Women's Political Participation in Mazandaran Province and the Socio-Cultural Factors Affecting It
The aim of this study is to examine and investigate the socio-cultural factors influencing women's political participation in Mazandaran. The theoretical framework is based on the perspectives of Robert Putnam, Habermas, Lerner, Milbrath, and Lipset. The research method is a survey, and the unit of analysis is women over 18 years of age. The sampling method is multi-stage cluster sampling, and the sample size, according to Cochran's formula, is 384 individuals. The data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire. Data analysis methods include Pearson correlation coefficient, path analysis, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS software. Face validity was used to assess validity, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the dependent variable of political participation was 0.885, indicating the reliability of the variables. The findings showed that the average political participation in both the objective and subjective dimensions of political participation was moderate. About 8.9% reported very low levels of political participation. Approximately 17.7% indicated low participation, about 33.8% reported moderate participation, about 21.4% reported high participation, and about 14.6% reported very high political participation. There is a positive and direct relationship between the variables of social capital, political socialization, the extent of media use, cultural capital, religiosity, and the level of social security with the level of political participation in both objective and subjective dimensions. Regression analysis shows that 41.2% of the variance in women's political participation is related to the independent variables. The highest explanation of variance and changes in women's political participation belong to the variables of political socialization and social capital, respectively. In conclusion, strengthening and enhancing social and cultural capital, the feeling of security, socialization, political socialization, and religious beliefs can play a significant role in shaping women's attitudes towards political participation in both the subjective and objective dimensions of political participation, encouraging women residing in the cities of Mazandaran province to increase their political participation in various social arenas.
Ispahbads of Tabarestan and Convergence with Islamic Civilization
The history of Tabarestan or Mazandaran, a part of the lush and elongated expanse located between the Caspian Sea and the Alborz Mountains, has witnessed many transformations in connection with the history of Iran and Islam. Despite the Arab Muslim advance into the vast majority of Southwest Asia, due to its unique climatic conditions and distinct social characteristics, Tabarestan resisted the influence of the Islamic political system and the acceptance of the new culture and religion. One of the reasons for this resistance was the presence of independent ruling dynasties known as the Ispahbads, whose rulers outwardly accepted the sovereignty of the Arab caliphs to preserve their hereditary power, until the rise of the Alavids and Daylamites diminished their influence. This research, aiming to investigate the nature and process of political relations between the Ispahbad dynasties of Tabarestan and the Islamic Caliphate during the 7th to 10th centuries CE, employs a descriptive-analytical method to discuss the nature and reasons behind the interaction and confrontation between the local rulers of Tabarestan and the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs, seeking to uncover the hidden aspects of local history in this period. The research findings indicate that the Ispahbads of Tabarestan, by implementing a dual and pragmatic policy, sought to safeguard the ancient structure of their political system and the homogeneous fabric of their subordinate society in Tabarestan from transformation, thereby contributing to the continuity of the existing status quo. However, with the arrival of new actors, most of them ceded the field to the emerging players in the political and power arena of medieval Iran.
The Continuity of Asha in Post-Islamic Culture
In the foundations of ontology and anthropology, Iranian philosophy encompasses a unified order governing the entire cosmos. This order, referred to as "Asha," manifests in various dimensions and governs all existence, both material and immaterial, through continuous and purposeful movement. What the author seeks to explore in this research is how the semantic scope of Asha is defined in the Avesta, how it is reflected in Iranian thought, and by examining cultural works and beliefs of Iranians in Iranian-Islamic and earlier sources, trace Asha as a religious belief embedded in cultural norms and rituals. Thus, in this study, considering the assumption that many Iranian beliefs and duties are rooted in the true meaning of Asha as the framework of Iranian spiritual and ontological thought, an attempt has been made to explain the political, individual, and social beliefs that have emanated from the Asha-based thinking of ancient Iranians and Zoroastrians, using a descriptive-analytical method based on interpretive experience.
