Political Science
Mehdi Azizi; Ali Abedi Renani; Ali Ismaili Ardakani
Abstract
Virtual social networks have a very important and decisive role in today's human life. According to the technical conditions and the possibility of action that they create for their audience, these media create opportunities and threats for their users at the same time. In Iran, the filtering policy ...
Read More
Virtual social networks have a very important and decisive role in today's human life. According to the technical conditions and the possibility of action that they create for their audience, these media create opportunities and threats for their users at the same time. In Iran, the filtering policy has always been seriously criticized. in this applied research, considering the importance of the role of ethics in policy-making, which can make policy-making less expensive while being easily accepted by the people, we have investigated the ethical justification of filtering in social networks. The data collection method of this research is a combination of library and field methods
According to the findings of this research, the absolute majority of the respondents did not consider the filtering policy to be ethical. According to the audience, filtering is in conflict with ethical standards in the following areas: Lack of justification and persuasion of people, violation of individual rights and human dignity, damage to people's interests, ineffectiveness and impracticality, context of violation and corruption, injustice in access to cyberspace facilities, unfairness and weakening of honesty and transparency. Finally, practical suggestions were presented to reduce the consequences of filtering.
Political Science
Fatemeh Taherkhani
Abstract
IntroductionEvery significant social revolution, in addition to the diverse array of physical and objective events and actions (e.g., marches, armed conflicts, exile, and slogans), also encompasses intellectual dimensions. Not an exception in this regard, the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran originated ...
Read More
IntroductionEvery significant social revolution, in addition to the diverse array of physical and objective events and actions (e.g., marches, armed conflicts, exile, and slogans), also encompasses intellectual dimensions. Not an exception in this regard, the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran originated from the longstanding philosophical, historical, and civilizational tradition of Islamic Iran, particularly the Shia political thought. This philosophical tradition served as the foundation for the production of various political texts and speeches, each with distinct functions but sharing the common goal of overthrowing the oppressive regime. As a notable form of political discourse and speech during the Revolution, the disclosing discourse would critically examine the status quo in the most explicit manner possible, challenging the legitimacy of the ruling power. The present study aimed to explore the relations and characteristics of the texts belonging to different periods and harboring the disclosing discourse. It also intended to see when and by whom similar texts and speeches had been produced throughout history. The research also sought to examine the political relations and power dynamics they represented as well as the actions they celebrated and foregrounded, or condemned and marginalized.Materials and MethodsTo identify common philosophical and theological roots of the disclosing discourse, the present study used Ruth Wodak’s Discourse–Historical Approach (DHA) which inclusively analyzes the contextual similarities among texts of a specific discourse. DHA offers an in-depth analysis of the inner context of a text, employing conceptual tools for examining a text at the levels of word, sentence, and the whole structure. DHA focuses on identifying discursive strategies, as well as implicit and explicit implications of the text. Wodak’s critical and meta-descriptive approach empowers researchers to delve into the concealed and underlying layers of a text, potentially revealing the intertextual relations between various texts. Moreover, Wodak’s historical perspective and her emphasis on historicism can help overcome the shortcomings of the post-structuralistic analysis caused by overlooking historical background and context. DHA takes into account the relationship between the text and the political conditions of its production, ultimately providing a predictive description of the situation, the actors involved, and the factors behind specific actions.Results and DiscussionThe research aimed to uncover the shared philosophical and theological features among the texts produced in different periods that harbored the disclosing discourse. According to the research results, the shared features include:Applying various delegitimization methods by the speakerAdopting a holistic approach, avoiding foregrounding a specific social cast, and showcasing the diversity of regime dissidentsPrioritizing rational arguments over emotionalism and mythicismCreating a historical vision and depicting the struggle between right and wrongMaking political identification and setting limits or othering foreign powersExtending the struggle from the political field to the social spherePresenting a bright prospectUndermining the image of the regime’s bureaucratic and military structureExplaining the physical and symbolic violence perpetrated by the regimeThe words associated with the disclosing discourse would convey a definite truth, not a constructed political mentality nor a merely political conflict over power. This discourse could serve as a manifestation of the prevailing truth within the political field, representing all dissatisfied individuals across various sections of society. In the contemporary history of Iran, the same truth had partially surfaced through expressions of liberty, anti-despotism, independence, and anti-colonialism. However, it was during the Islamic Revolution that the same truth came to the forefront in its entirety.ConclusionIt seems that the disclosing discourse occurs in times of erosion of political stability; when there is disequilibrium and disorder within the political milieu, primarily resulting from the collapse of one order and the failure to establish another. The identity constructed through the disclosing discourse is interdiscursive, absorbing elements from different discourses and reconfiguring them internally. Historical discourses such as independence, freedom, justice, anti-colonialism, and anti-despotism are integral to the disclosing discourse. This kind of discourse accentuates its broad acceptability and social base to socialize the constructed identity. Additionally, it does not differentiate or discriminate its diverse and pluralistic followers, urging all to unite against prevailing power structures.
