Journal of Iranian Social Studies

Abstract The article is the result of a survey conducted on the role of interpersonal communication in political participation. It compares the effects of interpersonal communication and media on decisions of Tehran citizens in 10th parliamentary election of Iran. The study is based on Lazarsfeld's theory of two-step flow of communication which was completed by Robinson. According to Robinson, community is divided at least into three sections; leaders, followers and inactive people. The spread of information by the media can affect all sectors of society. An information and influence flow from leaders to followers. The study is a survey one with a sample of 840 individuals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire one week after 9th parliamentary election of Iran from residents of 22 districts of the Tehran city. The results show that "interpersonal communications" were stronger and more effective in comparison to the "mass media" in 2013 Iranian parliamentary election. According to the results of study political behavior of citizens could be categorized into five categories including passive, follower, leader, individualist, and dialectic based on their interpersonal communications. Furthermore, political participation, media consumption and sources of news and engagement of each group was investigated.

Abstract In resent decade, the publication of many scientific works has contributed to the constitution of the field of social studies of science in Iran. Presenting a clear and vivid image of scientific research is a significant starting point for policy-makers in Iran. This meta-analysis aims at demonstrating the accumulation of science in the field of sociology and social studies in the country. The study reveals some new ideas for managers and policy-makers of this field. The main research questions are how much science has been produced and accumulated in the field of social studies of science in the country; and what are the formal, methodological and content characteristics of this accumulation. To have a systematic review, the research has employed a qualitative/quantitative meta-analysis. In doing so, the written works of Iranian authors such as books, articles and theses in the last two decades, were studied, coded and analyzed. The results of the study show that social studies of science are lagged far behind the Iranian multiapproach sociology. They also reveal that most of the works are descriptive and done by the second generation of Iranian sociologists.

Abstract Social and political participation as essential feature of modernism is very important in modern societies. So participation (in all form of it including political, social, economic and cultural) is one of the main concepts of sociology and political science. The present study is a quantitative one which aims at examining the social factors affecting socio-political participation. The survey was conducted with a sample of 400 residents of Karaj in 2012. Data was collected through self-constructed questionnaire. The data were analyzed using multivariate liner regression, T. test, multiple regression and path analysis. Results of multiple regression analysis show that among independent variables the political satisfaction (beta = 0.33), the newspaper reading (beta = 0.25), the religiosity (beta = 0.19), and watching satellite (beta = 0.15), have significant effects on participation rate. Totally, independent variables of this study explain 0.41 of the variation of sociopolitical participation. In general, the results of study support the theoretical framework the study was based on.

Abstract Arrival of each new technology in to every community will have significant effects on the people's lives. One of the effects is due to the fact that technology facilitates the possibility of new actions. Internet as one of the new technologies of contemporary world due to its particular characteristics like anonymity in cyberspace, has led to formation of novel sexual behaviors that have affected the real world and caused unintended consequences. Therefore, because of the importance and novelty of this issue, the aim of the present study is meaning reconstruction of sexual action in cyberspace. Researchers look for understanding conscience) and attitudinal consequences (sexualized consideration of woman).

Abstract The subject of this article is the sociological analysis of trust in Political Parties. The problem relates to the lack of institutionalization of political parties in Iran. With the inspiration of Sztompka and Offe theories, the theoretical structure of this research is formulated as follows: efficiency under condition of normative coherence and transparency of the organization conduces to trust in political parties. Using the observational propositions, this argument has been investigated by critical judgments. For the empirical judgment about the theoretical propositions of hypotheses, the regression method has been used in this study. Statistical population for this research is doctorate (Ph.D.) students of Tarbiat Modares University studying in the central campus. Results of Experimental tests indicate that the relation between trust to the political parties and combination of independent variables is high (􀜴= 0.78), and the proportion of variance shared with dependent variable, which is explained by participation of independent variables is 60 percent (􀜴􀬶= 0.609). The weight of efficiency in explanation of the trust in political parties is more than other independent variables in analysis.

Abstract Various viewpoints have been proposed to explain the sexual security of women and to remove their sense of insecurity in public spaces. Among these views, some believe that covering the body can be a factor in reducing sexual harassment and unpleasant experiences of women and increasing the sense of security in public spaces. This view is in line with criminological viewpoints that put emphasis on the role of victims in their victimization. This paper studies the sense of sexual security of women in public spaces and the role of covering the body in regard to security, in order to examine the theory of victims self destructive . In doing so, the study was conducted based on survey method using questionnaires which were distributed among 300 students of Kharazmi University in 2012. The results show that although covering the body plays a role in reducing sexual harassment, it doesn't provide the feeling of security for women, and that this feeling is more related to the structure of sexual relations in the society.