Sociology
fatemeh Deralhshan; davood parchami
Abstract
Prostitution is a significant social issue present in all societies, characterized by various facets and influenced by numerous factors. Solutions often focus on addressing the root causes, which range from individual biological and psychological backgrounds to broader macroeconomic, social, cultural, ...
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Prostitution is a significant social issue present in all societies, characterized by various facets and influenced by numerous factors. Solutions often focus on addressing the root causes, which range from individual biological and psychological backgrounds to broader macroeconomic, social, cultural, and legal structures within society. This study employs a comparative method centered on capital-oriented social order theory, examining the experiences of several countries (specifically the Nordic model, South Africa, and India) that have successfully managed to mitigate this phenomenon. The proposed solutions aim to reduce the harms associated with prostitution by enhancing cultural, social, and economic capital through reforms in economic, legal, and social structures. The experiences of these selected countries indicate that many societies, particularly in the West, adopt a pathological view of prostitution. Consequently, governments, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and community members, are striving to control prostitution through legal and judicial policies while empowering vulnerable women across various psychological, cultural, social, and economic dimensions. A key focus is placed on reducing demand.
Sociology
Ardeshir Entezari; Fatemeh Derakhshan
Abstract
Cultural and artistic capacities are enhanced by utilizing the talents of vulnerable individuals, which strengthens their social skills and creates employment opportunities at both individual and community levels. Cultural and artistic empowerment programs have been successfully implemented in ...
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Cultural and artistic capacities are enhanced by utilizing the talents of vulnerable individuals, which strengthens their social skills and creates employment opportunities at both individual and community levels. Cultural and artistic empowerment programs have been successfully implemented in various vulnerable urban and rural areas worldwide, transforming these regions into well-known tourist destinations. This article employs a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing available data and information to examine two case studies: one international and one domestic. The international example is La Rambla street in Barcelona, Spain, where the talents of marginalized individuals are showcased through live art performances. This initiative not only empowers vulnerable groups but also establishes La Rambla as one of the most attractive tourist centers. In Iran, similar initiatives have been observed, such as the empowerment of local women on Hormoz Island, who create art using the island’s colored sands. Additionally, the Yamal startup event on Qeshm Island has leveraged the region's environmental and cultural resources, fostering social participation among the local population and generating employment, particularly for women. As a result, these efforts have transformed the area into a popular tourist destination.
Keywords: Economy of Culture, Cultural and Artistic Capacities, Social Damage, Deprivation, Empowerment, Tourism.
Introduction
Social damage and congestion, along with their increasing trends, have created a worrying situation in the country. These issues arise not only from the abnormal or deviant behavior of individuals and existing weaknesses but are also often rooted in macro and structural problems, as well as a lack of attention to societal capacities and strengths. This neglect can lead to deprivation and various forms of social harm.
One of the most effective ways to prevent and control these harms is to leverage social, cultural, and economic capacities. By transforming the costs associated with social injuries into opportunities, we can utilize culture and art as key tools. Art provides numerous avenues to prevent and alleviate harms, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized groups. Many developed countries are investing in this area, drawing from their reserves and cultural heritage to harness the potential of art in reducing social issues.
The occurrence of social harms is influenced by various social and individual contexts. By identifying and utilizing existing cultural and artistic capabilities, we can purposefully empower vulnerable groups, enhance their employment opportunities, and ultimately generate income at both micro and macro levels, thereby fostering the cultural economy.
Our country possesses rich civilizational, cultural, and artistic resources that can be mobilized to support disadvantaged individuals and mitigate social harms. This can also attract tourism and strengthen the cultural economy. This article will examine both foreign and domestic examples, highlighting the role of culture and art in preventing, addressing, and reducing social harms, particularly poverty, while promoting tourism attractions within the framework of cultural economic development.
Therefore, the central question of this study is: How can we transform the threat of deprivation and the portrayal of social issues, which often elicits pity, into a capacity for sustainable alleviation of deprivation and the removal of urban blight?
Methodology
In this study, we aim to utilize the experiences gained from cultural and artistic empowerment programs targeting marginalized communities in vulnerable areas. A descriptive-analytical approach has been employed, utilizing library research methods. Various programs and policies for the cultural and artistic empowerment of disadvantaged groups have been successfully implemented worldwide, particularly in vulnerable urban areas and underutilized regions, such as villages, transforming them into renowned tourist destinations. One notable example is La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain. This street has been developed to harness the talents of economically disadvantaged individuals through live artistic performances. This initiative not only fosters social participation and income generation but also enhances the street's appeal as a tourist attraction.
In Iran, however, there are limited examples, especially in rural and marginalized areas, that could serve as models for broader societal application. One such example is the empowerment of local women on Hormoz Island through sand painting. This initiative, which leverages the island's environmental and cultural resources, has successfully engaged and employed women, ultimately transforming the area into a tourist destination. The necessary data, information, and images related to this topic have been gathered through documents, policies, reports, relevant websites, and the experiences and observations of researchers in both Spain and Iran.
