Sociology
Ali Feizolahi; Somayeh sadat Shafiei; khalil kamarbeigi; Zahra Raiisi
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify the reasons and consequences of experiencing violence in the lives of battered women. The research is qualitative and based on the method of grounded theory. The target population of the research is the battered women who refer to the social ...
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The purpose of this study is to identify the reasons and consequences of experiencing violence in the lives of battered women. The research is qualitative and based on the method of grounded theory. The target population of the research is the battered women who refer to the social emergency of the Behzisti⸴s organization of Ilam city, and a sample of 24 of them has been selected using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then coding. Findings indicate the role of familial factors such as learned violence, problematic marriage practices; Social and Economical factors; and intervening factors such as mutual infidelity and deviancy have been two-way. Women's reactions are mainly actions containing passivity, and the usual perception of the role of a continuous victim for women is its consequence. The core category of "domestic violence against women is the product of the interaction of women's experience of economic deprivation and the social structure of men's idea of patriarchy" which is the result of family management in the context of maintaining the functions of patriarchal culture along with the structural transmission of violence in the cultural mechanism.Keywords: Domestic Violence, Patriarchal Culture, Aggrieved Woman, Ilam. IntroductionThe domestic violence against women has had a history in society in during of centuries. Thus domestic violence against women is one of the social issues that can be seen in all societies and numerous reports have confirmed this issue in Iran as well. in general, it has affected the institution of the family and the society. but it has been discussed mainly as a social issue in the last century. “Typically, social problems have been thought of as social situations that a large number of observers felt were inappropriate and needed remedying” (Eitzen, Zinn and Smith, 2012:9(.Some theories consider the subject of domestic violence to be problematic as a modern matter and consider it to be a problem arising from the perception and understanding of the society and important social groups of its problematic nature. The researches conducted in recent years about the different types of violence indicate that domestic violence against women is problematic. the main goal of this research is to understand the phenomenon of domestic violence from the perspective of women who have experienced violence. Therefore, the research questions revolve around the subject under which causal conditions and contexts have the subjects been victims of spousal violence? What strategies did they used to deal with these violent acts and what consequences did bring to them? Literature ReviewThe theories and theoretical concepts whose main core is to explain the matter of violence against women can be grouped into two main categories: some of them have emphasized the individual characteristics of perpetrators and victims of violence, and others have emphasized the structural characteristics of society. In this research, the following concepts have been selected to create theoretical sensitivity: resources and power imbalance; blaming the victim (Gracia & Tomás, 2014), learned violence (Jasinski,2001), the ideology of male dominance (Goode, 1971: quoted by Kim and Sung, 2000), feminist perspective (Renzetti, Edleson & Bergen, 2001), exchange theory (Turner, 2014), The Battered Woman Syndrome (Walker:1984), the concepts of forced control (Stark, 2007), resource imbalance, dependence and bargaining power (Kim and Gray, 2008) have been selected and have been considered in the analysis of research findings.MethodologyThe research is qualitative and based on the method of grounded theory. The target population of the research is the battered women who refer to the social emergency of the Behzisti⸴s organization of Ilam city, and a sample of 24 of them has been selected using the purposive sampling method. Acceptability criteria has been used for validation and being trustworthy was achieved through auditing method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then coding.ResultsFindings indicate the role of familial factors such as learned violence, problematic marriage practices, Lack of familial support; Social factors such as the patriarchal image, erosion of social capital; Economic factors such as coincidence of Livelihood hardships; and intervening factors such as Interference of others, mutual infidelity and deviancy have been two-way. Women's reactions are mainly actions containing passivity, and Victimization of children, scared life and usual perception of the role of a victim for women is its consequence.ConclusionThe result of the process of domestic violence against women can be analyzed under the title "Domestic violence against women is a product of the incompatibility of the institutional interaction caused by the experience of economic deprivation of women and the social structure of patriarchy in the victim-blaming society". The incompatibility of institutional interaction indicates the malfunctioning of the social institutions of the family, economy and cultural system in the target society of the study. In other words, when the patriarchal postulate mixes with the lived experience of women's economic deprivation and immingled with the cultural approach of blaming the victim society, it causes the situational violence against women to be ignored. In addition, it should be noted that such a phenomenon occurs in a society where tradition and modernity are continuously interacting with each other. Tradition and modernity are co-integrated in this society in such a way that they form an interwoven mosaic society that is experiencing the challenges of modernization and types of individualization. The permanence and stability of the idea of patriarchy in this society is rooted in the way that women in such a society link traditional expectations with modern life. In other words, this particular type of social and cultural structure as well as women's selective strategies against domestic violence, along with the destructive consequences of violence on women's lives, leads to continuation of the cultural foundations of accepting domestic violence against women.
