Iranian Society Research Articles

The Personal and the Political: Azar Nafisi’s Memoir as a Feminist Lens into Iranian Society

This paper highlights the points that Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books brings out the social and political life of people in Iran. It is a memoir by Azar Nafisi that explores the intersection of literature, personal freedom, and the oppressive political climate in Iran. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a poignant memoir that takes readers on a journey into the heart of post-revolutionary Iran, where Azar Nafisi, a literature professor, forms a secret reading group with her female students. Against the backdrop of a repressive regime, Nafisi uses the works of Western literary classics, particularly Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, to examine the complexities of personal and intellectual freedom. Through the lens of literature, Nafisi explores the lives of her students and delves into the power of literature to challenge societal norms. The narrative weaves together the personal struggles of the women in the group with a broader commentary on the impact of political upheaval on individual lives. Nafisi's courageous exploration of the transformative power of literature serves as a testament to the enduring human spirit and the pursuit of intellectual freedom in the face of adversity.

Cost Estimating of Providing Desired Food Basket for the Iranian Society and Its Situation in the Last 3 Years

Background: Food security has always been emphasized as a primary goal of sustainable development policies. Events, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, climate change, wars, and unjust (cruel) sanctions against countries threaten global food security. Therefore, considering the importance of nutrition and food consumption in budget planning and household shopping, we indirectly examined the cost of providing an optimal food basket for the Iranian community, in total and by separating its components based on the average price of selected food items in urban areas from year 1399-1401 in the Solar Hijri calendar (2020 to 2022). Methods: In this cross-sectional costing study, the country’s desired food basket was used as a reference for cost measurement of an acceptable food basket, and information on food prices and household expenses was obtained from the Statistical Center of Iran and the Central Bank. The cost of providing an optimal food basket for the Iranian community, in total and for each component, was calculated for an individual and a family of four. After extracting the cost information of providing an optimal food basket in these three years, the data were compared and analyzed to study the trend. Results: Based on the costs of providing an optimal household basket, the average food cost for a family of four in 1399 (2020- 2021) was about 3.2 million Tomans, which increased by 27% to 4.365 million Tomans in 1400 (2021-2022), and in 1401 (October 2022), it reached 6.785 million Tomans, a 35% increase compared to 1400 (2021-2022). Conclusion: It is suggested to support vulnerable groups and target subsidies according to different income levels. The salaries and wages should be revised in line with inflation food prices and household expenses, and also policymakers and planners are suggested to monitor the prices.

The consequences of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran: A qualitative study from the perspective of key informants

BackgroundCOVID-19 has posed various challenges to Iranian society and affected all aspects of Iranians' lives, which requires examination. Given that no research has been conducted in this area so far, this research was conducted with the aim of explaining the consequences of the spread of COVID-19 in Iran from the perspective of key informants with a qualitative approach. MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted with a conventional content analysis approach among 45 key informants with various specialties throughout Iran. Participants were selected through purposeful and snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured in-person and online interviews. Data analysis was done by the Graneheim and Lundman method, and Guba and Lincoln criteria were followed for the trustworthiness of the research. Results400 codes, 24 subcategories, and 5 categories were obtained from the data analysis. The categories include lifestyle changes, environmental changes, health and medical changes, social changes, and educational and work changes. ConclusionThe results have shown that COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life in Iran and has had consequences such as changes in lifestyle, environmental changes, changes in health and medical practices, social and cultural changes, and educational and occupational transformations. Therefore, intervention to reduce the negative consequences of COVID-19 requires intervention at individual, family, social, cultural, and environmental levels, as well as the cooperation of specialists in various fields and disciplines.

Examining the psychometric characteristics of the metacognition questionnaire in teaching: a cross-sectional study.