Political Science
Ali TadayyonRad; Sara Najafpour
Abstract
Introduction Having a clear understanding of the features, elements, and components of storytelling from a political perspective can enhance its effectiveness in conveying complex concepts in the field of political science. Additionally, it can provide an invaluable tool for analyzing and evaluating ...
Read More
Introduction Having a clear understanding of the features, elements, and components of storytelling from a political perspective can enhance its effectiveness in conveying complex concepts in the field of political science. Additionally, it can provide an invaluable tool for analyzing and evaluating ideas presented in a narrative format. This research aimed to examine the status and concept of storytelling, along with its key functions and elements, in the political sphere as presented in the works of Hannah Arendt. The study tried to answer the following research questions: What is the status, function, and concept of storytelling in Arendt’s ideas, and what are its essential elements and components? To answer the questions, the research conducted a descriptive–analytical examination of Arendt’s works and ideas.Literature ReviewNumerous studies have explored the relationship between storytelling and politics from various perspectives, with a significant number dedicated to political analysis of different stories and narratives. However, few studies have focused on the status, function, and components of storytelling in politics from a political perspective. Despite the valuable research already conducted in this area, a review of the literature reveals that further investigation is needed to understand the unique patterns and methods for analyzing and interpreting political stories and understanding the status of stories in politics, their components, and the relationship between storytelling and politics. This research represents a small step towards filling this gap in the literature.MethodologyFollowing a qualitative approach, the present research adopted a phenomenological method developed by Hannah Arendt. Considered as a model to understand politics, Arendt’s phenomenological perspective emphasizes the (im)possibility of understanding unprecedented and unique events and occurrences; the critique of essentialism, scientism, and historicism; and the circular, practical, situated, and universal nature of phenomena (Tadayyon-Rad et al., 2015).This method diverges from the behavioral, positivist, and scientific paradigms employed in humanities and social sciences, which aim to explain phenomena by identifying their causes, motives, and rules. Instead, the phenomenological framework for understanding political experiences and phenomena entails two dimensions: a critical, disruptive, and eliminative dimension that involves deconstructing prejudices and metaphysical fallacies, and an affirmative and constructive dimension that involves the inclusion of various methods. The rejection of metaphysical fallacies and reductionist and deterministic methods of modern science is due to their disregard for the reality of human existence and life on earth by highlighting theories of parallel universe, solipsism, etc. Concerning the positive and affirmative dimension of the model, specific methods for understanding the world and politics are employed, including storytelling, imagination of the researcher as a situated and neutral observer, differentiation, the use of paradoxes and their analysis to gain understanding, and the use of taste and imagination in comprehension.Within this framework, this article first examined Hannah Arendt’s criticisms of modern models and methods of understanding and expression. This helps to know what should not be there in gaining a clearer understanding of the story as a viable alternative that should be there. The concept of action, as a fundamental concept in Arendt’s intellectual system, was introduced and discussed. Then the study proceeded to analyze storytelling and its components and functions in Arendt’s ideas by examining her important and relevant works.ConclusionThere is a mutual relationship between the story and politics. Politicians and political actors often use stories to justify their actions, persuade their followers or audiences, and steer trends and actors in a desired direction through compelling narratives. Stories also help to explain causal relationships, foster greater understanding among people, and play a significant role in building collective identity and shaping collective memory among humans. For Arendt, the relationship between fiction and politics has specific components and functions that are closely tied to the foundations of her political philosophy, including the concept of action. Arendt viewed action as intersubjective, creative, initiatory, global, linguistic, and conversational, which involves public presence, initiative, dialogue, speech, reasoning, persuasion, determination in the path of ideals, and protest against the wrong. According to Arendt, stories have the capacity to express, manifest, and convey all the possibilities of action, and as such, they possess unique functions and components.This study demonstrated that stories—compared to any analysis, philosophy, or history—offer a richer platform for the expression, emergence, depiction, and comprehension of actions, events, and political and social phenomena. Stories reveal the unique identities and characteristics of heroes, actors, and phenomena without reducing them to a linear chain of causal relationships or integrating theories. They offer a narrative of the intersubjective world and human plurality, while also serving as a means of achieving immortality. As stated by Arendt, courage and the mark of heroism belong to the speech and activism of the protagonist.
