitude towards internet friendship with opposite sex among students. The survey method and researcher constructed questionnaire is used to gather appropriate information. The statistical universe is all under-graduate and post-graduate students of Guilan University, and from among them, 372 students have been selected through proportionate stratified sampling method. The observed positive relations between attitude towards online friendship and internet usage reveal that quantity and quality of internet usage are important variables creating positive attitudes towards online friendships with opposite sex. In accordance with Giddens it can be said that increasing electronic interactions changed traditional attitudes regarding relations between two sexes. The observed relation between the age of students and attitude towards internet friendship reveals the combined effect of time and space factors on changing attitudes. In overall, expansion of internet usage as a part of the process of globalization has an special role on formation of new social meanings such as online friendship with opposite sex, which itself is an apparent feature of modern world.

http://www.jicr.ir/article_255_fe131d7f5a6b38b23cc967316c13dae2.pdf

Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 7 4 2015 03 20 Utilization Patterns of the Cultural Centers Among the Youth in Tehran (Implications, Motivations and Functions) Utilization Patterns of the Cultural Centers Among the Youth in Tehran (Implications, Motivations and Functions) 85 147 256 10.7508/ijcr.2014.28.004 FA Mahmood Shahabi Assistant Professor of Sociology, Allameh Tabataba'i University Zahra Jafari PhD Student of Cultural Sociology, Allameh Tabataba'i University Journal Article 2015 01 24 A major concern in the last few years has been the fact that the Cultural Centers are keeping distance with what they have been established for, and instead of reproducing the hegemony, they have turned into a place for resistance and reproduction of resistance against hegemony. Cultural Centers, as urban public spaces in the last two decades, have been the subject of ideological discussions and debates. In such spaces, consumption is not just limited to the utilization of programs in cultural centers, but the consumption of Cultural Center’s spaces prevail the consumption of activities and programs in these Cultural Centers. Such consumption is associated with the introduction of several social and cultural definitions. The main purpose of this study is to identify the application and implications of the Cultural Centers for the youth in Tehran and the motivations and functions resulting from the consumption of these spaces. The study uses the method of basic theorization for the data collection and analysis. For this purpose, 25 of clients in Bahman, Shafagh, Honar, Kar, Quran and Eshragh Cultural Centers located in Tehran have been the subjects of in-depth interview. Totally, the results of this study show that Cultural Centers are a part of rites of transition to the adulthood for the youth of Tehran. They satisfy many of the needs related to their age, and in one word, they draw their own painting on the canvass of this public space. The Present study is going to describe and elaborate the painting patterns and interference in and intervention with the public space of the Cultural Centers. In this study, Cultural Center is considered as a context and its several implications for the users of this space are analyzed. A major concern in the last few years has been the fact that the Cultural Centers are keeping distance with what they have been established for, and instead of reproducing the hegemony, they have turned into a place for resistance and reproduction of resistance against hegemony. Cultural Centers, as urban public spaces in the last two decades, have been the subject of ideological discussions and debates. In such spaces, consumption is not just limited to the utilization of programs in cultural centers, but the consumption of Cultural Center’s spaces prevail the consumption of activities and programs in these Cultural Centers. Such consumption is associated with the introduction of several social and cultural definitions. The main purpose of this study is to identify the application and implications of the Cultural Centers for the youth in Tehran and the motivations and functions resulting from the consumption of these spaces. The study uses the method of basic theorization for the data collection and analysis. For this purpose, 25 of clients in Bahman, Shafagh, Honar, Kar, Quran and Eshragh Cultural Centers located in Tehran have been the subjects of in-depth interview. Totally, the results of this study show that Cultural Centers are a part of rites of transition to the adulthood for the youth of Tehran. They satisfy many of the needs related to their age, and in one word, they draw their own painting on the canvass of this public space. The Present study is going to describe and elaborate the painting patterns and interference in and intervention with the public space of the Cultural Centers. In this study, Cultural Center is considered as a context and its several implications for the users of this space are analyzed.