The role of metacognition as a common concept in education is undeniable. One of the challenges in the field of metacognition is to measure the impact of metacognition in teaching with practical tools. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the psychometric characteristics of the metacognition questionnaire in teaching. In this cross-sectional study, the statistical population of the study included all teachers in 2020 which was selected by an available sampling method of 137 people. The data were collected using a teacher's metacognition questionnaire (TMI). A Confirmatory, Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the data. For this purpose, the use of SPSS-25 and LISREL software has been used. of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicate that. The validity and retest of the total score were calculated to be 0.93 and 0.86, respectively. The credibility of its subscales was also acceptable. As a result, it can be stated that the questionnaire has the proper psychometric properties for use in Iranian society and can be used as a valid tool for identifying teachers with teaching problems and teaching methods.

Community opera: A short introduction and a case study in Italy

Around the beginning of the 2000s, among various responses to the crisis in traditional opera, a few Western theatres and festivals started to propose community operas based on the involvement of professional and amateur performers as co-creators. This article traces the idea back to the pre-Second World War United States and its more general use from the 1950s onwards, although it carried with it the negative connotation of being the naive output of amateur singers and musicians. The term reappeared in the United Kingdom in a series of works put on between 1990 and 2005, especially by the composer Jonathan Dove at Glyndebourne and in other British regions. All of these were presented as ‘community opera’. Among other ventures similar to the ‘new’ community opera in the British style, La Monnaie theatre in Brussels became the first European important opera house to start a program of community operas as a staple part of its season. The first one, Orfeo and Majnun (2018), defined as ‘a participative opera’, assembled myths from both Western and Persian cultures and whose music combined Western and Middle-Eastern elements. Immediately after, the first Italian community opera, Silent City, was produced in 2019 in the then European Capital of Culture Matera, establishing a new model of opera centred on social inclusion and involving people with disabilities. This article is aimed at defining the origins of community opera and at exploring similar phenomena around the globe.

Toplumsal Cinsiyet Dinamiklerinin Açığa Çıkarılması: İran Sineması Üzerine Eleştirel Bir Analiz

The main purpose of this research is to examine the portrayal of gender in Iranian cinema and the subsequent effects on today ‘society, gender dynamics, and individual identity as a result of those impacts. The historical foundation of Iranian cinema, the key films in the industry, and the impact that political and cultural forces have played are all extensively discussed throughout study. Moreover, the paper delves into the portrayal of men and women in Iranian cinema, as well as the impact of the media on the formation of cultural standards and gender identities. It also analyzes the loosening of traditional gender standards, while calling attention to the predominance of destructive female characters in contemporary Iranian cinema and emphasizing the significance of sensitive male characters in that cinema. Furthermore, the study looks at how family connections are shown in Iranian films across time, as well as the delicate interplay of distinct sex, gender, and cultural features.
 As a result, women in Iranian cinema take on more prominent roles, but gender equality remains a challenge, and women continue to create meaningful films that resonate with audiences. The representation of masculinity in Iranian cinema is complex and varied, reflecting changing social and cultural norms in Iranian society. It is portrayed as heroic and honorable in some films, but violent and aggressive in others. This sparks a discussion about cinema’s role in shaping social norms and values, as well as the need for more diverse and nuanced portrayals of masculinity.

Psychometric evaluation of the endometriosis impact questionnaire (EIQ) in an Iranian population

BackgroundEndometriosis is a benign and chronic gynecological estrogen-dependent disease. Considering the prevalence and the importance of measuring the long-term effects of endometriosis in affected women’s lives t the EIQ scale was designed and psychometrically analyzed in English in Australia, in three recall periods (last 12 months, 1 to 5 years ago and more than 5 years ago). It has never been used in Iran and its validity and reliability have not been assessed either. Therefore, the present study aimed to translate and investigate the psychometric properties of the EIQ.MethodsIn this study, 200 women were selected through random sampling in 2022. After forward and backward translation, the face validity, content validity, and construct validity of EIQ (through Corrected Item-Total Correlation) were examined. To assess the reliability of the scale, both internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test-retest stability methods were employed.ResultsImpact Score with a score above 1.5 was approved. CVI and CVR values of the EIQ tool were 0.97 and 0.94, respectively. The Item to total Correlation confirmed the construct validity of all seven dimensions of the tool, more than the cut-off (0.3) except lifestyle. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Intra Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were acceptable for all dimensions.ConclusionThe Persian version of EIQ is a valid and reliable scale. This tool is valid and reliable for investigating the long-term impact of endometriosis in Iranian society.