Folk beliefs of the moon in popular culture and local poetry of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad provinces
Analysis of Factors Influencing the Realization of Cultural and Creative Ecosystems in Historical Cities of Iran
With the emergence of the concept of the creative city, a new way of thinking about the reciprocal relationship between culture and place has been introduced. This concept, by emphasizing the creative human capital within the city, supports the liberation of individual talents to address urban issues. In this paradigmatic approach, unique indigenous cultural and creative industries are recognized as the primary competitive advantage of cities to achieve economic development. Considering the significant potential of historical cities in Iran to implement the creative city model, the mechanism for establishing a cultural and creative ecosystem in these cities requires investigation. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of the spatial preferences of the creative class on the realization of a cultural and creative ecosystem in historical cities of Iran. In the first phase of this research, by reviewing the theoretical foundations in credible global literature, the spatial preferences of the creative class are identified, and the factors influencing the cycle of cultural and creative ecosystems are examined. In the second phase of the research, to test the hypothesis, the structural equation model is utilized within the framework of Amos23 and Spss20 statistical software. This research is applied in nature and descriptive-correlational in terms of data collection and analysis methods. The statistical sample includes 196 members of the creative class residing in the cities of Yazd, Kashan, and Jiroft, who were selected through convenience sampling. The findings indicate that the set of spatial preferences of the creative class affects the implementation of the cultural and creative ecosystem in the historical cities of Iran. If historical cities in Iran seek to implement the creative city model, they must identify the factors that retain and attract the creative class according to their indigenous capacities and, by applying a set of hard and soft creative placemaking factors, provide the possibility of realizing a cultural and creative ecosystem to achieve creative economic development.
The Transformation of Islamic Historiography in the Era of the Caliphate
In the first two centuries of Islam, there was no singular and uniform historiographical tradition, and multiple schools emerged in the regions of Medina, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. Gradually, the tension between the perspectives of court historians and other chroniclers, the vastness of Islamic culture, and the relative freedom of historians in employing the method of observation or narration led to the creation of works with different approaches. Nevertheless, Islamic historiography in the third and fourth centuries A.H. shifted towards a narrative-oriented discourse and made less use of analytical and critical perspectives. This article aims, using a comparative-critical method, to provide a brief analysis of the historiographical trends from the first to the fourth centuries A.H. and to compare the historiographical methods and perspectives of the Umayyads and Abbasids. According to the research findings, the Umayyads and Abbasids used history and historians as tools to legitimize their rule and, knowingly or unknowingly, contributed to the spread of certain historiographical distortions and deviations. Eventually, with the beginning of the translation movement and the cultural expansion and assimilation, conditions were created for the flourishing of historiography by historians from the subordinate regions, and the historical perspective of Muslim historians became more global and analytical. This culminated in a new generation of professional historians succeeding in producing distinguished works.
The Role of Institutions and Political Parties in Nuclear Enrichment During Ahmadinejad's Presidency Based on Systems Theory
This article examines the role of institutions and political parties in nuclear enrichment during Ahmadinejad's presidency, utilizing an analysis based on David Easton's systems theory. Iran's nuclear programs during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency were influenced by the complex interactions of various institutions and diverse processes. According to systems theory, these programs encountered inputs such as the support of political parties, the enactment of legislation in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament), and the formulation of security policies by the Supreme National Security Council and the Ministry of Defense. These institutions played a pivotal role in advancing nuclear technologies by providing financial and security resources. Key processes included the research and development of nuclear technologies by the Atomic Energy Organization and the protection of nuclear facilities by the Ministry of Defense, which led to an increase in uranium enrichment capacity and the fulfillment of domestic energy needs. The outputs of these programs contributed to strengthening national security and reducing dependency on foreign resources. Domestic and international feedback, through continuous performance evaluation and responses to global pressures, resulted in policy improvements and the adaptation of processes to new conditions. This feedback not only identified the strengths and weaknesses of the system but also contributed to the continuous improvement of nuclear programs and the enhancement of international interactions. Overall, the analysis of these processes and feedback highlights the importance of continuous interaction and adaptation in the success of nuclear programs.