Sociology
Farshad Jamali tanha; Ismail Aalizad; Mohammad Hossein Panahi
Abstract
Political systems always impose demands on their educational institutions in the form of transformational documents and reform instructions . In this regard, examining the experiences related to the executive development of governments, the impact of conflicts in the political structure of the ...
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Political systems always impose demands on their educational institutions in the form of transformational documents and reform instructions . In this regard, examining the experiences related to the executive development of governments, the impact of conflicts in the political structure of the society, understanding the relations between the government-society-educational system on the development achievements of some selected countries became problematic for this research. . This work is an epistemological thing to show the deficiencies in the educational systems that are not on the path of development and to explain the political obstacles to achieving this goal. The research approach is qualitative, its method is integrated (documentary and comparative). The analytical strategy includes documentary analysis and George Brady's comparative model. Four countries are investigated (South Korea, China, Türkiye and Egypt). The results show that in terms of attention to institutional requirements in executive development and the implementation of proposed reforms for the education system, the level of this is higher in South Korea's political system than others; China has also been able to achieve success of the education system with development by applying some powerful policies; this is relatively evident with the participation of foreign actors in Turkey., Egypt is fragile
Keywords: Developmental Education, Developmental Reforms, Institutional-Political Requirements of Developmental Reforms, Educational Justice.
Introduction
Political systems that include an organized society with a specific ideology and a specific form of government; they always demand demands in the form of transformative documents and reform instructions from their educational institutions. It is in the form of these documents that laws are established for developmental reforms; to determine the role, structure and content of educational systems in the path of overall development; These policy-oriented demands contain special goals for the development and transmission of culture, reproduction and preservation of the social system and political structure of society. But in this context, paying attention to the ability and level of executive power of governments is a research-oriented necessity.
Therefore, knowing and understanding the institutional-political requirements in some successful countries (South Korea) or those that have gone through a relatively favorable process in this field (China and Turkey) as well as countries that have not achieved much success (Egypt) in the order of the comparative study of this Research was done. The main indicators of the selection of these countries were, on the one hand, paying attention to the records of their efforts in the field of transformative policies or standardization of the consequences of educational policies at the national level; On the other hand, their applied reforms regarding policy making in educational systems have taken place after a period of political transformation. For this reason, according to the characteristic of the post-revolution political structure of 1357 in Iran, a kind of thematic convergence was seen in these countries despite the huge political, social, geographical and demographic differences with Iran, which convinced the researchers to prepare such a sample.
Research Question(s)
Now the central questions of this research are conceptualized as follows:
1- How has the change in the political-institutional situation of the elected governments in recent decades affected the type of revolutionary demands for their educational system?
2- In terms of the level of central development or anti-development, how can we compare the institutional-political situation of the government and the way of action of effective actors inside and outside the education system in the selected countries?
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual approach of this research shows that the realization of developmental reforms in a part of the society, especially in the educational system, will not happen in a vacuum. Rather, how to formulate and determine the content of the goals and ideals of these policies within a cycle of mutual relationships between different elements of society and its political, social and economic context, and the process of implementation and realization of the aforementioned goals will depend on understanding how these elements and concepts interact. Especially in the field of government and society. Therefore, in order to explain the differences in the policy making capacity and the implementation of transformative policies, we are forced to examine the structural contexts and institutional conditions affecting the desired implementation trends. Because the ineffectiveness of educational policies is the result of structural weakness, tensions and inconsistencies in the political system and its relationship with society.