http://www.jicr.ir/article_256_f718499c1c8cef6730f9fd03c8125cab.pdf

Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 7 4 2015 03 20 A Comparative Study on Cultural Attitudes of On-campus and Non-Campus Students A Comparative Study on Cultural Attitudes of On-campus and Non-Campus Students 129 155 258 10.7508/ijcr.2014.28.005 FA Vahid Shalchi Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Allameh Tabataba'i University Mohadese Ziyachi M.A. of Sociology, Allameh Tabataba'i University Journal Article 2014 05 16 This article will explore the different way of leisure and some cultural attitudes among on-campus and non-campus students. The method of this study is survey research and questionnaires have been used. The statistical population is the students under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology’s universities and three-stage cluster sampling method was used for sampling. In the first stage among 31 provinces in Iran, 6 cities have been chosen and in the second stage a number of universities have been chosen among Public University, Payame Noor University, University of Applied Science and Technology, and Nonprofit University, and in the third stage a number of students staying in dormitories and on-campus have been chosen randomly. The sample size is 2500 people and SPSS 19 software has been utilized for data analysis. The results show that there is a considerable difference between the participants’ priorities, obstacles and opportunities in the two groups. Also there is a significant difference between on-campus and non-campus students in terms of their treatment of the most important university’s issues, important criterion in individual success and concerns about the relation between themselves and the society. On-campus students claim financial limitations as one of the most important obstacles for passing their leisure time whereas non-campus students see social supervision as the most important limitation. Moreover, there is a large gap between on-campus students to have an access to leisure facilities, with other students. The concerns between the two groups are also very different. For example on-campus students have twice more concerns on marriage whereas non-campus students have twice more concerns on immigration to foreign countries. This article will explore the different way of leisure and some cultural attitudes among on-campus and non-campus students. The method of this study is survey research and questionnaires have been used. The statistical population is the students under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology’s universities and three-stage cluster sampling method was used for sampling. In the first stage among 31 provinces in Iran, 6 cities have been chosen and in the second stage a number of universities have been chosen among Public University, Payame Noor University, University of Applied Science and Technology, and Nonprofit University, and in the third stage a number of students staying in dormitories and on-campus have been chosen randomly. The sample size is 2500 people and SPSS 19 software has been utilized for data analysis. The results show that there is a considerable difference between the participants’ priorities, obstacles and opportunities in the two groups. Also there is a significant difference between on-campus and non-campus students in terms of their treatment of the most important university’s issues, important criterion in individual success and concerns about the relation between themselves and the society. On-campus students claim financial limitations as one of the most important obstacles for passing their leisure time whereas non-campus students see social supervision as the most important limitation. Moreover, there is a large gap between on-campus students to have an access to leisure facilities, with other students. The concerns between the two groups are also very different. For example on-campus students have twice more concerns on marriage whereas non-campus students have twice more concerns on immigration to foreign countries.

