Saideh Saidi
Abstract
The main research question is the critical analysis of the policy-making of Iran towards Afghan nationals. This research is multidimensional and has been conducted in a qualitative paradigm. The data and information collection method has been a combination of documentary sources, interviews with experts, ...
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The main research question is the critical analysis of the policy-making of Iran towards Afghan nationals. This research is multidimensional and has been conducted in a qualitative paradigm. The data and information collection method has been a combination of documentary sources, interviews with experts, holding expert panels, expert meetings and obtaining the views of relevant agencies and institutions. Despite facing extensive international sanctions, Iran has been hosting one of the largest migrant populations in the world for nearly five decades. The first step in policy-making is to explain the problem. The long-term presence of Afghan nationals in Iran has overshadowed various aspects of society and has caused numerous challenges and opportunities in the political, cultural, social, security and economic spheres, and it seems that the lack of coherent and forward-looking policymaking in this area can create serious risks.This study, while explaining the various aspects of the migration of Afghan nationals to Iran, presents a 7-stage conceptual model of migration governance as the foundation of policymaking in this area, which includes the pre-migration stage, transit, border management, entry and identification, integration, expulsion and reintegration.
Sociology
Seyedmostafa Hoseini; Amir Akbari Ghamsari
Abstract
Meritocracy, as a fundamental principle for the equitable distribution of opportunities and resources, faces complex challenges in Iran, rooted in structural inequalities, power structures, and socio-cultural dynamics. Utilizing qualitative thematic meta-analysis, this study examines the findings of ...
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Meritocracy, as a fundamental principle for the equitable distribution of opportunities and resources, faces complex challenges in Iran, rooted in structural inequalities, power structures, and socio-cultural dynamics. Utilizing qualitative thematic meta-analysis, this study examines the findings of 30 domestic articles (2001-2025) to analyze meritocracy through three structural themes: (1) Structural Inequalities, (2) Power Structures, and (3) Socio-Cultural Dynamics. The methodology involved open, axial, and selective coding of both facilitating factors and obstructive barriers, organized at a structural level. Within these 30 articles, 93 macro-level facilitating factors and 103 obstructive barriers were identified.The findings reveal that structural inequalities operate unilaterally and negatively, restricting equal access. Power structures are dualistic in nature, yet obstructive barriers within them are predominant, undermining transparency. Similarly, socio-cultural dynamics exhibit duality, but relationship-centric tendencies are dominant, diminishing the motivation for individual effort. The interaction of barriers across these three themes—particularly those of economic inequality, power concentration, and favoritism (parit-bazi)—creates a negative feedback loop. This loop severely constrains meritocracy and impedes the realization of social justice.
Cultural Studies
Mina Hasani; Ehsan Aqababaee; Ali Ghanbari Barzian
Abstract
This article examines how cultural change is represented in Iranian cinema during the 2010s, employing narrative analysis, semiotic inquiry, and Ronald Inglehart’s conceptual framework of value change to investigate these transformations in their narrative, visual, and action‑based dimensions. ...
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This article examines how cultural change is represented in Iranian cinema during the 2010s, employing narrative analysis, semiotic inquiry, and Ronald Inglehart’s conceptual framework of value change to investigate these transformations in their narrative, visual, and action‑based dimensions. The films were selected through purposive sampling, focusing on successful and widely viewed works of the decade. The findings suggest that the cinema of this period constructs a multilayered portrayal of a “partial value transition,” a condition in which weakened social capital, economic instability, and institutional distrust hinder the consolidation of emerging values and place social actors in an ambiguous, in‑between position. Within the narratives, characters are frequently depicted in states of urgency and reactivity, lacking effective agency, while resolutions tend to arise not from collective will but from coincidence, attrition, or external intervention. At the cinematic level, the analysis of narrative structure reveals that the contemporary Iranian protagonist has shifted from the figure of an active reformer to a more vulnerable, cautious agent seeking only minimal sense of safety and dignity. The study concludes that new Iranian cinema not only reflects a crisis of values but also serves as a cultural record of an incomplete, transitional stage of value change .