Methodology
This research is a qualitative-descriptive study with analytical and interpretative aspects. The method of doing it is a combination of documentary research and comparative method. Because the main issues of the research are such that it requires multilateral investigations. In this way, the need to understand the components related to historical-political developments and the desired wishes of educational policy makers in the selected countries along with the recognition of their political-institutional requirements dictated that we first use the documentary research method to prepare the necessary qualitative and background information. Then, to explain the differences in the different levels of the institutional requirements of the government and society to realize development-oriented reforms in the selected countries, let's use the "Beradi" comparative method. The method of analyzing the collected data is the thematic technique based on analytical induction.
Results
The results of this research show that the field of education and the issue of development in it have complex relationships with other elements of society and the political system. Knowing the type of interests of effective actors inside and outside the education system, the way these social movements act is effective in understanding how control is distributed in the society and can clarify the path of development of the education institution. In the meantime, dynamizing the policy-making structure in overcoming the political and cultural dogmas of this field (the case of China, South Korea and Turkey), paying attention to the element of social participation (the case of South Korea, Turkey) and accordingly developing issue-oriented policy content along with the continuous convergence of demands Political elites and effective political currents reduce internal tensions and ultimately make the capacity and capability of the government suitable for cultural and executive development in the education system.
In this regard, political-cultural obstacles appear for this dimension of development that cannot be overcome. For example, the political structure of the party-government of the People's Republic of China by applying authoritarian policies to industrialize education; The element of educational justice and equality in quality, which is one of the main indicators of development approaches as human empowerment, has faced a serious challenge. The attention of cultural policymakers to the fields and effective actors of the society is another important factor in the process of shaping the development of the educational system. For example, the way of distribution of cultural elements (Islamic and Confucian) as two effective forces in the societies studied in this research has affected the way of control by the government institution in this field. Facilitation of the mentioned elements in Türkiye and South Korea is the cause of harmony, cohesion and movement in the development path. The strictness of the mentioned religion in China and Egypt has sometimes created many challenges for the realization of reform policies.
Conclusion
Finally, reflecting on the evidence of this research showed the clarity of the theoretical vision of this project. Discussions that lie in the concepts and content of the critical view of some theoretical insights, around the critique of the development paradigms. Their emphasis on the necessity of passing these foundations and paying attention to the ability and capacity of the government to realize reforms is considered essential. This means that in the scientific investigation of the obstacles to the realization of planned reforms, it is not possible to simply describe or build a conceptual model of the institutions located in the cultural center of the society, such as the developmental education system. Rather, it is necessary here to examine structural-content requirements and obstacles in three dimensions: 1- formation, legislation and planning; 2- implementation and 3- follow the evaluation of the codified programs. Because each of the mentioned stages can potentially turn into conflicts and conflicts at the level of society in the political, economic and social arenas; Make the way for the implementation of the approved policies of that government, especially in the public institutions of the society.
Sociology
Sediqeh Piri; Ahmad Ghiasvand; Mohammad Basirat
Abstract
One of the significant socio-political ruptures in Afghanistan occurred when the Taliban seized power for the second time. This development disrupted the country's political structure and social order, plunging society into chaos. Among the various social groups, military personnel experienced ...
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One of the significant socio-political ruptures in Afghanistan occurred when the Taliban seized power for the second time. This development disrupted the country's political structure and social order, plunging society into chaos. Among the various social groups, military personnel experienced particularly challenging conditions, as they found themselves facing those they had fought against for years, leaving them with no choice but to flee. This article aims to explore the narratives of this group's shifting social status and position. The research field includes 20 military individuals who fled to Iran following the collapse of the Afghan government. The study employs thematic analysis. Key theoretical concepts include stratification, status, status anxiety, habitus, and social trajectory. The overarching themes identified in the study are: the nightmare of retaliation; arduous and monotonous labor; the emergence of hysteresis habitus; longing for lost values; statelessness and the gradual demise of a soldier; feelings of helplessness and the loss of life's meaning; and displacement and social distress. Military personnel endure a wide range of psychological and emotional injuries that, while not fatal like war, are nonetheless traumatic. The profound collapse resulting from the erosion of their core values and status constitutes one such traumatic impact.
