Iranian Literature Research Articles

Prevalence of Depression and Pain Among Patients with Spinal Cord Injury in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Context: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disorder that causes several adverse effects on all aspects of the individual’s life and disrupts the normal routine of life. Objectives: The present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of depression and pain among patients with SCI. Methods: The present systematic review was conducted using the Iranian literature. The study population included all articles available in Iranian and international databases as well as Google Scholar search engine. For this purpose, databases including SID, Magiran, IranMedex, IranDoc, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and ProQuest were searched. The quality of published articles was assessed by two highly qualified researchers; the primary search was also performed separately. The data were analyzed with comprehensive meta-analyses (CMA) statistical package. Results: According to the findings, the prevalence of mild depression in the studied patients was 22.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 17.50 - 28.8), moderate depression 19.6% (95% CI: 14.7% - 25.7%), and severe depression was 12.1% (95% CI: 8.3% - 17.3%); in addition, 46.5% of the patients had no depression (95% CI: 26.7% - 67.6%), and 65.9% of the subjects complained of pain (95% CI: 53.9% - 76.1%). Conclusions: Because of high prevalence of pain and depression among patients with SCI, it is essential to take appropriate measures to prevent depression and pain in such patients in order to improve their health status and quality of life.

Comparative Study of the Themes of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh in Old and Contemporary Iranian Miniatures

One of the main sources of Persian painting is literary works. Epic literature, and especially the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, has been noticed more than other literary types because it narrates the chivalry of the kings and national heroes of Iran as well as the Iranian people. In different periods, the Iranian artists benefit the themes of this valuable book; one of the main pillars of Iranian literature. But the encounter of artists to this work varied in different periods. This study examines this encounter. By conducting a case study, this research inspects old Iranian miniatures of Tahmasbi Shahnameh and their adaptation in terms of contents and literary themes with works of contemporary Iranian artists, namely Hossein Behzad, Majid Mehregan, Ardeshir Mojarad Takestani, Mohammad Baqer Aghamiri, and Mahmoud Farshchian. The research has been carried out through descriptive-analytical and comparative approach. The main purpose of this study is finding out how the old and contemporary Iranian painting encounter with the themes of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh as the main basis of Iranian epic literature. Therefore, the present study seeks to answer this question; what are the differences and similarities between the old and contemporary miniatures regarding epic Iranian literature? And what are the causes of these differences and similarities? The findings of this research show that similarities and differences are a function of social and economic conditions and also changing the artist and audiences place.

A Study of Contemporary Resistance Literature in Iran and the Arab World

Resistance literature usually refers to the literary works, which are influenced by various phenomena such as internal repression, absence of freedom, struggle against civil violence, and foreign invasion. Persian and Arabic literature include many prominent literary works in this genre of literature from the earliest ages of Iranian constitutional era and the Arab political movements and uprisings; therefore resistance literature holds a significant position in Persian and Arabic literature. This paper studies the fundamental features of Arabic and Persian resistance literature of the contemporary period. Additionally, the paper studies the various causes that led to the emergence of contemporary resistance literature during the different stages of contemporary history of literature. It does so by introducing the famous literary figures of the different periods. Furthermore, mythology and symbolism, which are important features of resistance literature and are employed by poets to express their thoughts, are analyzed with examples.

Whatever Happened to The Little Black Fish?

This essay uses retranslation studies to trace the defanging and domestication of Samad Behrangi’s The Little Black Fish, a children’s story once hailed as a major revolutionary and literary text. Behrangi’s book is the only modern Iranian prose work to have been translated multiple times both before and after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The study compares the texts from several of these retranslations, by considering whether they have been domesticated for their English readers, as well as their context, by looking at the cultural impact of such factors as the Islamic Revolution and US‒Iran relations. It looks at how various translators and publishers have interpreted the story and how their perspectives reflect Iranian history, the influence of Middle East studies, and the interests of the Iranian diaspora. The result sheds light on translation norms, as well as on the circulation and interpretation of Iranian literature in the global context.