The influence of Pesian language on the Basrah Accent in the present and past

منذ القَدمِ تأثرتِ اللغة العربية والأدب العربي باللغة والثقافةِ الإيرانية، واستَمر هذا التأثر فِي العصور ولاسيّما في العصر العباسي، وظهر جلياً فِي النصوص التاريخية والعلمية والأدبية، ومن مظاهر هذا التأثير في الثقافة البصرية. والألفاظ المعرَّبة كثيرة تلفت الانتباه. موضوع هذا البحث هو التقصي وكشف معدل الألفاظ الفارسية المستعملة والأكثر تأثيراً في هذه المدينة العريقة والمجاورة، لمدينة خرمشهر الإيرانية، ومعرفة أنواع هذه الألفاظ، وذلك بالاستعانة بالمنهج الفنيّ اللغويّ والإحصائيّ، ومراجعة تلك النصوص، واستخراج الألفاظ الفارسية منها. إنًّ أكثر هذه الألفاظ الفارسية المستعملة بسيطة بعيدة عن التعقيد اللفظيّ کما إنّ أكثرها تقرئ بألفاظ مرکبة

Explaining the experience of breastfeeding in women with gestational diabetes and designing and implementing an educational program based on planned behavior theory: a combined exploratory study protocol.

Gestational diabetes is a type of carbohydrate intolerance that is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy. Researches have shown that gestational diabetes is associated with many negative prenatal and birth outcomes. Because of the complications such as infant death, several diabetics' mothers plan to stop breastfeeding. Research findings indicate a decrease in breastfeeding in mothers with gestational diabetes/ or contradictory tissues regarding the factors affecting the breastfeeding behavior of mothers with gestational diabetes and a special program to promote breastfeeding for these mothers based on the social and cultural conditions of Iranian society. The present study aims to design an interventional program with a mixed qualitative study based on the theory of planned behavior (PBT) to prevent the decrease of breastfeeding in diabetic mothers. A mixed methods exploratory design will be used to conduct this study in 3 phases. The first phase (qualitative): The purpose of the first phase is to understand the experience of breastfeeding mothers who had gestational diabetes, which will be done using the directed content analysis method. The purposive sampling will be used on pregnant mothers with gestational diabetes 30-34weeks and mothers with infants (up to 6months) with a history of gestational diabetes. The second phase include designing and implementing an educational program based on the PBT: Education will be conducted based on the needs assessment of the qualitative phase, the opinions of the focus group, and the literature review, then the breastfeeding behavior will be measured using the survey tool of "breastfeeding drop". The third phase: Interventional quantitative phase: The sample size will be carried out by a pilot study, then a designed program as an educational intervention for teaching breastfeeding behavior based on the PBT for 30-34weeks pregnant mothers with gestational diabetes will be implemented during 3-4 sessions and breastfeeding behavior will be evaluated after delivery. This is the first mixed-method study in Iran that led to implement an interventional program based on the theory of planned behavior. Because of the complications such as infant death, several diabetics' mothers plan to stop breastfeeding. We hope that the result of this research will be a step in solving breastfeeding problems in mothers with gestational diabetes.