Results
La Rambla is a prominent street in the center of Barcelona. Originally, the La Rambla route was a stream that often ran dry and was polluted. Today, it stands as one of the busiest centers in Barcelona, especially during peak tourist season. The street's popularity among visitors has transformed it into a vibrant hub for entertainment and sightseeing. As the most famous street in Barcelona, La Rambla exemplifies the city’s success in creating public spaces that encourage social interaction and walking as part of daily life. This has led to the creation of various job opportunities, making La Rambla a significant tourist attraction.
La Rambla has served as a lifeline for countless individuals seeking to earn a living through their art. Recognized as one of the most iconic pedestrian streets in the world, it provides a unique platform for street artists. However, alongside its advantages, the street also faces challenges that the government and municipality are working to address through various initiatives.
In contrast, two similar examples in Iran—Hormoz and Qeshm Islands—demonstrate their cultural and tourism potential. Hormoz Island, located in the Persian Gulf just 8 km from Bandar Abbas, is renowned for its geological diversity and has been dubbed a "geological paradise." A key strength of Hormoz Island lies in its local capacity for tourism and the attraction of visitors, which has been highlighted by Dr. Ahmed Nadalian in recent years. Local women have been trained to paint with the island’s-colored soil and sand or to create patterns on handmade objects, fostering their participation and employment.
The establishment of a museum on Hormoz Island has further influenced the island's tourism trajectory, transforming it into not just a tourist destination but also a hub for environmental and social artists. Additionally, the "Yamal" public events series, focused on innovation in cultural heritage, tourism, and handicraft development in Qeshm, organized by the startup Mammoth, plays a vital role in promoting sustainable development through local community participation. This initiative aims to reduce deprivation and generate income, aligning with land use and development planning that respects the local community’s cultural worldview and metatextual indicators, particularly emphasizing "native knowledge."
Such a community-oriented approach, aimed at reviving, preserving, and codifying the local knowledge of historical settlements, can help protect the limited natural resources and biodiversity that are at risk, while also supporting the often-marginalized residents.
Conclusions
Social harms do not necessarily require a pathological perspective; often, they need attention to the capacities and strengths that can help planners and implementers create conditions for overcoming these challenges. Cultural and artistic capacities in any society, especially those with a rich heritage, can not only prevent harm but also transform existing issues into strengths and opportunities.
Art, through social action, plays a crucial role in reducing social damage and alleviating poverty by changing the attitudes and mindsets of marginalized groups toward their circumstances and empowering them. Empowerment of the underprivileged is a process that enables individuals to organize themselves, develop self-awareness, and advocate for their rights, allowing them to make independent choices and gain control over resources, ultimately helping to eliminate their disadvantaged status.
On one hand, artistic abilities are essential for socializing individuals and fostering effective communication within society. On the other hand, by utilizing the cultural and artistic potential of vulnerable populations, we can strengthen their social skills, empower them, create employment opportunities, and provide conditions for income generation at both individual and societal levels, leading to economic development
Ardeshir Entezari; Fatemeh Derakhshan
Abstract
According to the prevailing approach to development, the path of growth, at various micro and macro levels, is through production and focus on high value-added industries such as cultural industries.Planning and management in the process of production,distribution and consumption of cultural products ...
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According to the prevailing approach to development, the path of growth, at various micro and macro levels, is through production and focus on high value-added industries such as cultural industries.Planning and management in the process of production,distribution and consumption of cultural products is one of the most well-known and important tasks of governments in the world, which is considered as the main axis in the development of Economics of culture(DOEC).Government role-playing in EC needs characteristics to facilitate the development process. One of the most important of these indicators, which is based on the existence of institutional infrastructure, is the combined indicators of good governance(GG).The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between GG indicators and the DOEC of countries.Using the method of comparative-quantitative analysis among 20 developed and developed countries in EC and Iran, the DOEC and GG has been studied. The results show that Iran's DOEC and GG indicators are far from developed and developed countries and this indicates the underdevelopment of Iran's EC. Also, the results of correlation analysis and multiple regression show that there is a direct relationship between the index of GG and the DOEC of these countries with an acceptable intensity(R2 = 0.50).
Davood Parchami; Fatemeh Derakhshan
Abstract
Iran is facing a problem of underdevelopment with regards to the Economics of Culture (EC) and is far from developing, developed, and even similar countries in this regard. EC develops with maintained order on the components of the economic, cultural, social and political subsystems and their relations ...
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Iran is facing a problem of underdevelopment with regards to the Economics of Culture (EC) and is far from developing, developed, and even similar countries in this regard. EC develops with maintained order on the components of the economic, cultural, social and political subsystems and their relations with each other and as a result of quantitative and qualitative growth and diversity in the process of production, distribution and consumption of goods and cultural services. In the present article, development of EC and its relations with order in society have been studied through a comparative method between the top 10 advanced countries and the top 10 developed countries in EC and Iran. The results indicate that the more order in society, the more the increase of in said society. The correlation between order in society and the development of EC was r = 0.72, and 0.52 of the changes of EC is explained by order in society. In simultaneous explanation, changes of EC, and economic and cultural capital have the greatest potential for explanation. The Probability Interval Method showed that if Iran reaches a growth rate of 1.84 in economic capital, 4 in cultural capital, 1.6 in social capital and 1.64 in political capital, it will reach an EC in 2030 similar to that of advanced countries.