Political Science
Bahram Akhavan Kazemi; Hosein Mohseni
Abstract
Pandemics are among the most important events affecting various economic, social, cultural, and political aspects, hence an acid test of functioning of states. Considered as a kind of intervention in social relations, the epidemic disease, owing to its characteristics, targets the logic of established ...
Read More
Pandemics are among the most important events affecting various economic, social, cultural, and political aspects, hence an acid test of functioning of states. Considered as a kind of intervention in social relations, the epidemic disease, owing to its characteristics, targets the logic of established relationships and can potentially have an epoch-making capability. This internal characteristic renders the epidemic disease completely political. In this respect, the present research tries to answer the key question of what negative and positive effects pandemics exert on politics. The research is based on the hypothesis that pandemics have both negative and positive dimensions. The negative aspects include several issues imposed on societies, such as the increased instability, civil war, insecurity, increased power of the state and statism, rebellion, etc. Meanwhile, pandemics have positive aspects, such as the social and political cohesion, peace and cooperation between nation-states, growth of cyberspace activities and more pressure on the state, cessation of some wars, and growth of political and freedom-seeking movements—which are generally overlooked under the shadow of great challenges.There is ample literature, both in English and in Persian, on epidemic diseases and the global coronavirus disease. In her book The Impact of Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases on Political Stability, Menzel (2018) argues that the spread of Ebola, tuberculosis, and influenza caused unrest in some countries. Examining about 120 countries during an eighteen-year-long period, she observes that the three diseases were significantly correlated with the level of political stability in the affected countries in a particular year. Moreover, the research on the US policies in prevention of AIDS in African countries observed that the HIV pandemic caused international instability and insecurity, especially in African countries, so HIV has become a priority for the US foreign policy. Despite the research attempts, it seems that the topic has not been dealt with in a focused manner. In this respect, the present article intends to examine each of these pandemics in a historical context in order to shed light on their impact on politics and the political. The present study is thus necessary given its innovative subject.Focused on a novel research topic, the present study pursues the following objectives: the scientific explanation and analysis of the political effects of pandemics (esp. COVID–19), the analysis of the impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on the nature and performance of states, and the explanation of the effects of the COVID–19 pandemic on transparency, elections, and in general, on democratic processes in different countries.Imposed on societies throughout history, crises such as pandemics are generally considered as a manifestation of the political. For example, due to the outbreak of plague, merchants closed their shops and fled to the outskirts, which left workers and artisans without a livelihood. The closure of stores caused unemployment, leading to conflict over resources and the ensuing insecurity and chaos. In addition, the pandemic was one of the apparent reasons underlying the population decline, the death of elders, and the death of political and intellectual elite, which gave rise to the urban and rural chaos, insecurity and disorder in social relations, and the political chaos. Cholera is another pandemic affecting political life throughout history. The cholera pandemic not only caused a decline in population and state power as well as an increase in protests in countries such as India, but also disturb the power of empires and the sense of security of Western powers and put their vulnerability at risk. It also created tensions over whether global communications would remain open or closed. The Spanish flu, which occurred during World War I, killed a large number of people, resulted in chaos in different parts of the world, and changed the war plans and peace negotiations. Concerning HIV, the children losing their parents due to the disease are more likely to be recruited to terrorist groups. Furthermore, individuals with HIV, especially women, are excluded from society and politics.Despite their challenges, pandemics can have positive effects, albeit minimal, on politics. For instance, the plague pandemic caused a revolution of the elite and intellectuals and could stop the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. The influenza pandemic brought a sense of urgency to improve public health, leading to advances in medical science, public health planning, and international cooperation among states. Due to the cholera pandemic, the world states start international cooperation with each other, thus initiating the efforts to conclude international health agreements. HIV has also been an opportunity to correct fundamental injustices and mobilize positive political movements concerning issues such as women’s, children’s, and homosexuals’ rights.Regarding the negative effects COVID–19, the pandemic challenged and questioned many political issues. For example, it challenged participation in elections and voting as an obvious form of political activity. Moreover, the outbreak of COVID–19 led to a decline in the process of consensus building in most countries, with the executive branch taking and implementing decisions. The pandemic was also used as a pretext for limiting media activities. More importantly, the outbreak of COVID–19 led to an unprecedented increase in injustice and discrimination around the world. Meanwhile, the pandemic created good opportunities, such as generating new forms of civil mobilization, providing the means for human convergence, and reducing defense costs at the national and global levels.In general, although pandemics fundamentally challenge human life in various fields and particularly in politics, they intentionally or unintentionally open up a few opportunities for politics and politicians. Likewise, the COVID–19 pandemic brought about sweeping changes, created positive trends, and could revive many faded or forgotten areas in the political arena—the aspect which used to be hidden in the heavy shadow of the killing and harm caused by the virus.