The 15-year national trends of urinary cancers incidence among Iranian men and women; 2005–2020

BackgroundUrinary tract cancers including bladder, kidney, ureter, and pelvis are a common malignancy worldwide with high mortality ratio. Aimed to investigate the prevalence of these cancers, we conducted this study.MethodsIn this study, all the information related to ICD10 codes, gender, age and province of residence of individuals were obtained from the data of Iran’s cancer registry by the Ministry of Health, Medicine and Medical Education and demographic evidence for each sub-country from the reports of Statistics Center of Iran (SCI). Also, the data of two Iranian national survey studies CASPIAN-III, IV, and V (information related to the care and prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in childhood and adolescence) and STEPs (including information on NCD in adults over 18 years old) were used. The data was analyzed using Poisson regression with mixed effects to estimate the incidence of cancers.ResultsBladder and kidney neoplasm are the most common cancers of the urinary system in Iran. The prevalence of bladder cancer has increased from 5.82 to 11.50 per 100,000 individuals. The increasing trend is growing faster in men compared with women. The incidence of kidney neoplasm has increased over the years (2.03 in 2005 vs. 7.02 in 2020 per 100,000). Having a higher incidence ratio compared with bladder cancer, kidney cancer is responsible for 35.06% of all urinary cancers in 2020 compared with 23.71% in 2005. Both neoplasms of the ureter and renal pelvis were recorded rarely and with lower incidence in both sexes during this period.ConclusionConsidering the increasing trend in the incidence of urinary neoplasms in Iran during these years, the advantage of focusing on the risk of urinary cancers is highlighted. Therefore, investigating the prevalence and incidence of urinary cancers to plan and manage these cancers will result in prevention and reduction of the disease burden on the Iranian society. Future studies in this field can help in the prevention and well-timed diagnosis of these cancers.

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of different intensities of functional training in elderly type 2 diabetes patients with cognitive impairment: a pilot randomised controlled trial

BackgroundAging and type-2 diabetes (T2D) are the most important risk factors for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Exercise training is an effective, safe, and practical intervention in improving glucose metabolism, physical function, and cognitive disorders. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of high-intensity low-volume (HIFT) vs. low-intensity high-volume (LIFT) functional training in elderly T2D patients with cognitive impairment.MethodsForty-eight elderly T2D patients (31 female, 17 male, age 67.5 ± 5.8 years, MMSE score 18.8 ± 2.6, FBG 209.5 ± 37.9) were randomly assigned to HIFT, LIFT and control groups. Cognitive impairment was diagnosed with MMSE ≤ 23 based Iranian society. The SDMT, CVLT-II, BVMT-R, and Stroop tests were used to evaluated processing speed, learning, memory and attention respectively. Physical fitness tests include: tandem stance and walk test; TUG; 6MWT, 10MWT; SSST; 5TSTS; and hand grip was used to evaluated static and dynamic balance, agility, walking endurance, gait speed, lower limb function and lower and upper body strength respectively. As well as, Biochemical (FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c) and physiological outcomes (SBP, and DBP) were assessed. The HIFT group performed six weeks of functional training (three sessions per week) with 120–125% of the lactate threshold. The LIFT group performed six weeks of functional training (five sessions per week) with a 70–75% lactate threshold. Feasibility, safety, and acceptability of exercise programs were assessed at the end of the study.ResultHIFT showed a higher adherence rate (91% vs. 87.5%), safety, and acceptability compared to LIFT. MMSE and Stroop scores, 6MWT, FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, SBP, and DBP significantly improved in HIFT (all, P ≤ 0.004) and LIFT (all, P ≤ 0.023). Changes in 6MWT, FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HbA1c in HIFT (all, P ≤ 0.001) and LIFT (all, P ≤ 0.008) were significant compared to the control group. Changes in Stroop scores were significant only in the HIFT group compared to the control group (P = 0.013). SDMT, CVLT-II, BVMT-R, balance test, 10MWT, SSST, TUG and hang grip significantly improved only in HIFT (all, P ≤ 0.038).ConclusionHIFT vs. LIFT is a safe, feasible, and effective approach for improving some aspects of physical, biochemical, and cognitive function in elderly T2D patients with cognitive impairment. This pilot study provides initial proof-of-concept data for the design and implementation of an appropriately powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) of HIFT vs. LIFT in a larger sample of elderly T2D patients with cognitive impairment.Trial registrationRandomized controlled trial (RCT) (Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, trial registration number: IRCT20230502058055N1. Date of registration: 11/06/2023.