Keywords: Military Personnel, Afghanistan, War, Migrant, Status, Habitus, Iran.
Problem Statement
Afghanistan has experienced extensive political, social, and economic changes in recent decades. With the fall of the previous government and the takeover by the Taliban, fundamental changes occurred in social and political structures, pushing many social groups, particularly military personnel, to the margins. The military forces of the former government, who had fought for twenty years against the Taliban to secure the country, now face serious physical and social risks. These developments forced them to migrate. Upon entering Iran, they found themselves in a position lower than their previous social status. This research seeks to explore the status changes of these military migrants and examines how these transformations have impacted their lives.
Theoretical Framework
This study draws on Max Weber's theories of social stratification, the concept of social status, and Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus.
Research Methodology
This qualitative research uses thematic analysis. The study sample includes 20 military personnel who migrated to Iran after the fall of the Afghan government. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed in three stages: description, reduction, and interpretation.
Findings
The study identified seven key themes:
- Nightmare of Retaliation: Migrant military personnel suffer from threats to their lives and social standing from the Taliban. Many of them, even in Iran, do not feel secure and are fearful for their lives and their families.
- Hard and Monotonous Work: Former soldiers in Iran take on exhausting jobs such as construction labor, plastic recycling, and security work, which have no connection to their previous skills and status.
- Emergence of Incompatible Habitus: Losing their military jobs and entering new work environments with different expectations and values has created many inconsistencies for them.
- Longing for Lost Values: Participants consider the loss of social status and military ideals as the greatest blow to their lives.
- Statelessness and Gradual Death: The distance from their homeland and the lack of belonging to the new community has created a sense of identity loss and grief among the migrant military personnel.
- Feelings of Helplessness and Meaninglessness in Life: Former soldiers have lost hope and motivation to continue living due to unfavorable economic and social conditions.
- Displacement and Social Distress: Social pressures, negative labels, and feelings of rejection from the host community have exposed them to psychological and social challenges.
Conclusion
The political and social transformations in Afghanistan, especially after the fall of the previous government and the rise of the Taliban, have had profound and widespread effects on various social groups. These changes have specifically affected the military personnel of the former government, causing fundamental shifts in their social, economic, and psychological positions. Former soldiers, who once held high status in the previous Afghan government, lost their social status after the collapse of the government and were forced to migrate to Iran. In the host community, they are no longer seen as important or valued, and most of them engage in non-specialized and hard jobs such as construction labor, plastic recycling, or security work. This sudden change has led to an identity collapse and status anxiety.
According to Bourdieu's theory, the habitus formed during their military career has become ineffective in the new environment. Former soldiers, accustomed to order, authority, and respect, now face disorder, instability, and scarcity of resources in their new environment. This incompatibility between their expectations and the new reality has led to psychological, social, and emotional crises. For these military personnel, the concept of homeland is central and sacred, and losing it has brought a sense of statelessness and exile. This feeling, compounded by the distance from their families and concerns about the safety of their relatives from Taliban threats, has caused significant psychological distress.
Migrant military personnel, who once saw themselves as protectors of national values, now live without a homeland and without meaningful social identity. Former soldiers are facing a range of psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and a sense of meaninglessness. These issues stem from difficult economic conditions, loss of social status, and the feeling of rejection by the host community. Negative social labels, such as being considered a deserter or traitor, further exacerbate these psychological wounds.
Exhausting and difficult work, low wages, and job insecurity have placed heavy economic pressures on the military personnel. Taliban threats against former military personnel and their families, not only in Afghanistan but also in Iran, have kept them in a constant state of fear. These threats, especially for those who served in elite military units, have turned into a "nightmare of retaliation."
