Surveying Iranian Authorities’ Approach Toward Cyberspace Based on the Three Dimensions of Power by Steven Lukes

Abstract

Cyberspace has had a significance effect on the relationship between governments and their citizens. Due to having different networks and its protest-like nature, the cyberspace challenges the power of governments, national governments and their sovereignty; thus governments try to have as much control as possible over the cyberspace in order to manage it toward their own benefits. Based on this, usage, partnership and policy making in the cyberspace is significantly affected by the approach and attitude of authorities in the society. The current research has used Steven Lukes’s model of three dimensions of power as its theoretical framework to explain the relationship between cyberspace and political power in Iran; and it has analyzed the Iranian authorities’ attitude and approach toward the cyberspace and it surveys that which of these approaches and attitudes are consistent with Steven Lukes’s model. Research findings indicate that most approaches have had a non-optimistic attitude toward the cyberspace and only one approach has had an optimistic attitude toward the cyberspace. Also in Lukes’s model, current approach of formal political power in Iran tends toward a two-dimensional approach and currently this policy is pursuing. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n3s1p62