Sociology
Arash Heydari; Benyamin Hoseini Bojd
Abstract
This research examines the socio-economic transformations of the 1390s in Iran and the emergence of the new "nouveau riche" class. This decade, characterized by unstable growth, chronic inflation, and a rentier economy under sanctions, led to the deepening of class divides and the intensification of ...
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This research examines the socio-economic transformations of the 1390s in Iran and the emergence of the new "nouveau riche" class. This decade, characterized by unstable growth, chronic inflation, and a rentier economy under sanctions, led to the deepening of class divides and the intensification of inequalities. Analysis of official data shows that wealth has become concentrated in the hands of a minority, primarily through non-productive activities, rent-seeking, and speculation; this concentration has occurred even against a backdrop of zero or negative economic growth.The cultural consequence of this class's emergence is a sweeping value transformation. Conspicuous consumption and ostentation, as the primary path to self-esteem, have become the dominant and hegemonic content of the social atmosphere, profoundly impacting public culture and structures of desire.This article utilizes official secondary data and theoretical frameworks to first describe the economic emergence of this class and then critically analyze its cultural and value-based consequences. Findings indicate the cultural determinants of this emergence include: the disdain for productive labor and the legitimization of speculation; the transformation of status criteria; the normalization of corruption; the commodification of culture and ethics; and the erosion of social capital and trust.
Sociology
Ali Yousofi; Ruhollah Eslami
Abstract
Over the past four decades, Iranian society has repeatedly experienced political, economic, and social shocks and crises. Although these crises have at times activated social capital and generated short-term solidarity, weak institutional trust and the absence of structural reforms have prevented the ...
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Over the past four decades, Iranian society has repeatedly experienced political, economic, and social shocks and crises. Although these crises have at times activated social capital and generated short-term solidarity, weak institutional trust and the absence of structural reforms have prevented the consolidation of sustainable social cohesion.The findings indicate that the cycle of social cohesion and resilience in Iran is inherently unstable and intermittent.During periods such as the Reconstruction and Reform eras, infrastructure development policies, the expansion of higher education, relative improvements in social welfare, and the strengthening of the middle class contributed to higher levels of trust, participation, and social optimism, thereby fostering greater cohesion.By contrast, the suspension of reforms, the dominance of ideological approaches over national interests, political centralization and the neglect of social demands in subsequent years have led to the depletion of social capital, declining national belonging, the spread of administrative corruption, and the deepening of social cleavages.This instability stems from a centralized and non-reflexive policy making structure, the predominance of short-term security-oriented perspectives, and the lack of structural justice. Accordingly, rebuilding social cohesion requires a transition toward learning-oriented and participatory governance, alongside strengthened institutional trust, transparency, social justice, and the adoption of rational, Iran-centered policies.
Social Work
Mohammad Khademi Kolehlou; Fatemeh Jalali; Yasaman Mobinrahni; Hediye Movahedi
Abstract
This study aims to identify the dimensions and issues concerning vulnerable children in Iran. The research is applied in nature and conducted qualitatively in two phases. In the first phase, using a systematic review approach and meta-synthesis method, 56 articles were selected and analyzed. In the second ...
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This study aims to identify the dimensions and issues concerning vulnerable children in Iran. The research is applied in nature and conducted qualitatively in two phases. In the first phase, using a systematic review approach and meta-synthesis method, 56 articles were selected and analyzed. In the second phase, interviews were conducted with informants at three levels: policy-makers at the headquarters, experts, families, and the vulnerable children themselves. Data analysis was performed using thematic analysis with the aid of MAXQDA software. To ensure the reliability of the interviews, the inter-rater agreement index (Kappa) was used. Ultimately, based on the findings from the meta-synthesis and the results of the interviews, the dimensions and components of the issues of vulnerable children were coded and categorized. The findings indicate four main dimensions, 21 components, and 93 sub-components in this domain. The dimensions are as follows: Vulnerability Contexts (including unfavorable national economic conditions, increasing migration rates), Individual Issues (including physical health, lack of knowledge, skills, and capabilities, mental and psychological issues)
