Comparative study of Islamic and non-Islamic thinkers
Alireza Kowsarnia; Hosein Haj Mohamadi
Abstract
The relationship between culture and social structure has long been a central debate in sociology: Do social conditions generate culture, or does culture itself drive structural transformation? Some scholars regard culture as the outcome of structure, while others emphasize its transformative role. Robert ...
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The relationship between culture and social structure has long been a central debate in sociology: Do social conditions generate culture, or does culture itself drive structural transformation? Some scholars regard culture as the outcome of structure, while others emphasize its transformative role. Robert Wuthnow, adopting an objective approach, treats culture not as a subjective phenomenon but as a tangible and observable product. He explains the connection between ideology and structure within a theoretical framework, though structural factors tend to dominate despite his attention to human agency and the concept of “moral order.” In contrast, Ali Shariati conceptualizes the culture–structure relationship as reciprocal and dialectical. While acknowledging the influence of structure on culture, he also emphasizes culture’s capacity to reshape structure. This article analyzes Wuthnow’s cultural theory and critiques it from the perspective of Shariati’s dialectical thought, demonstrating that although Wuthnow attempts to transcend reductionist explanations, his theory ultimately leans toward structural determinism. Shariati, by contrast, offers a more comprehensive interpretation of the mutual interaction between culture and structure.
New ideas for the reconstruction of social sciences based on the sources of Islamic thought
Erfan Goleyni Hasanipor; Ebrahim Rastiyan
Abstract
ccording to many fundamental issues of social sciences, which have arisen around the construction - reality dichotomy, we see a wide range of theories about the nature of social structure. On the one hand, realists such as Durkheim consider the social structure as an objective reality that dominates ...
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ccording to many fundamental issues of social sciences, which have arisen around the construction - reality dichotomy, we see a wide range of theories about the nature of social structure. On the one hand, realists such as Durkheim consider the social structure as an objective reality that dominates human agency, which must be discovered under certain criteria. On the other hand, constructionists like Berger and Luckman considered the social structure to be a social construction that humans have created according to their own contract. In the research tradition of Islamic philosophy, M.H Tabatabaei has also presented a theory titled "Etebarian " to understand the nature of the social structure, which explains this issue despite the emphasis on the validity (neither discovery nor construction). In the current research, based on the analytical - descriptive method, we will first explain the epistemological foundations of Durkheim's view, as the most prominent representative of realism, and the view of Berger and Luckman, as the most prominent representatives of constructivism. In the end, by using the comparative approach and benefiting from the capacity of Tabatabaei's theory of Etebarian, we will show that social structures are post-social credits that during a gradual process and by determining a certain range of roles and social relations, controls and manages the actions of human agencies in the direction of their desired goals and ends.
elahe marandi
Abstract
Studying the role and position of the people in the political and social structure of society is one of the key issues in the social theories of Muslim thinkers. This position is related to the theory of Velayat-e Faqih in the social theory of Imam Khomeini. The issue of "representation" has a special ...
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Studying the role and position of the people in the political and social structure of society is one of the key issues in the social theories of Muslim thinkers. This position is related to the theory of Velayat-e Faqih in the social theory of Imam Khomeini. The issue of "representation" has a special place in the theory of Velyat-e Faqīh, which is the most important social theory among Shiite Fagihs (Islamic jourists), especially in the contemporary era. Whether a Fagih is a representative of God or of people is the topic of controversy among thinkers and Fagihs. Each theorist considers a different role for people based on the origin of authority and legitimacy of Velyat-e Fagih. Given the findings of this study, it can be stated that, according to theory of appointment, the all-inclusive Fagih has been appointed by the Innocent Imam to the position and has divine legitimacy and the role of people in this theory is accepted due to its functionality. Whereas, in the theory of election, the legitimacy of a Fagih derives from people and his jurisdiction is determined by society.
Rereading and interpreting the ideas of leading Muslim thinkers
mohamad pirbabaei
Abstract
Abstract Social capital is a contextual concept and religion is one of the most important factors in its investigation. This research tries to provide a picture of social capital in the Islamic society of Iran. The first step towards shaping a framework for the concept is finding an answer to these ...
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Abstract Social capital is a contextual concept and religion is one of the most important factors in its investigation. This research tries to provide a picture of social capital in the Islamic society of Iran. The first step towards shaping a framework for the concept is finding an answer to these questions: What is the core of social capital? What is the motivation of the actor to do activities in networks? What are the components (sources) of social capital? In adapting the above framework in the context of Iran, two historical and contemporary aspects are considered. Investigating the social structure of Iran showed that the structural social capital is very weak due to the limited and trivial presence and impact of formal group and networks. The teachings of Islam on the one hand promote and strengthen the sources of social capital and on the other hand approve and recommend its cognitive elements. Contrary to the west, social capital in Iran had been rich and powerful in cognitive terms, and provides the incentives for growth and prosperity. This conclusion also makes it possible to determine the components and techniques of emergence of social capital in the context of Iran.