A Comparative Study of Sadegh Hedayat’s The Blind Owl in the Light of the German Theory of Novella

Using the novella as the European literary genre has divided the Iranian literary scholars due mostly to its unknown features. Lack of research in this area has caused many writers either to abandon this literary term or to opt for alternatives such as “novelette”,” long story”, “long short story” or “short story”. This article aims to introduce the theory and characteristics of the novella as a unique literary genre, based on German literature. Despite the Italian root of the novella, it reflects its Germanic roots as it was flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries Germany. In addition, the paper explores the concept of “long story” in Iranian literature as the synonym of the term novella. The Blind Owl clearly exhibits these characteristics of the genre, especially the dramatic structure and representing a new aspect of human trait. The analysis of The Blind Owl leads to a deeper understanding of one of the most important and well-formed European literary genres and a new look at Sadegh Hedayat’s ideology as a professional author in addition to familiarizing scholars with this genre.

“A labor of love”: on the perils and seductions of writing about Iran. An Interview with Jill Worrall

ABSTRACTIn this interview conducted in 2016 In Christchurch, New Zealand, the award-winning New Zealand travel writer Jill Worrall discusses her book Two Wings of a Nightingale: Persian Soul, Islamic Heart (2011), which narrates her travel to Iran. The narrative recounts the expedition in which Worrall follows the ancient caravanserais routes across Iran with her Iranian guide, Reza, and offers insightful commentary on Iranian culture, history, literature, and arts. In this discussion Worrall delineates the process of writing her book, the many ways in which her travelogue attempts to challenge and subvert dominant stereotypes about Iran, and her disillusionment with a global publishing industry that seems more interested in perpetuating dehumanising Orientalist stereotypes about certain cultures, than in offering alternative perspectives.

Content and Statistical Analysis of Papers in Contemporary Arabic Literary Criticism Biannual Journal Published by Yazd University

The present inquiry attempts to provide a content and statistical examination of papers in the journal of Contemporary ArabicLiterary Criticism published by Yazd University. This biannual journal is a credible publication in the area of Arabic language and literature in Iran. In this study, the number of authors, their qualifications, the extent of co-authorship among them, active facilities and institutions contributing to journals, etc. are examined. The results of the study show that there are 70 papers published in 10 issues of this journal; consequently, the journal has adhered to its publishing order. Statistics regarding the authors demonstrated that there are eight and 62 papers written individually and by group partnership respectively, which is also considered as one of the strengths of this journal. Furthermore, 44 of the articles were the outcome of within-university cooperation of the authors, while 18 papers were the outcome of the cooperation of members of different universities; the journal must strive to further improve such partnerships. Having authored four papers, Faramarz Mirzaei and Ali Salimi have produced the highest number of articles. There are also 12 papers written through partnership with the editorial board, with an acceptable average of 7.59%. The main subject of almost half the papers includes fiction literature and poetry analysis. It would be more appropriated if various issues of the journal are edited based on a particular subject. Overall, there are 1657 references used, with an average number of 23.6 references per paper, which is acceptable. However, most of these references are books, while it would be better to use more up-to-date references such as papers, dissertations, etc. Also, the mean age of 55.76% of references is over 14 years.

Framed Memories: The Politics of Recollection in Mana Neyestani’s An Iranian Metamorphosis

This essay examines the graphic memoir An Iranian Metamorphosis, by the acclaimed cartoonist Mana Neyestani, in the context of Iranian diaspora literature, particularly the genre of comics. Neyestani’s book is analyzed for its engagement with the politics of exile literature, and its attempt at challenging a two-dimensional view of the political discourse, in which the ethical boundaries of pro- and anti-government are overtly simple. The essay focuses on the book’s narrative techniques that exhibit a complex awareness of what is anticipated from a representative work of Iranian exile memoir, and the way it negotiates its own narrative politics. To clarify the arguments, several comparative examples are drawn from two well-known graphic narratives by Iranian diaspora authors, Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, and Amir and Khalil’s Zahra’s Paradise.