Inpatient healthcare utilization among people with disabilities in Iran: determinants and inequality patterns

BackgroundPeople with disabilities (PWD) have different health service needs and different factors affect the utilization of these services. Therefore, the aim of this present study was to identify determinants of inpatient healthcare utilization among PWDs in Iran.MethodsThis research was a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study. The present study used data gathered for 766 PWDs (aged 18 years and older) within the Iranian Society with Disabilities (ISD) between September and December 2020. Multiple logistic regression models calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals in order to identify determinants of inpatient healthcare utilization among PWDs.ResultsData for 766 people with disabilities were analyzed. A large number of participants were over 28 years of age (70.94%), male (64.36%), and single (54.02%). In the present study, more than 71% of participants had no history of hospitalization during the last year. In this study, males [aOR 2.11(1.14–3.91), participants with Civil Servants health insurance coverage [aOR 3.44 (1.16 − 10.17)] and individuals in the 3th quartile of disability severity [aOR 2.13 (1.01 − 4.51)] had greater odds of inpatient healthcare utilization compared to the other groups. The value of the concentration index (C) for inpatient healthcare utilization was − 0.084 (P.value = 0.046). The decomposition analysis indicated that gender was the greatest contributor (21.92%) to the observed inequality in inpatient healthcare utilization among participants.ConclusionOur findings suggested that the likelihood of hospitalization among the study participants could be significantly influenced by factors such as gender, the health insurance scheme, and the degree of disability severity. These results underscore the imperative for enhanced access to outpatient services, affordable insurance coverage, and reduced healthcare expenditures for this vulnerable population. Addressing these issues has the potential to mitigate the burden of hospitalization and promote better health outcomes for disadvantaged individuals.

Relations among Memories of Parental Acceptance-Rejection, Psychological (Mal)Adjustment, Forgiveness, and Vengeance among Iranian Adults

The study investigated relations among adults’ memories of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood and adults’ current dispositions toward forgiveness and vengeance, as mediated by psychological (mal)adjustment. Data were collected from 258 adults (female = 183, Age range = 17–47 years; M age = 39; SD = 11.4). Measures used were the short forms of the maternal and paternal Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaires (PARQ), the short form of the Adult Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ), the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), the Vengeance Scale (VS-10), and a Personal Information Form (PIF). Results showed that maternal and paternal rejection was positively associated with psychological maladjustment and negatively correlated with forgiveness for both men and women. Moreover, psychological maladjustment showed a negative relation with forgiveness and a positive relation with vengeance. Findings revealed that parental (maternal and paternal) rejection was not significantly associated with vengeance for men. However, maternal (not paternal) rejection was significantly associated with a vengeance for women. Path analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of maternal and paternal rejection on forgiveness and vengeance through psychological maladjustment. Results found no significant gender differences in the path analyses. Findings are discussed considering the Iranian culture and religious beliefs. Implications of the results and future research directions are discussed.