Overall, this research shows that Afghan military migrants have fallen victim to broad political and social transformations that have stripped them of their previous social status and position. While the host community also faces numerous challenges, the implementation of coordinated programs to support this vulnerable group can help alleviate the consequences of the migration crisis and provide a foundation for their gradual reintegration into a meaningful life.
Methodology of Social Sciences
Aboutorab Talebi; Amirhasan Rezagholigol
Abstract
The aim of this article is to understand the relationship between sacred space and religious experience, and to explore the constructive connection between the two by examining how religious experiences are shaped in four key religious fields in the city of Qom. The research question asks: ...
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The aim of this article is to understand the relationship between sacred space and religious experience, and to explore the constructive connection between the two by examining how religious experiences are shaped in four key religious fields in the city of Qom. The research question asks: What differences exist in the patterns of religious experience among participants in Qom's sacred spaces? How do individuals’ religious experiences differ in each of these fields? This article also investigates the mechanisms that generate specific religious experiences in these spaces, providing a contextual understanding of the issue. In this qualitative study, data were collected through 20semi-structured interviews and observations, and were analyzed and reported using thematic analysis. The results show that the religious experiences of participants are influenced by the uniqueness of sacred structures and spaces and are not uniformly shaped by religious space as a single religious environment. Moreover, these experiences are not solely derived from religious traditions and teachings. Instead, individuals form a significant part of their sacred understanding intersubjectively, shaped differently within sacred spaces that are part of the social fabric and everyday life. Therefore, there is no single, uniform template for religious experience across all sacred spaces. In each sacred space, unique interactions occur, leading to diverse and specific forms of religious experienceKeywords: Religious Experience, Sacred Space, Sacred Order, Social Structure of Religion, Sociology of Religion.IntroductionThe city of Qom is one of the main religious centers in Iran, housing numerous religious spaces and places. Each of these sites has its own specific forms of rituals, ceremonies, and sacred times. In this research, four of Qom's primary religious fields have been selected, and an effort is made to examine the relationship between individuals' religious experiences and each of these sacred fields, as well as the influence they have on one another. The study aims to show how the Objective and subjective manifestations within a sacred space shape individuals' perception and understanding of the sacred, and conversely, how their actions, values, goals, and insights contribute to the construction of the sacred space.Literature ReviewA review of previous studies reveals that the dimension of experience is a key aspect of religiosity. Moreover, paying attention to the concept of sacred place and space is a crucial point, where religious experience plays a significant role in this relationship. Regarding research on the city of Qom, we found that most studies assume a uniform and homogeneous form of religiosity, and no research has been conducted on the relationship between religious experience and the various sacred spaces in this city. The review of the literature highlights the need for a qualitative study, considering the diversity of religious experiences, with a focus on Qom's religious spaces.MethodologyIn this qualitative study, four main religious fields in the city of Qom were examined. Semi-structured interviews and observation were used as research tools. The interviewees consisted of twenty individuals over the age of twenty who had a deep and unique connection with each of these sites and, according to their own accounts, had specific religious experiences. The data collected through observation and interviews were then analyzed using thematic analysis. Thematic patterns were identified within the large volume of extracted data. Through summarizing extensive data and providing a detailed description of the gathered information, the relationship between religious experience and sacred spaces was demonstrated.DiscussionThe research findings reveal a diversity of religious experiences corresponding to the various sacred spaces in Qom. In the selected sites for this study, different forms of relationships exist between actors and sacred structures. For example, in the Shrine, a form of sanctity is observed that is closely tied to religious texts and Formal religiosity. In the Jamkaran Mosque, stories, actions, and myths with a religious theme have transformed into popular forms of practice, primarily embraced by non-clerical individuals and ordinary people. The general public, who often lack a deep understanding of religion, interpret and practice their faith according to their own preferences, needs, and understanding.In other locations, due to the interaction of various elements and the multifunctional nature of these spaces, the distinction between sacred and non-sacred is not as clearly visible. These spaces, while maintaining