A Guarded Courtship: Soviet Cultural Diplomacy in Iran from the Late 1940s to the 1960s

By bringing to bear previously unstudied Soviet archival documents and conducting firsthand interviews with former diplomats, the article traces the ways in which the Soviet Union sought out opportunities to reinvigorate deteriorated Soviet‒Iranian ties through cultural organizations and events in Iran during the decades following World War II. A variety of Soviet cultural representatives—from wrestlers to classical musicians to scholars of Iranian literature—were marshaled for this effort, which bore unexpected fruit considering the modest expectations of the Soviet leadership, ideological differences between the two countries, and increasingly dominant US cultural projection. The connections between cultural ties and state goals, Iranian perceptions of Russia, and the Soviet/Russian sympathies of some members of the shah’s government are among sub-themes examined.

German Stories in Iranian Children's Literature

0

Familiar and Foreign: Identity in Iranian Film and Literature. Eds. ManijehMannani and VeronicaThompson. University of Athabasca Press, 2015. 340 pp. $39.95 cloth.

Familiar and Foreign: Identity in Iranian Film and Literature. Eds. ManijehMannani and VeronicaThompson. University of Athabasca Press, 2015. 340 pp. $39.95 cloth.

The Early Literary Reception of Ernest Hemingway in Iran

This essay investigates the dynamics that led to the literary reception of Ernest Hemingway before the Islamic Revolution in Iran. This article deploys reception studies as a branch of Comparative Literature with a focus upon conceptions of Siegbert Salomon Prawer and the practical method of George Asselineau to unearth the ideological, political, and historical milieu that embraced Hemingway’s literary fortune in Iran. This investigation, unprecedented in the study of Iranian literature, discusses how and why Hemingway was initially received in Iran. As such, the inception of literary fortune of Ernest Hemingway in Iran is examined by the contextual features, Persian literary taste, and the translator’s incentives that paved the way for this reception. This article also uncovers the reasons for the delay in the literary reception of Hemingway in Iran and discussed why some of Hemingway’s oeuvres enjoyed recognition while others were neglected by the Iranian readership.

Тематический обзор магистерских работ иранских студентов по теме взаимоотношений русской и персидской литератур

The review of master’s theses defended in the period of 2006-2016 at the Department of Russian language of Tehran University in the field of literary relations between Iran and Russia is made. The authors highlight the main perspectives of comparative studies of Iranian undergraduates who studies Russian, identify the main features of the process of mutual influences of Persian and Russian literature. It is shown which Russian and Persian writers, periods in history of literature and scientific approaches are most popular in the academic and educational environment of Iran. The article also reveals a number of thematic areas that remain outside the field of view of undergraduates, although their scientific development seems very promising. Special attention is paid to research methodology. The conclusion is made that in Iran the themes in which influence of East, Islamic world on creativity of the Russian writers is revealed are deeply studied. Comparison of Russian and Iranian folklore is carried out. It is noted that among the “white spots” of scientific research in Iranian literature there is the study of modern Russian literature, coverage of the role of Persian translations of works of Russian writers and their reception in Iran, as well as generalizing research of a theoretical nature.

PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THE PERMIAN FARAGHAN FORMATION IN THE ZAGROS BASIN, SOUTHERN IRAN

A detailed microfloristic study was conducted in the Faraghan Formation in nine boreholes drilled by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and in four outcrops in the Zagros Basin. The Faraghan Formation, widely distributed in the Zagros area, generally consists of shale intercalated with sandstone and pebble conglomerate, with thin carbonate intercalations near the top. Due to the lack of significant fossils, the age of this rock unit has been strongly debated in the Iranian literature and uncertainly attributed to the Pennsylvanian or Cisuralian. In this study, the age of the Faraghan Formation was reviewed in light of new biostratigraphic advances in the Arabian Peninsula. The assemblage is characterized by an abundance of monosaccate pollen such as Florinites? balmei, Caheniasaccites spp., Plicatipollenites spp., Potonieisporites spp. and Striomonosaccites spp., and bisaccate pollen such as Alisporites spp., Corisaccites alutas, Distriatites insolitus, Hamiapollenites spp. and Striatopodocarpites spp.. The assemblage also contains polyplicate pollen such as Vittatina spp.. Spores such as Indotriradites mundus and Thymospora opaqua are also present. The stratigraphic ranges of the taxa allow reference to the biozone schemes for Oman and assignment of the Faraghan Formation to the Guadalupian.

Iran’s Educational Diplomacy in the Muslim World: Activities of Al-Mustafa International University in Malaysia and Afghanistan

Ayatollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s spiritual leader, in the immediate days of the 1979 Revolution contemplated promoting of Shi’ite religious doctrinal values in the Muslim World. In Khomeini’s view the Islamic Republic was obliged to design a strategy to effectively instill Shi’ite core doctrinal values in young minds and within the academic community in the largely Sunnite majority Muslim states. Khomeini used the narrative of ‘exporting the revolution’ to attain this objective of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic’s religious sectarian establishment’s strategy of exporting revolution among others focused on educational diplomacy that is sponsoring a host of educational initiatives such as establishment of Jāmicah al-Muṣṭafā al-Cālamīyyah or al-Mustafa International University (MIU) branches and promoting its activities across the Muslim World. MIU is a sizable university with a number of overseas branches operating across the Muslim World. This paper discusses the role of the MIU in the conduct of Islamic Republic’s educational diplomacy in Malaysia and Afghanistan in Iran’s quest for promoting Shi’ite doctrinal values, soft power and greater influence in politics of the Muslim World. A word of caution is in order. Throughout this paper, the terms ‘Irano-Islamic’ or ‘Islamic’ in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s official documents and Iranian literature refers to Shi’ite version of Islam and the declared official ideology of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Theory-based interventions in STIs/HIV Prevention: A systematic review of the literature in Iran.

Background: Various theory-based interventions (TBIs) have been done to prevent STI/HIV. The current study aimed at reviewing the TBIs for STI/HIV prevention in Iran. Methods: We systematically searched 6 English and Persian electronic databases to identify TBIs conducted for STI/HIV prevention in Iran. General searches were conducted using PubMed MeSH terms. Articles were included if they were interventional and conducted using models and theories, aimed at reducing the risk of STIs, were quasi-experimental or experimental, and if their full text was available. Results: Overall, 1042 studies were found. Finally, 13 original studies met our inclusion criteria. The findings indicated that HBM and TPB were the most frequently used theory/models. High school students and drug abusers were the most common target groups in the included studies. Conclusion: The results revealed that the majority of the conducted TBIs contained a methodological weakness. Conducting randomized controlled trials is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the TBIs.

Laser Application in Iran Urology: A Narrative Review.

The usage of laser in medicine is not recent, and its history in urology goes back to 40 years ago. For the last 2 decades, common uses of laser have been treatments of subjects with urolithiasis, bladder tumors, benign prostatic enlargement, lesions of the genitalia and urinary tract strictures. To evaluate laser application in urology in Iran, we reviewed all of the Iranian literature on the topic. This study was designed to retrieve all studies on laser application in urology in Iran, regardless of publication status or language, covering years 1990-2017. Twenty-six articles were identified: 12 about urolithiasis, 8 about benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 2 case reports, 1 paper about prostate cancer, 1 on female urethral stricture, 1 review and 1 basic sciences study. We conclude that the use of this technology has not yet found its position in Iran, especially in the field of urology. The main causes for it are the difficult accessibility and disturb of laser devices and its accessories, as well as the lack of adequate knowledge of the medical community about this modality.