Liberalism and Shia Political Thought in the Thought of Allameh Naieni, A Theoretical Framework for the Iranian Constitutional Revolution

The purpose of writing this article is to analyze and describe the political thought of Allameh Mohammad Hossein Naeini as one of the most important theorists of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution (1284 AH), who tried to reconcile the components of liberalism and classical Shiite political thought to provide a Theoretical basis for the Iranian Constitutional Revolution. In this article, the treatise "Tanbih al-Ulama and Tanzih al-Mulla is, the most important work of Naeini and some other works that have studied her thought, are examined. In Iranian Constitutional Revolution, those who defended the Constitution against supporters of tyranny began to write their treatises, mainly during period of minor tyrann[1]. The most important goal of these thinkers in writing the treatises is to eliminate tyranny, reduce king, s power and rulers in political system of Qajar period and limiting them to the law of parliament and public will on one hand and explaining the concepts and foundations of liberalism and constitutionalism in a way that is compatible with Islamic law on the other hand. In justifying constitutionalism these treatises has referred more to weaknesses and harms of authoritarian system, as well as to poverty and backwardness of Iranian society, and considered constitutionalism to be the only solution to problems.The aim of these dissertations was to demonstrate the efficiencies and capabilities of Constitution in preserving and strengthening the Iranian society. In fact, they are in line with times have sought to implement a religious copy of liberal system and Western constitution in Iranian society. The most important treatise that written in this field is the book of Tanbih al-Allameh and Tanzih al-Mella written by Mohammad Hussein Naeini which we will examine his theories in this article.

Persian comedy whispers out loud: a critical discourse analysis of Persian televised stand-up comedy

This paper probes into the Iranian society through the ‘discourse access’ that Persian stand-up comedy provides. It is posited that Persian humorous discourse can be an effective and relatively safe communication toolkit to speak truth to power and address cultural deficits. Hence, it may be an insightful ‘point of entry’ into the below-the-surface construct of various social wrongs (e.g. social class inequality, cultural illiteracy). In particular, Persian stand-up comedy, as a young and burgeoning genre of Persian comedy, seems to be reliably reflecting such concerns in Iran. Within the general framework of critical discourse analysis (CDA), this article inspected into a corpus of stand-up comedy performances by the Iranian participants of the first and largest televised stand-up comedy contest in Iran. The corpus included 11 stand-up comedians and 14 performances from the three seasons of the contest (2016–2022). The reflexive thematic analysis of the stand-up routines unmasked a wealth of social criticism which is discussed under four major themes of ‘economic stress’, ‘social class inequality’, ‘more equal decision-makers’ and, ‘agents of change’. The paper elaborates on Persian stand-up comedy as a potent driving force within the society to effect individual and social changes. It contends that Persian comedy can greatly contribute to discourses of awareness and transformation within the Iranian society.

Brothers/soldiers: trauma and wartime Ahwaz in the art of Sadegh Tirafkan

ABSTRACT This essay explores the significance of a series of posthumously discovered, staged, colour photographs of twin boys holding rifles, as well as a short screenplay entitled ‘Tulips Bloom’, that the internationally-recognized artist Sadegh Tirafkan (1965–2013) created as a youth in Ahwaz, Iran, in 1982. Taking into consideration the context of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and the related culture of martyrdom that so strongly affected the region and the artist's imagination reveals a subtext of trauma that may – the author proposes – explain the prominence of visual motifs, symbols and themes that recur throughout the artist's subsequent 30-year career. The author relies upon visual analysis of the artist's photographic art, published interviews, comparative visual analysis involving Iranian visual culture from the era (Balaghi; Chelkowski and Dabashi; Saramifar; Varzi); art history (Daneshvari; Foster; Keshmirshekan; Nazari; Porter); and theories of trauma from psychology (Herman), literary theory (Caruth) and sociology (Alexander; Erikson), in order to provide a new understanding of the artist's work throughout his career, from 1982 to 2013, and how the Iran-Iraq War shaped notions of Iranian post-Revolutionary identity in terms of military sacrifice and death.

