Iranian Journal of Sociology

Abstract The incongruity between different dimensions of social status has specific consequences at both individual and structural levels. At the individual level, one of these consequences is the effect it has on political attitudes and behaviors. For several studies so far conducted, there is a lack of sufficient consensus, although most of these studies usually emphasize some type of dissatisfaction among the inconsistent people. Our basic hypothesis is that the status inconsistency, defined as the discrepancy between one’s ranks with respect to education, income and occupational prestige, brings about certain political attitudes (opposition to the status quo, authoritarianism and  being revolutionary) through engendering injustice feeling in the individual. Indeed, the effect of status inconsistency on political attitudes is moderated by variables such as religiosity, fatalism, age, powerlessness, politically opinionated and dependence on the ruling power. The population consists of all 23 or older persons from the urban regions of Hamedan in 2010. The sample size is 604. The results show that status inconsistency is not prevalent in the population, and it does not affect political attitudes. Nonetheless, when the types of inconsistencies were taken into account, certain significant effects were detected.  

Abstract Considering the fast penetration of mobile phone and its multidimensional influences on different aspects of social life, this article is dealing with the possible relation between mobile use pattern and mutual conjugal trust. Taking advantage of Geser’s theory about mobile phone’s impacts on family relations and Sztompka’s theory about “social trust”, we explored some questions and several hypotheses which were examined in Dec. 2012 among 384 married residents of Shiraz. Research sample was selected by Cochran sampling formula and through cluster sampling method. Some of the main findings of the research are: There is no significant relation between “kind” or “probation” of mobile phone use and “conjugal Trust”. There is significant relation between “mobile phone use rate” and conjugal trust. There is There is significant relation between “space of the mobile use” and conjugal trust. The most impact of mobile phone use is seen on “mutual conjugal honesty” as one of three components of conjugal trust.

Abstract Viewing the effects of globalization on democracy  is  an important aspect of human life and one of the topics of interest to political scientists . Is globalization leading to the development and strengthening of democracy or vice versa? The main question of this paper is: How is the impact of globalization on the process of democratization and democratic movements in contemporary Iran? In this study democracy in contemporary Iran as an example, we will consider to understand the impact of globalization on democracy. Our hypothesis is that: The evidence suggests positive effects of globalization, along with other factors in the democratization process, of strengthening democratic and contemporary movements. To this end, after considering the definition of globalization, its dimensions, parameters, routes, and most importantly its impact on democracy, with an emphasis on recent democratic movements in Iran, was reviewed and analyzed. The research analytical method is causal explanation.

Abstract The purpose of present study is to investigate individual/society dualism in Durkheim’s works. Such problematic was introduced by Durkheim in the Division of Labour. ThePresent paper tries to show that Durkheim moved beyond this dualism in his later works. By focusing on moral individualism, at first he rejects essentialism in Spencer, Comte, utilitarian economists and psychologism. Secondly, he develops a conception of individualism which is meaningful in the context of society, not being opposite to it. In this way according to Durkheim, society is a moral existence and individualism is not based on arbitrary or economic ego, but on social morality. At last, for Durkheim, the main social force for extending moral individualism in modern society is education.

Abstract Poor female-headed households are one of the most vulnerable groups of society. These women, in addition to the traditional roles of women in the family, have responsibility about the role of head of household that includes two key elements: "Livelihoods Security" and "Administration and Management" of the household. This study is aimed to identify and assess sociological factors affecting the empowerment of female-headed households. It has been taken into consideration the above two elements. In this regard it conducted a survey study on 824 women who were working in entrepreneurship and training centers affiliated to Tehran Municipality. Data have been analyzed using multivariate statistical techniques such as correlation analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis and ordinal regression analysis. Research findings indicate a strong influence on the dependent variable via economic empowerment. The negative effect for “age” and the positive effect for “administrative period” on the dependent variable are significant. Also, divorced women had a higher empowerment level than other women.

Abstract This article  aims to explain the evolution of the discourse of Majma Rohaniyoon Mobarez (MRM) of Iran, as one of the influential political view-points on the Islamic Republic of Iran. The article, firstly and  briefly discusses the evolution of MRM’s discourse through the two decades of 1989-2010, under the four governments of Warera, i.e. the advocators of  Reconstruction, Reformation and Fundamentalism. Then, the paper focuses on the effects of structural factors of  their siscourse  evolution.   For the analysis of the discourse, the conceptual framework of Laclau & Mouffe and the critical discourse analysis of Norman Fairclough are used. The findings reveal that the nodal points of MRM’s discourse has evolved from Islam (ideological-revolutionary interpretation of Islam) to people (people orientation and democratic interpretation of Islam), from ideological and revolutionary values to realistic, pragmatic ones, from justice to liberty and from state-run economy to market economy. The findings of the research indicate that the formation of MRM’s discourse is affected by the post- revolutionary processes: disintegration of the unity of the revolutionary forces, and transformation of the ideological sphere. For the explanation of the evolution of the discourse, two types of structural factors have been considered: The first type includes factors such as population growth, urbanization and economic changes. The second type includes factors such as increase in literacy, changes in the political, intellectual, and media fields, and the domination of democratic wave in the world. 

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