2 Analysis of Indigenous Knowledge in Social Organization of Agricultural Production and Irrigation System, Case Study: Rouzkin Village, Sarduiyeh County - Jiroft City

Local initiatives have been defined as specific collective activities without external support or incentives in order to control either ground or surface waters. On the other hand, one of the most important management approaches in managing water resources is an approach that emphasizes on creating capacity and institutionalization of local communities for participatory management of water resources. Social structures of water resources accounts for one of the aspects of indigenous knowledge and in the management of water resources, it is necessary to analyze social structures associated with it in addition to assessment of the indigenous knowledge. This paper aims to analyze indigenous knowledge in social organization of agricultural production and irrigation system in Rouzkin village, Sarduiyeh County - Jiroft city. In this study, based on anthropological methods and qualitative approaches, including direct and participant observation of the researcher and organized interviews with 32 informed informants (farmers) were used. In Roozkin Village, a certain social structure governs on the management of water resources in the region dating back more than 100 years. Cooperation in water resources management is considered as fundamental principle in this village and the social roles of Arbab and Zaim are among social initiatives of this village in management of water resources. In this village, 10 associations or local groups have been formed for managing water resources and each group is composed of Arbab and Zaim. Generally, it can be concluded that, over time, in addition to the sustainability of local traditions in water resources management, social and cultural stability have been improved with decreased social conflicts among local stakeholders in the rigion.

Functions of Ethnobotany in Iranian Nomadic Society: Boyer Ahmad Nomads/ Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province

Nomads’ indigenous knowledge consists of a bright and accurate observations on herbs, plants, animals, weather, soil, pests as well as the classification systems that is compatible with local conditions. According to the researchers and scholars of the field, due to the long-life and long term existence with this kind of knowledge, it enjoys accuracy and capability of prediction. In spite of rare combination of indigenous knowledge with superstition, nconfirmed religious beliefs, and fear on unknown entities and issues, in overall it has a high value and status. Tendency for this kind of researches on indigenous knowledge, comes back to its hidden capabilities and at the same time, its particular applications and usages. This research aims to know and gather indigenous knowledge among Boyer Ahmad Nomads in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province. In this way, as the first step, researches employed a range of structured methods and technics of data gathering and unstructured methods, such as meetings and open interviews with local people. Questions on the ways of protection and usage of natural resources are employed in the interviews. The field data that gathered in this research, uncovers that how the people under this study, during the course of time, have given some names to the herbals and plants domesticated in this area, that are in conformity with their morphologic features and traits, ecological needs, smell, taste and the place of growth. On the other hand, the people of the given area on general and the elderly of this region in particular, are aware of the family of herbs and plants and despite the lack of academic and formal knowledge; they are able to categorize these herbs and plants in a correct way. One of the other key contributes that these nomads have, is their belief systems about the protection of those herbs and plants grown in the region. One of the Findings and results of this study makes evident that folk ethno botany is an experience and partly applied oriented science (knowledge). People under study realize every herb and plant’s features and applications and know how to classify them. Even more, they are able to draw compressions between qualities and features of herbs and plants that belong to a same group.

An Ethnographical Research on the Subsistence Strategy of Olad-e Mohammad Karim Tribe, Southern Zagros

Olad-e Mohammad Karim is a small branch of Laboo Mohammadi tribe, and this tribe belongs to the larger tribe of Arab-e Jabbareh. The Arab-e Jabbareh tribe itself belongs to the larger clan of Fars’ Ilat-e Khamseh. In the past years, the Olad-e Mohammad Karim used to migrate seasonally in the eastern Fars province from north to south. From the early days of Pahlavi I era, Olad-e Mohammad Karim were forced to stay in the northern Fars and since then they have changed their subsistence strategy from full-time nomadic pastoralism to the semi-nomadic pastoralism in order to maintain their lives. On the other hand, during the last century the accelerated wave of industrialization has affected their use of technology dramatically. This research tries to combine ethnographical data with those from landscape, geography and human bioenvironmental research to investigate to what extend cultural adaptations could be responsible in order to maintain the subsistence strategies. Astonishingly enough our study indicates that in spite of the introduction of different aspects of modern technologies, the subsistence pattern of Olad-e Mohammad Karim has not changed affectedly even to these days.

Pray, Mosque, and Modernity:A Pathological Approach

Identifying the probable Damages of importing modernity to Iran on mosques is my main attempt in this article. Mosque in Iranian society has held a high status till now. The role of mosque in strengthening social solidarity and people’s spiritual promotion has been very distinguished. Mosques have been the main stronghold of people in order to protect their religion and culture against alien’s invasion. Yet, penetrating of modernity to mosques through and by audio technology had certain damages in which in this article I attempt to identify some of them.

The Month of Ramadan in the Travel Narratives of Abrahamic Haj: Research into the Past and Present Experiences of Iranian Haj Pilgrims

The article attempts to investigate, through a comparative-analytic study, into the Abrahamic Haj Pilgrimage Narratives of Iranians of Pre and Post- evolutionary Iran. The study tries to take into account the transportational revolution of good and commodity as well as people, to get a better understanding of the socio-cultural developments of these two periods. This article results from a historical study that explored written sources, showing the influence of the spiritual experience of Haj on the worldviews and ritual manners of people who observed Haj pilgrimage. This research aimed to do a historical analysis of experiences of Haj over the course of recorded history among Iranians, in order to answer, how it has evolved and experienced. The main goal of this research is to demonstrate the mutual relationships of two religious elements, including Ramadan and Haj.

Climate Change; A Threat for Global Peace and Security: A Sociological Approach

In his book, Policies of Changes of Weather in the World, Anthony Giddens sets forth the idea that, today,it should be clear that global changes in weather is similar to other disasters and presents adversity that threatens all life on the earthy. Human intervention and different government interference accompanied invasion of nature and violation and destruction of natural diversity present significant evidence of crisis. The key emergent shape of this intervention is global warming. This crisis has spread to all extents on local, national and international levels. Harrison thinks this crisis is rooted in a style of life as a social habit like food habit that develops without any warning in advance like an acute and deadly illness. Observing the key signs of this crisis, the changes and redefinition of public security on all local, national and international levels is vital and requires immediate action in this respect. This is able to prevent the world from future clashes and conflicts over territorial issues, ethnic competitions and so forth. This is considered important considerations in terms of violence and aggression in the world. This article attempts to illustrate how policies can use social science theories, and will explore the degreeto which this policy is practical and useful in Iran.

Representation of the Kurdish People in the Iranian Feature Movies: A Cultural Semiotic Study

Starting with the first Iranian film, A Girl from Lurestan (Dokhtare Lor), a silent film, viewers are faced with notable insight drawn from ethnic cultures and life in Iran. Different directors have attempted to properly present the lives of ethnic groups in Iranian Cinema and furthermore, employ it to enrich and foster their stories, cultural backgrounds, contexts and motifs. The directors of such films, nevertheless, often reproduce typical images or characteristics of these ethnic groups and sometimes their movies act as an agent for spreading a stereotype among pop culture and the public. Some elements such as food, clothing and place are key components that indicate the cultural image of the ethnicity. Some Iranian ethnic groups such as the Gikak, Lor, Turk, and Kurds have been shown more in Iranian Cinema. This article is dedicated to discuss the representation of Kurdish Ethnic cultures in Iran as an Iranian ethnic group whose presence in Iranian cinema has been remarkable in recent decades. This article concentrates on the key elements in the culture of Kurdish Ethnic groups, including clothing, food and place and reviewed the movies that have driven inspiration from this ethnic culture.