The trajectivity of Persian gardens. A study to rethink contemporary landscape design

This article seeks to shed new light on the reality of Persian gardens by examining them as a trajective reality, being formed through a set of continuous and ongoing exchanges with various human and natural elements constituting its environment. More particularly, it aims to highlight the process of reciprocal engendering that existed between the garden and the worldview of traditional Iranian society. In this way, it shows how the Persian garden is not only the imprint of the cosmology of the Iranian people but also, insofar as it unfolds a certain world, reciprocally its matrix. A content analysis as well as the study of several cases have allowed the identification of three types of relationship between the garden and the world of the ancient Persians through which they co-construct one another. These are: analogy, enrichment and complementarity. Finally, this study explores the importance of the building of such relationships in contemporary landscape design.

Көне түркілердің отырықшылық тұрмысындағы манихей және несториан діндерінің әсері

The Turkic peoples of Central Asia have long resided at the nexus of Eastern and Western cultures, fusing urban and steppe civilizations with dexterity. Their spiritual life was also strongly influenced by Indian and Persian culture. Indian and Persian cultures first spread to settlements in the Maurennahr and Tarim Basin, and then to small towns and settlements in the foothills of the Semirechye and Erenkabyrga (Tien Shan) mountains. Therefore, Central Asia has become a zone of interweaving of all cultures of the world, including all religions. Different religions spread not only to settled regions, but also to steppes, which led a nomadic lifestyle. In the regions where nomadic Turks lived, small settlements and places of worship were built. Back then, nomads showed respect to anyone who held a religious role. At the same time, for a long time in Central Asia and East Turkestan and neighbouring regions, various cultures and spiritual values of mankind competed closely. This suggests that Central Asia, East Turkestan, and Central Mongolia have evolved geographically as essential components of human civilization since the first century AD. The article discusses how the Manichaean and Nestorian religions, which were prevalent in this area prior to Islam, were viewed by the Turkic people living there and how they fit in with the natural surroundings, social structure, governmental power, etc. The “Yangzhou” and “Monument of the Nine Uighur Khagans” are examples of the widespread adoption of Manichaean and Nestorian religions among the Turks. A linguistic and source examination of these monuments was done.

Behind the invisible walls: Understanding constraints on Muslim solo female travel

This study aims to investigate the challenges faced by solo-female travelers in Iranian societies and proposes measures to improve their experiences. To achieve this objective, a mixed-methods research design was employed in three phases. First, two-phased exploratory surveys were conducted to identify seven key constraints that affect the behavioral intentions of solo-female tourists, namely sociocultural, interpersonal, intrapersonal, religious, physical safety, practical, and structural factors. Furthermore, cross-impact-balanced analysis was employed to generate four consistent scenarios for the development of solo female tourism in Iran. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers and tourism industry stakeholders to enhance the experiences of solo-female travelers in Iran. The study's plausible scenario presents a number of measures that hold promise for mitigating constraints and improving the experiences of solo female travelers. These measures include online-community-building, mutual-adaptation, self-psychological empowerment, the establishment of female free zones, the overcoming of travel fears, technological-empowerment, and feminist-participatory-action.

Validity and reliability of persian version of morbid curiosity scale in students

Background. The success of horror films, the attention to violent crimes and the prevalence of violence in the news show that morbid curiosity is a common psychological trait. However, research on morbid curiosity is largely absent in the psychological research literature. one of the reasons being the lack of a suitable Scale for Iranian society. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the Morbid Curiosity Scale. Methods. The research design was descriptive factor analysis and the statistical population of the study was all students of Zanjan University in the academic year 1400-1401, from which 500 people were selected by cluster sampling. For the study, Morbid Curiosity Scale was used. Results. The results showed that Cronbach's alpha for the subscales of the Minds of Dangerous People is 0.79, Body Violation is 0.81, Supernatural Danger is 0.79, and Interpersonal Violence is 0.80 and the total scale is 0.85. The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis also confirmed the significant relationship between explicit variables and latent structures and showed that the four-factor structure has a good fit in the samples. Conclusion. The morbid curiosity scale among students has good reliability and validity and the use of this scale in future research is reliable. Practical Implications. The findings of this research can be used in psychotherapy, psychological research, media psychology, and advertising psychology.