their sacred identity, also accommodate non-sacred elements.ConclusionIt appears that religious experience and sacred space have a reciprocal and highly impactful relationship with one another. On one hand, sacred spaces deepen individuals' spiritual experiences and enhance their faith. On the other hand, what transforms a religious site into a sacred space is the agency and actions of the individuals who, with their faith, emotions, beliefs, and perceptions, imbue a religious site with sanctity and create a divine atmosphere.In this study, by focusing on the four recognized sacred sites, we paid attention to the diversity of spaces and experiences. We found that each site has its own rules, rituals, elements, and actions. Some of these aspects result from the interaction and mutual influence between individuals, manifesting as external expressions of personal beliefs and interpretations. Others are shaped by obligatory structures and rules derived from religious tradition, within which individuals form their sacred understanding.Therefore, it can be said that there is not a single, uniform template for religious experience across all sacred spaces. In each sacred space, dynamic and unique interactions occur, leading to various and distinct forms of religious experience. From the perspective of religious experience, the sanctity of a space can be entirely personal and unique, meaning that one space may hold a particular form and level of sacredness for an individual or group, while other spaces may carry the same significance for others.
Sociology
Morteza Ganji; Mohsen Kermani Nasrabadi
Abstract
Social damages, have become a sovereign concern in recent decades; Therefore, policy makers have tried to think of measures to control and reduce these damages in the form of various policies and laws such as five-year development plans. This attention and effort has been done in a situation where ...
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Social damages, have become a sovereign concern in recent decades; Therefore, policy makers have tried to think of measures to control and reduce these damages in the form of various policies and laws such as five-year development plans. This attention and effort has been done in a situation where so far a very limited number of policy orders in these programs have been successfully implemented. One of the reasons for the failure of development programs is the lack of attention to the category of program evaluation. this article has been compiled while using the qualitative content analysis method with the aim of identifying the evaluation indicators of the judgments in the field of social damages in development programs. A review of the conceptual literature of policy evaluation shows that three types of evaluation can be distinguished; Pre-evaluation, process evaluation and post-evaluation. pre-evaluation can be focused on the process of formulating political rulings, the quality of the form of the rulings, and the quality of their content. According to the definition of social damages and the specific nature of society's involvement with it, it seems that among the three indicators of process, form and content, paying attention to process indicators is more important in the field of policy making in the field of social damages.Keywords: Social Damage, Program Evaluation, Pre-Evaluation, Development Programs, Social Situation.IntroductionConsidering the amount and severity of social damages in the last few decades has always been one of the concerns of policy makers and has been placed on the agenda as one of the priorities of development programs; Despite this attention and efforts, expert evaluations show that the success rate of development programs in controlling and reducing these damages has not been satisfactory. Experts consider one of the most important factors of this situation to be the lack of attention to the category of program evaluation and the lack of a clear and systematic mechanism to do it. Based on this, this article seeks to describe the category of pre-evaluation while identifying the types of programmatic evaluation.Research Question(s)What are the different types of evaluation of policy programs?What parts and elements does pre-evaluation of programs include?In the field of social damage, what kind of pre-evaluation is more important?Conceptual frameworkThe term evaluation, like many other concepts in the field of social sciences, faces a kind of conceptual confusion. This situation has been created in Latin literature due to the existence of words with the same meaning and equivalent in this field; And in the Persian language, due to the transfer of this conceptual ambiguity from the Latin language, on the one hand, and the use of different equivalent words for this concept in translation, on the other hand, it has become more complicated. For example, in this field, the concepts of evaluation, valuation, measurement and monitoring are also used, which are sometimes used jointly. Mikael Scriven, one of the pioneers of this field, defined 60 different terms, including measurement, judgment, assessment, analysis, evaluation, criticism, review, rating, inspection, judgment, rating, scoring, study and The test mentions in this context (Pourezat and Seyed Rezaei, 2018).MethodologyThis research is a type of basic research with a qualitative method, and the method of conducting it is a systematic literature review with a qualitative content analysis approach. One of the practical methods in the field of qualitative research is content