Iranian Journal of Sociology

Abstract Elections, beyond selecting decision-makers and holders of political power, provide an arena for interactions among political actors. This study aims to identify the issues of contention and explain the pattern of interaction among political actors during Iran’s Ninth Presidential Election. Using a qualitative approach and content analysis of documents and newspapers, the study examines political positions and actions during the first three months of 2005. The findings show that disputes emerged at four levels: fundamental and ideological issues; power and institutional authority; institutional and functional issues; and social and cultural issues. Although competition for political power provided the main framework for electoral interactions, many disputes went beyond electoral competition and developed into political, discursive, and institutional confrontation. Accordingly, conflict was the dominant pattern of interaction. Disagreements over the goals and values of the political system and the boundaries and distribution of power were the main factors underlying this pattern.

Abstract According to theorists of "development ethics," the economy should be subordinate to cultural goals. Scholars of this school of thought believe that development should be undertaken in a way that does not destroy local and cultural structures. Given the social, economic, and environmental challenges, it is essential that the concept of development be explored from an ethical perspective. In this study, the dimensions of development ethics in the views of Ali Shariati and Amartya Sen have been analyzed. Shariati, focusing on human responsibility and emphasizing cultural identity, is critical of existing structures and emphasizes social justice in development. On the other hand, Sen, with the concept of capability and emphasizing empowerment, seeks to moralize economics in the context of human development. Although both thinkers emphasize human will and human capabilities, their different definitions of responsibility in guiding development are among the most important differences in their thought.

Abstract This applied research aims to explore the lived experiences of students regarding the social barriers marriage within the context of academic culture. Grounded in an interpretive paradigm, this study employed a qualitative approach using a phenomenological design. The target population consisted of postgraduate students at universities in Tehran. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling, utilizing a hybrid strategy of “ideal cases,” “snowball sampling,” and “maximum variation,” which continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The findings revealed five primary social barriers: (1) institutional discouragement of marriage and structural university limitations; (2) the transformation of student identity toward prioritizing academic achievement; (3) the evolution of social networks affecting mate selection; (4) the dominance of peer norms and negative social pressure against marriage; and (5) the discrepancy between the student lifestyle and the requirements of marital life. These categories were further elaborated through sub-themes and the participants’ personal narratives.

Abstract Fereydunkenar County, as one of the most important wetland habitats and migratory bird routes, has long faced widespread illegal hunting. The present study aimed to explain illegal bird hunting in this county based on the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory. The research method was a survey, and the data collection tool was a questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of individuals over 15 years of age in the urban areas of Fereydunkenar. Using Cochran’s formula and stratified sampling, a sample of 403 respondents was selected. The findings revealed that environmental values had a positive but weak effect on beliefs (β = 0.14), beliefs had a positive and moderate effect on personal norms (β = 0.32), and personal norms had a strong negative effect on illegal bird hunting (β = -0.50). The independent variables explained approximately 25% of the variance in illegal hunting.

Abstract Emerging technologies have transformed learning; yet educational research still treats technology as neutral and overlooks its profound consequences for well-being. This study aims to reconstruct the transformation of the concept of learning through a posthumanist lens and to draw out its implications for redefining educational welfare policies. Using an integrative systematic review (PRISMA 2020), the study analyzed 27 sources. The findings reveal three paradigmatic shifts: from an instrumental view to a networked view, and then to a data-driven–political view. Four major gaps were also identified: neglect of the political economy of educational technology, erasure of local cultures, weak analysis of intersectionalities, and a shortage of longitudinal studies. The article argues that learning in the cyborg era is an embodied, data-driven, and power-laden phenomenon, and that redefining it carries concrete implications for welfare: data justice, cognitive rights, the teacher as a critical mediator, and family and community participation.

Abstract Rites of passage consist of three stages: the beginning, the middle, and the end. These rites involve the roles of a mentor and spectators, and the inability to complete them leads to frustration and social stigma. There is no return to the previous stage in rites of passage. A similar situation can be observed in migration, where a specific decision marks the start of the rite of passage. Individuals go through hard stages like legal and regulatory preparations and soft stages like changing habits and lifestyles. Preparing for migration can be seen as a kind of rite of passage, where the mentors, rituals, and rules gradually become defined and recognized. Entering the rites of migration involves a suspension of life that can be brief or prolonged. Migration without any changes in lifestyle is rare