واکاوی شاخصهای بینشی ارتش انقلابی در اندیشه قرآنی امام خامنهای (مدظله العالی)
تاکنون دربارهی علل تأثیرگذاری انقلاب اسلامی در جهان و عوامل نفوذ آن در جانها؛ پژوهشهای فراوانی از جانب دوستان و دشمنان با اهداف متفاوت انجامشده است. به نظر میآید یکی از اساسیترین عنصر برانگیزاننده پژوهشگران این است که انقلاب اسلامی با چشمانداز توحیدی افزون بر ایجاد تغییرات بنیادی و ساختاری در ایران، با راهبردهای مبتنی برآموزههای قرآنی موجب بیداری مسلمانان و آزادیخواهان و شکلگیری جریانهای در برخی از کشورها و فعالیتهای مؤثر آنان در سطح منطقه و جهان شده است. تحقیق حاضر که یکی از آن نوع پژوهشها است و با نگاه متفاوت و متمرکز بر کشف و استخراج شاخصهای دانشی و بینشی ارتش انقلابی در اندیشهی قرآنی امام خامنهای انجامشده و برای نیل به مطلوب با روش اسنادی از نوع توصیفی- تحلیلی سامانیافته است. یافتهها نشان میدهد جمهوری اسلامی بر اساس منظومهی فکری امامین انقلاب، در سیاستگذاریهای داخلی و خطمشیهای خارجی خود، همواره همهی نیروهای مؤثر در پیش برد اهداف و تحقق بخشی آرمانها و ازجمله نیروهای مسلح و ارتش را سفارش و ارشاد به لحاظ کردن شاخصها مبتنی بر آموزههای قرآنی کردهاند. نتایج نشان میدهد پایهایترین معیارهای ارتش انقلابی از منظر امام خامنهای بصیرت دینی، مسئولیتپذیری، دشمنشناسی، وقت و موقعیتشناسی است. و همچنین به دست آمد افزون بر آنها اهتمام به دانشهای تخصصی، بهرهگیری از تواناییهای فنی و حاکم سازی نظام آموزشی پژوهش محور از دیگر شاخصهای مورد اهتمام ویژه بوده و رهنمودهای امام خامنهای در خصوص هرکدام از بطن و متن کلام وحی استخراج و مستندسازی شده است. رهآوردهایی حاکی از آن است که راز ماندگاری و شکوفایی و استعلای روزافزون نظام متعالی اسلامی، در حوزه بینشی بایست به واکاوی گرفته شود و بر همین اساس به نظر میآید تفاوت جوهری ارتش انقلابی با سایر ارتشها درگرو فهم نظری و سپس التزام علمی به شاخصهای بهدستآمده است.
About the Journal
The Journal of Social-Political Studies of Iran's Culture and History is published to enhance the academic and specialized level of the community and to introduce the scientific and research activities and investigative articles of faculty members, researchers, and scholars.
Objectives: Efforts and collaboration to develop political and social research in the contemporary history of Iran; commitment to establishing research areas and political and social studies in the contemporary history of Iran; creating convergence between political sciences and social sciences as fields of humanities.
Scope: Publication of scientific articles on various political and social aspects of the lives of the people of Iran throughout its contemporary history, with an emphasis on the following areas: theoretical and methodological discussions in the field of political and social studies; social and political strata and classes; social and political beliefs; social policies and political communities; social and political institutions; comparative studies of political and social fields of Iran and other countries; livelihood and daily life; population and migration; natural disasters; diseases; health and medicine; rural and urbanization; customs and traditions; pastoral and nomadic life; and other specific areas of research in political and social studies.