analysis; Content analysis is a method based on which the linguistic features of a text can be known realistically and regularly. Content analysis means "applying a repeatable and valid method to obtain inferences from content in relation to situations or characteristics of its source". Qualitative content analysis is an experimental, methodical and controlled examination of contents using the rules of content analysis and the stages of its patterns without hasty quantification (Danesh Fard, 2016). For qualitative content analysis in this research, written and content sources in the field of policy making and law writing have been examined.ResultsEvaluation research can be divided into two parts based on whether it evaluates a program or its results. In the first type, the structure of the program and policy is examined; But in the second type of research, the results and effects are evaluated without paying attention to the structure of the program. For example, in the evaluation of a country's development plan, it is possible to focus only on the plan itself and its characteristics, such as the definition of development and whether the various aspects of development have been considered or not.But in evaluating the results of a program, the focus is not on the program itself, but the goal is to answer the question of whether the program has achieved its desired results or not (Haji Yousefi, 2021). Also, according to the criterion of the "stage of the policy-making process" on which the evaluation is based, it is possible to differentiate between three types of evaluation; which includes: post-evaluation, process evaluation and pre-evaluation (Ghorouneh et al., 2016). Pre-evaluation is an activity that starts at the beginning of the policy-making process, and post-policy evaluation is an activity that measures the realization of results during and after the implementation of the policy and deviations from the designed goals, actual time and additional costs. It identifies more than resources and other factors (Matti and Degaro, 2011). According to the investigations of this research, it can be said that the evaluation of plans and policies can be done in three situations:- Pre-evaluation: checking the status and quality of drafting plans and policies;- Evaluation of the process or during implementation: checking the status and quality of the policy implementation process;- Ex-post evaluation or evaluation of results: examining the success rate and various effects of programs and projects.ConclusionCompilation of the necessary indicators to evaluate the state of formulation and quality of policy rulings related to social damages requires paying attention to the definition of this concept and its components. Paying attention to the definition of social damage shows the collective and context-oriented aspect of this phenomenon; In other words, although the type and title of social damages occurred in different regions are similar to each other, each of these damages are still affected by the special conditions in the socio-cultural environment governing the said regions.According to the definition of social damage and the specific nature of society's involvement with it, it seems that among the three indicators of process, form and content; paying attention to process indicators is more important in the field of policy making. In this context, the argument is that policymaking is a cycle that cannot achieve significant success without considering the needs of the target community and considering their attitudes and tendencies; This issue is more important in the field of social damage, because if the policy maker puts an issue on the agenda that the society does not consider as a problem or damage, successful action in this field will not be possible. Also, putting social problems and damages on the agenda without attracting the participation and opinions of various elites and stakeholders will make it more difficult to control and reduce these damage and problems. Based on this, the process of identifying and determining priority issues and social damages and developing relevant programs and measures requires specific and clear indicators.
Social Planning
Maryam Zareian
Abstract
Urban management has serious challenges because of unsuitable conditions in informal settlements, including unconventional housing, limited infrastructure, high vulnerability to natural hazards, environmental and health issues, high population density, social problems, lack of life facilities ...
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Urban management has serious challenges because of unsuitable conditions in informal settlements, including unconventional housing, limited infrastructure, high vulnerability to natural hazards, environmental and health issues, high population density, social problems, lack of life facilities and services, informal employment and illegal possession of the land. Also, the deprivation of these areas from Public facilities makes them the focus of urban problems related to sustainable development. Evacuation and destruction of these areas is one of the common solutions facing city managers. This article examines the impact of forced evacuations and suggests alternative solutions with a documentary method. The results show that secure tenure and on-site upgrading,land Sharing and resettlement are eviction alternative. Surveys show that the solution of urban policy makers for urban poor communites in Iran has been in the form of resettlement and Secure tenure and on-site upgrading.