http://www.jicr.ir/article_258_502e4a16930e414107ee22b6198c578f.pdf

Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 7 4 2015 03 20 Experimental Assessment of Two Corrival Theories about Choosing Spouse in Iran Experimental Assessment of Two Corrival Theories about Choosing Spouse in Iran 157 187 260 10.7508/ijcr.2014.28.006 FA Seyed Zia' Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Tehran Majid Fouladiyan PhD of Sociology, University of Tehran Zeinab Fatemi Amin PhD Student of Sociology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Journal Article 2014 10 26 Each society and culture, according to its condition and requirements, makes special circumscriptions, criterions and norms in choosing a spouse. In every culture one may have several alternatives of his/her own opposite sex as a spouse, but spouse choosing is never accidental. In every culture, besides the circumscriptions which is due to the personal values and desires, there are some circumscriptions which are imposed by the society. Till some decades ago, the family organization was responsible for spouse choosing in Iran, but today each person's role has become more important; although cultural and social conditions have some effect on it. Therefore, nowadays spouse choosing is analyzed as an important social action and many theories have been provided for understanding the patterns of the spouse choosing. In this study and in a theoretical level, two important theories (similar spouses and different spouses) are presented as two corrival theories and then according to similarities of these theories, the indicators of the study are made. After that, by using the survey research method throughout the country and the statistical population of five thousand people, we experimentally assess the indicators of the study and these two theories of the spouse choosing. Results show the domination of the similar spouses' theory in Iran. They also show that approximately 90% of people in the external traits, 89% in the psycho-emotional traits, 93% in the personal traits, 68% in the social level characteristics and 88% in the religious beliefs, follow the patterns of the similar spouses' theory.The analytical results also conclusively show that different groups in Iran choose persons who have more similarity with them in the external, psycho-emotional and personal traits as well as the social level and religious characteristics. Although it should be noted that among men and women, the strangeness and weakness of these patterns are different. Each society and culture, according to its condition and requirements, makes special circumscriptions, criterions and norms in choosing a spouse. In every culture one may have several alternatives of his/her own opposite sex as a spouse, but spouse choosing is never accidental. In every culture, besides the circumscriptions which is due to the personal values and desires, there are some circumscriptions which are imposed by the society. Till some decades ago, the family organization was responsible for spouse choosing in Iran, but today each person's role has become more important; although cultural and social conditions have some effect on it. Therefore, nowadays spouse choosing is analyzed as an important social action and many theories have been provided for understanding the patterns of the spouse choosing. In this study and in a theoretical level, two important theories (similar spouses and different spouses) are presented as two corrival theories and then according to similarities of these theories, the indicators of the study are made. After that, by using the survey research method throughout the country and the statistical population of five thousand people, we experimentally assess the indicators of the study and these two theories of the spouse choosing. Results show the domination of the similar spouses' theory in Iran. They also show that approximately 90% of people in the external traits, 89% in the psycho-emotional traits, 93% in the personal traits, 68% in the social level characteristics and 88% in the religious beliefs, follow the patterns of the similar spouses' theory.The analytical results also conclusively show that different groups in Iran choose persons who have more similarity with them in the external, psycho-emotional and personal traits as well as the social level and religious characteristics. Although it should be noted that among men and women, the strangeness and weakness of these patterns are different.

http://www.jicr.ir/article_260_a4f23670e1833f3fdb077ca70bbd5d66.pdf

Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research Journal of Iranian Cultural Research 2008-1847 7 4 2015 03 20 The Representation of Women in the Advertisement of Persil Washing Powder The Representation of Women in the Advertisement of Persil Washing Powder 189 212 262 10.7508/ijcr.2014.28.007 FA Masoud Kousari Associate Professor of Social Communication Sciences, University of Tehran Farid Azizi M.A. Student of Social Communication Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University Hamid Azizi M.A. of Social Communication Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University Journal Article 2014 07 14 The purpose of this study is to investigate the representation of women in the advertisement of Persil washing powder. This qualitative study is based on the semiotics method in order to decode the cultural stereotypes in the advertisement of Persil washing powder. The results showed that the representation of women in advertisements is often associated with a set of cultural stereotypical pictures and images. In fact, despite the intended policies to eliminate cultural stereotypical images in advertisements, they are still full of pictures and images showing women are subordinate to men. In the advertisement women are represented as those, who don’t have their own identity and are always in need of paternal- men’s support. Results showed that female identity is always a reflection of prevalent stereotypes in Iranian society. In terms of these stereotypes, women belong to the home and its environment, and the stereotypes seek to intensify relations with media images. In a real word, the media are in the wake of naturalizing the constructed relations by the cultural codes in the society. The purpose of this study is to investigate the representation of women in the advertisement of Persil washing powder. This qualitative study is based on the semiotics method in order to decode the cultural stereotypes in the advertisement of Persil washing powder. The results showed that the representation of women in advertisements is often associated with a set of cultural stereotypical pictures and images. In fact, despite the intended policies to eliminate cultural stereotypical images in advertisements, they are still full of pictures and images showing women are subordinate to men. In the advertisement women are represented as those, who don’t have their own identity and are always in need of paternal- men’s support. Results showed that female identity is always a reflection of prevalent stereotypes in Iranian society. In terms of these stereotypes, women belong to the home and its environment, and the stereotypes seek to intensify relations with media images. In a real word, the media are in the wake of naturalizing the constructed relations by the cultural codes in the society.

http://www.jicr.ir/article_262_36660e59856b4de58a219bcf4e27eba3.pdf