Strategic Studies Quarterly

Abstract  
 
 
Malouk Seyed Abadi
 
Cultural equality or justice is one of important, however neglected, areas of regional inequality. Therefore, aiming at identification and promotion of cultural justice in Iran, the paper attempts to illustrate the issue through the social and political theories and in this way it considers the main documents and different theories. The authors intend to introduce a couple of indicators for studying cultural justice in Iran and the methodology of the paper is mixed of documentation, Delphi and questionnaire methodologies.
 
 

Abstract During the last decade, a lot of university disciplines, especially strategic and security studies, have acknowledged necessity of paying due attention to the issue of environment. However, these new studies are struggling with weaknesses in the field of methodology. So in order to fill the gap, the current paper reviews the concept of environment and its place within the academic disciplines and tries to offer an illustrative framework for the sake of studying environment in those fields. Therefore, the main purpose of the paper is to offering a methodological framework for environment studies. The general presumption of the paper is that realizing this purpose is possible and by combination of several approaches, including social science and concerns of security studies, one can establish the needed bases for methodological framework of environment studies.  

Abstract

about future events to prevent security crisis, failures and surprise. The main claim of author is that adopting futurist approach and designing warning system, can  strengthen intelligence organizations role in production of pre-knowledge about  events to prevent surprise situations. Warning system must be based on probability determination, and ranking probable. This way, intelligence analysis could approach it’s main and essential functions.

Abstract The issue of organized crimes has recently gained the attention of those interested in new strategic analyses as one of the security threats. Nevertheless, in most cases, no reference is mainly made to the major records and the place of this issue in social sciences as well as law, and most of these studies lack depth failing to delve into the technical discussions. This shows that the researchers on security studies gradually learn the necessity of paying attention to this topic. In this article, the author seeks to precisely and comprehensively analyze the concept, dimensions and theoretical models of organized crimes drawing on the existing approaches and literature. Finally, the relationship between these crimes and political stability, social order and national security are explored. First, organized crimes are classified according to their area of activity (domestic or transnational), type of activity (trafficking, organizational and political corruption, and money-laundry), and type of the organization (Mafia-like, criminal, and terrorist), and then theoretical frameworks for the analysis of such crimes are scrutinized. These frameworks include hierarchical model, patron-client model, and economic model. The final section of the article deals with the criminal policy towards such crimes and offering a framework for evaluating them at the political unit level.

Abstract Religion has always been the strongest factor in the creation of order and stability in various dimensions of socio-political relations. Religious beliefs have ensured the continuity of communities through giving meaning to collective life and regulating group relations. Nonetheless, religion is prone to interpretation. Thus it is the historical root of the formation of different denominations, sects and groups which result in social schism and political instability. In such conditions, the split groups usually seek to create a smaller community from national society and disrupt the process of social integration.   This article, while acknowledging the regulatory and integrative functions of religious cults, just examines and explains disruptive effects of religious sectarianism on the process of the establishment of political order and stability from a sociological perspective. This article tests the hypothesis that religious sectarianism is a soft threat to the political stability and constitutes groundwork for the rise of violence in the society.On this basis, sects as the social opposition of the political establishment, play a crucial role in the weakening of political unity and in undermining the foundations of government’s legitimacy. These groups may affect the foreign policy of the state and cause foreign provocation against the existing state.