Keywords: Eviction, Destruction, Informal Settlements, Regeneration, Iran.
Introduction
In developing countries such as Iran, where natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes occur a lot, and also development of urban infrastructures is underway, the mandatory evacuation of residents of unorganized urban settlements is recommended by urban policy makers. But even in cases where forced evacuation has justified reasons and is in the interest of the public, it is still not carried out in accordance with international laws and is usually carried out without prior notice and without going through legal procedures. Forced evaluation of unorganized urban settlements that are the habitat of poor families leads to the increase of poverty and economic problems of the residents of these communities.
According to the Director General of the Sustainable Urban Regeneration Office of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, there are about 974 informal settlements in the country with a population of about 11 to 13 million people, which includes 20% of the country's population. And sometimes the demolition of these settlements by bulldozing is considered as one of the ways to deal with unorganized urban settlements. the question is, what are the consequences of the forced evacuation of these settlements and what are the alternative solutions?
Research Question(s)
what are the consequences of the forced evacuation of these settlements and what are the alternative solutions?
Literature Review
Studies show that the forced evacuation of residents of informal settlements has many social, economic and psychological consequences. These consequences include the following:
Social disruption: the destruction of social networks and the loss of social capital in these societies (Barenstein, 2015).
Conflict and tension: the possibility of conflict over limited resources as well as cultural differences between the new residents and the natives of the new area (Terminki, 2013: 101).
Inequality: Unequal distribution of resources and services among different social and economic groups, which negatively affects women and vulnerable groups in particular
(Dickinson, 2013;Quarantelli, 1985).
Changing of lifestyle: changing the family structure, loss of livelihood resources and creating psychological problems such as stress and depression (Terminki, 2013: 101).
Decreasing social prestige: decreasing of the power and influence of local leaders and increase instability in the management structure.
Legal and economic problems: loss of land ownership, reduced access to vital resources, and increased poverty and homelessness (Terminki, 2013: 101).
Studies show that these consequences are especially severe for women, the elderly, the disabled and other vulnerable groups.
However, studies show that the negative consequences of forced evictions can be alleviated by adopting collaborative approaches and providing infrastructure services. The experience of some cities such as Surabaya and Karachi shows that informal settlements can be improved with the participation of residents and instead of evacuation turned into sustainable neighborhoods.
Methodology
This study is an applied research and its investigation method is a combination of documentary, descriptive and analytical research methods.
Results
Solution: The Iranian government to deal with the challenge of informal settlements, has implemented an urban regeneration plan with a dual approach.
A few cases of actions in informal settlements:
-Sanandaj
Actions: Construction of a school, cultural center, educational workshop complex, park Reconstruction and handicraft production/supply complex
-Bandar abbas
Actions: improving urban infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage, lighting), improving urban services (health, education, cultural), empowering local management and residents
-Ahvaz
Target neighborhoods: manba ab neighborhood
Actions: Resettlement of 811 households in a safer place and construction of 1680 residential units.
In many of these projects, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the active participation of residents in decision-making and project implementation.
Conclusion
Informal settlements suffer from various problems including:
Unsuitable living conditions, illegal occupation of land and non-compliance with construction regulations
The traditional solution to deal with these settlements is forced evacuation, but it has many consequences.
There are alternative ways to deal with these communities: including secure housing and neighborhood improvement and resettlement. But the important thing is to attract the participation and cooperation of the residents in the implementation of the solutions, and the decision-making and implementation of the plans should be done with the active participation of the residents. Their social needs should also be taken into consideration.
studies show that in the measures taken in Iran regarding urban settlements, the general approach has been to focus on physical improvement and providing infrastructure services.
Acknowledgments
The initial version of this article was presented at the National Conference on the Social Situation of Iran, hosted by Allameh Tabataba'i University and supported by the Ministry of Interior's Social Affairs Organization in Murch 2022. The author would like to express their gratitude to the organizers and supporters of the conference for providing the opportunity to present this article and subsequently revise and expand it to its current form.