Iranian approach to deterrence: Theory and practice

ABSTRACTConventional wisdom holds that Iran has no formal doctrine of deterrence. Certain deterring agents have been identified, but these are incomplete and have not been organized as a whole to fully depict Iran's approach to deterrence. This article brings forward original Iranian literature in Farsi and presents Iran's definition and doctrine of deterrence: Altering the thought process of an enemy using inconspicuous threats, in order to remove external threats to Iran's security and independence. Understanding Iran's theory of deterrence is important both to policymakers and academics given the strategic interaction with Iran in recent years and in the future.

Studying Positive Psychology Factors in Sadi’s Gulistan

Positive psychology is a subcategory of psychology which emphasizes on the importance of happiness on human’s health, using personal and social facilities. This field has different categories which are able to prosper human’s health both physically and mentally. In addition, by having a look at rich and ancient literature of Iran, we notice that there are some pieces of work which include moral and educational messages which also aim to increase human’s physical and mental health. So, in this study, we have tried to find different categories of positive psychology in Gulistan book, one of the most significant literary works written by one of the most well-known poets and writers of ancient Iran. This is a descriptive project and the content of Gulestan has been investigated. The book has been used as the society and sample, then the tales and poems, which include positive psychology factors, have been explained. The result of the project indicates that the positive psychology categories like happiness, optimism, emotional intelligence and sense and creativity are the categories which are used in Sadi’s Gulistan.

The Influence of Literature on the Improvement of Teenagers' Spatial Knowledge

According to Haunt, “Iran has a head start over most of its neighboring countries in the establishment of schools, but progress were slow, and there were comparatively few books written for children in Persian” and so schools had to rely on translating books from other countries (2004, p784) . The first narratives for young people in Iran were published in Keyhane-bacheha, which was a weekly magazine that began publishing in 1956. In addition, there emerged other authors such as Nader Ebrahimi who published books for Iranian children and there were handful of youth novels that depicted young people and their relation to urban areas. But a lack of attention to the history and identity of Iran through the publication of youth literature has been criticized by many Iranian authors, especially in recent years. For instance,(According to ), Nasser Takmil Homayoun, who is an Iranian historian, in a panel session about Iranian identity, stated that “Identity is not just culture and history . In fact, physical space is also important. For instance, when I think of Ghazvin( my home town) I remember our old house in which we lived , and its valuable architecture. The rooms and niches. These items also shape my identity. Even now, Ghazvin means very much to me” (Takmil Homayoun, 2005,p.11). Because of the lack of published Iranian literature for children, the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (Kanun), initiated a project called “Today’s Young People” in March 2009, The aim of the project was to write and publish books specifically for Iranian adolescents. Consequently, 20 books were published by the institute. One of the critiques of these new works for youth is of their lack of descriptions or mentions of Iranian spaces. In September 2015, panel sessions of the “Representation of Tehran in young people’s literature” were held by the support of Shahr publications and the Revayat institute. One of the panelists, Mostafa Kharaman, a well known Iranian children’s writer argued that “the problem with our contemporary literature is that the location is not obvious. It is not clear where the story happens. While we all know that we have various lifestyles in Iranian cities,these differences are not represented in young adults’ stories. Mohittababtabaei, a well known Tehranologist, observed that in these published stories, as well as in school books for young people, Iranian streets, squares and other spaces have not been portrayed. The spaces that are explained in these books seem to be “nowhere.” While we all know that people in different cities in Iran have different lifestyles according to their culture. So, Tehranians have different way of living from people in other cities of Iran. Mohittababtabaei further argued that some descriptions of the old and famous streets and mosques of Tehran should be incorporated in the school books so that young people can learn about the urban history of Tehran. So physical space is often absent from these young adult novels but, as I argue, it should be one of the main elements in new fiction for youth in order to help young people know their history, and as a key element in identity construction.