Study Overseas: Ethnography about Ambivalence among Iranian Students in Germany
Ahmad
Naderi
Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Tehran, Iran
author
Reza
Bayat
PhD Candidate of Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Germany
author
text
article
2016
per
In this study, immigrant students’ lives in Germany have been investigated and the aim was to understand the subjective meanings of agents with respect to the questions of the study. We can say that a student who moves to another country to continue his education, finds himself in a new culture, (the general culture of country of destination as well as its academic culture.) he experiences the trends of changes starting from the time he decided to leave his own country and lead to his final act of returning or staying in country of destination forever. These changes happen in the lives of students through different phases that it can be said each experience in student’s life is a phase for him to change and every change, stimulates a feeling in him. Therefore, in this study, unlike other studies on this field, research efforts to investigate lived experience of participants. To achieve this goal, observation, participant observation, in-depth interviews and group interviews were used and eventually it became clear that the final act of the participants in this study was associated with a sense of ambivalence. Thus “Ambivalence” was driven to write ethnography. This feeling, regardless of their act, is always with them and its strength depends on the duration of inhabitancy and the success of their coordination with the host society and it reminds some notions in post-colonial theory which are called being on threshold, being in the middle and third space and being linked. During this study, we try to survey paths, each students traverse to study in Germany to answer why this feeling exists.
Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research
2008-1847
9
v.
2
no.
2016
1
28
http://www.jicr.ir/article_305_1d957377e6977742747b543f5180ae0a.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22035/ijcr.2016.305
Factors Affecting Academic Dishonesty in the Space of Social Science Education (A Case Study of Public Universities in Tehran)
Masoumeh
Qarakhani
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
author
S. Ayatollah
Mirzaie
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Social Studies, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
author
text
article
2016
per
Academic Dishonesty is one of the important issues in the higher education system of Iran, and reducing or preventing it requires identifying the factors which have an impact on it. The present study has analyzed the perceptions and understandings of PhD students in social science fields, who have a wider experience of scientific socialization in the process of education, with the aim of identifying the factors influencing academic dishonesty in the space of social science in Iran. The findings of this research show that the factors influencing academic dishonesty in the space of social science education can be detected at two individual and structural levels. At the structural level, sources and rules, and at the individual level, academic dishonesty among three groups of actors in educational space, i.e. professors, students and managers (heads of departments and faculties), with reference to their individual and personality characteristics, have paved the way for academic dishonesty, or have resulted in its occurrence. In the framework of a combination of actor/structure in explaining social phenomena, the factors influencing academic dishonesty and non-conformity to the norms of the ethics of science in the educational space can be reduced neither to the role of the structure nor that of the actor. Dishonesty in the ethics of science in social science education and the factors affecting them can be explained in the light of a combination of structure and actor.
Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research
2008-1847
9
v.
2
no.
2016
29
48
http://www.jicr.ir/article_306_f3fde2a236f978ba2e2128ae1c067f21.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22035/ijcr.2016.306
The Quality of College Life from Viewpoint of Native and Non-Native Students of Tehran’s Public Universities
Reza
Mahdi
Assistant Professor, Department of Futures Studies, Institute for Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
author
text
article
2016
per
The quality of college life means the overall satisfaction of students from the college life as a whole which is affected by different aspects of life based on the theory of generalization. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of college life among local and non-local students from non-state universities in Tehran. This study is developmental with respect to the aim and uses survey method for data gathering. The statistical population of the study are undergraduate students and 500 samples are chosen from the universities in the target population randomly and data are gathered using the questionnaire designed by the researcher the validity of the questionnaire has been verified based on the views of 5 experts and using some similar tested questionnaires as a model. The reliability has been estimated using Alpha Cronbach’s index by pre-test of 15 samples about 0.86. To data analyze SPSS software and statistical tests are used. The quality of the college life of students has been evaluated significantly lower than average and the quality of college life of non-local students is significantly higher than the quality of college life of local students. The low quality of college life shows that higher education policies on quality and national resources productivity have had low effectiveness. Dissatisfaction of students, as the key stakeholder of higher education system, from quality of college life could be a starting point to stray away from the higher education missions and philosophies. It is necessary that academic managers and leaders make serious decisions to promote the quality of college life. The higher education without the quality of college life, will be defeating the purpose.
Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research
2008-1847
9
v.
2
no.
2016
49
73
http://www.jicr.ir/article_307_fb3dbc0872a1af894d736ced733ff97b.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22035/ijcr.2016.307
The Quality of College Life from Viewpoint of Native and Non-Native Students of Tehran’s Public Universities
Omid
Shokri
Assistant Professor, Shahid Behehti University, Tehran, Iran
author
Reza
Reza Kormi Nouri
Associate Professor, Orbro University, Sweden
author
Mohammad Naghi
Farahani
Professor, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
author
Alireza
Moradi
Professor, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
author
text
article
2016
per
The quality of college life means the overall satisfaction of students from the college life as a whole which is affected by different aspects of life based on the theory of generalization. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of college life among local and non-local students from non-state universities in Tehran. This study is developmental with respect to the aim and uses survey method for data gathering. The statistical population of the study are undergraduate students and 500 samples are chosen from the universities in the target population randomly and data are gathered using the questionnaire designed by the researcher the validity of the questionnaire has been verified based on the views of 5 experts and using some similar tested questionnaires as a model. The reliability has been estimated using Alpha Cronbach’s index by pre-test of 15 samples about 0.86. To data analyze SPSS software and statistical tests are used. The quality of the college life of students has been evaluated significantly lower than average and the quality of college life of non-local students is significantly higher than the quality of college life of local students. The low quality of college life shows that higher education policies on quality and national resources productivity have had low effectiveness. Dissatisfaction of students, as the key stakeholder of higher education system, from quality of college life could be a starting point to stray away from the higher education missions and philosophies. It is necessary that academic managers and leaders make serious decisions to promote the quality of college life. The higher education without the quality of college life, will be defeating the purpose.
Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research
2008-1847
9
v.
2
no.
2016
75
100
http://www.jicr.ir/article_308_3904519733e7c46fb0d9582c0e020920.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22035/ijcr.2016.308
Emerging Motivations of Women’s Identity Transformations in Higher Education Participants
Mehri
TayebiNia
PhD Candidate Cultural Sociology, Department of Sociology, Dehaghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dahaghan, Iran
author
Jabbar
Rahmani
Assistant Professor, Institute for Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
author
text
article
2016
per
Concurrent with modern transformations and modernity experiences, we are faced with various transitions in different aspects of life. Transitions that women with different gender roles experience within the society, which in turn leads to changes in their mental meanings and social roles. Changes in women’s motivations and desires which leads them to reflect on their identity and social and individual transitions in order to achieve their goals and look for new directions in line with their identity ideals. This article examines the function and motivational experience of women from their own perspective and individual mentality logic based on a grounded theory. Through conducting interviews with women who concurrently play the role of mother, wife, employee and student, the study presents an identity typology of women with an emphasis on their motivational processes for entering higher education. The results show that factors like experiencing modernity and changes in valuation systems surrounding women, women’s entrance into labor market, expansion of educational platforms and symbolic social capitals together with social and individual motivations in women’s everyday life has led to a new kind of motivation within them and through such process and in order to reduce tensions coming from their lack of achievements, women have chosen the employment and study strategy in order to reach their goals and in this study the emphasis is on the study strategy. The current analysis has reached four abstract categories in terms of the emerging motivations of women under study. It includes: 1. choosing study as a tool to compete and combat, 2. study as an ambiguous plan, 3. study and employment as self-achievements and 4. study and employment as a path toward improvement and financial independence.
Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research
2008-1847
9
v.
2
no.
2016
101
129
http://www.jicr.ir/article_309_982c7c216222daf110d67a8a58eeeef1.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22035/ijcr.2016.309
Classification of Iranian Elites Confrontation with the Western Civilization
Gholamreza
KhajeSarvi
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, AllamehTabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
author
Reza
Samim
Assistant Professor, Institute for Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
author
Reza
Kavand
PhD Candidate of Cultural Policy-making, Institute for Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
author
text
article
2016
per
This article tries to formulate the diverse forms of Iranian confrontation with the Western civilization by focusing on the modernity as the most important aspect of this civilization. For this purpose, the article is focused primarily on the concept of modernism as the most important effect of Western civilization at least in terms of representation in Iranian society; then, the whole confrontation of Iranian society with Western civilization is classified under three topic of West fascination, West selection and West aversion using interpretive method. The first two cases of these three types, contain subsets that are marked as distinct and defined, and for each type and their sub-sets, a set of intellectual representatives and citation samples are provided. The article, suggests resulted classification as a basis for understanding mental interaction of Iranian society with what is referred as the totality of Western civilization, in the field of intercultural studies and international politics.
Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research
2008-1847
9
v.
2
no.
2016
131
158
http://www.jicr.ir/article_310_b0d342f1006f5f0f97c8b991e2185d3c.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22035/ijcr.2016.310
The Challenge of the Quality of PhD Thesis in Iran
(based on the Concept of Value Chain)
Firouzeh
Asghari
Faculty Member of Institute of Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
author
Mohammad Ali
Nemati
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Psychology and Education, AllamehTabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
author
text
article
2016
per
One of the most important objectives of academic research is to meet the scientific needs of society. The important factor that contributes to the establishment of trust and values with in order to provide stakeholders with academic research and its results is the scientific quality of research. PhD thesis, carried out by students and requiring a lot of time and money, constitute a considerable percentage of the research conducted at universities. The present study aims to identify the challenges of “the quality of PhD thesis” in Iran from the viewpoint of professors and students, as two major components in doing research in doctoral programs. This is a phenomenological research study, and the data collected through interviews with professors and students in doctoral programs is analyzed on the concept of “value chain”. The findings of the study indicate that the challenge of the quality of PhD thesis involves a multiple, multilayered interconnection of elements (students, professors, managers and policy-makers), organizational structure, procedures, rules and other environmental actors. In addition, a powerful and fast-moving current has developed between these layers, which is both affecting them and affected by them. There are instances of un-academic behaviors that have marred the scientific identity of universities and turned into a major challenge to the quality of doctoral thesis in Iran.
Journal of Iranian Cultural Research
Iranian Institute for Social & Cultural Research
2008-1847
9
v.
2
no.
2016
159
191
http://www.jicr.ir/article_311_9c0f372ca8a306be3d243c637133ceb3.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22035/ijcr.2016.311