مطالب

In the era of global communications, the media plays a crucial role in explaining, interpreting, and shaping international events. The manner in which news about a phenomenon is presented and disseminated can significantly influence audience beliefs and perceptions. One of the most significant events in the Middle East in 2024 was the assassination of Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on September 27, which received extensive media coverage. Given the importance of this event, the primary question addressed in this article is: How was the assassination of Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah represented in four media outlets—CNN Persian, BBC Persian, Al Arabiya Persian, and IRNA News Agency? The research method employed is descriptive-analytical, with data collected through library research. The findings indicate that all four media outlets utilized ideological discourse and strategies such as lexical selection, polarization, mental imagery, association, and suggestion to frame Nasrallah’s assassination. In the representations of CNN Persian, BBC Persian, and Al Arabiya Persian, Nasrallah is depicted as the "Other" in opposition to the "Self," with his actions portrayed as contributing to regional instability—particularly in Lebanon—and his assassination framed as ushering in a new era for the Middle East. The central theme across these three outlets is the legitimization of Israel’s actions. In contrast, IRNA positions Nasrallah as part of the "Self," characterizing his assassination as a result of Israel’s weakness and aggressive policies. This outlet frames the resistance movement as just and the opposing side as illegitimate, projecting a bright future for the resistance front.

Gender inequality remains a pressing global issue, with international organisations emphasising the urgent need to resolve it. India, as part of the worldwide community, has aligned with this imperative by integrating gender-responsive policies into its development frameworks. The Five-Year Plans (FYPs) of India have historically shaped the nation’s development trajectory, with the 12th FYP (2012–2017) marking a significant shift by explicitly prioritizing gender-responsive policies in key sectors. This study employs qualitative content analysis to study the representation and inclusion of women in the 12th FYP, using the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Gender Inequality Index (GII) as an analytical framework. The GII evaluates gender disparities across three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and labour market participation. This research identifies progress and persistent gaps in India’s gender-responsive policies by analysing policy language, budgetary allocations, and implementation outcomes. Applying the Capability Approach as a theoretical lens, this study reveals that while the 12th FYP has expanded resources for women in health, education, and the labour market, persistent barriers in social norms, security, and decision-making opportunities continue to limit their real freedoms to convert these resources into meaningful life choices. The findings emphasise that true empowerment requires not only policy provisions, but also institutional reforms to dismantle structural inequalities.

Background: Social identity theory suggests that individuals define themselves partly through their membership in social groups, and these identities shape attitudes and behaviors, including consumption choices. Brands increasingly function as social symbols, allowing users to express group belonging, self-concept, and shared values through brand affiliation. Consequently, users’ social identities can significantly influence their intention to purchase a brand by strengthening emotional attachment, perceived congruence, and loyalty toward brands that represent their in-group. Aims: Consumers like to associate themselves with different brands to represent their social identity. This study suggests a social identity perspective of customer-brand relationship and integrates brand identity with social media usage, electronic WOM (eWOM) and brand loyalty in predicting brand purchase intention in an online environment. Methodology: Data were collected through a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of higher education students in a public university in Iran. A sample of 423 respondents was selected through a convenience sampling technique. Data were then analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to provide a prediction-oriented model assessment by LISREL 8.54. Sobel mediation tests were performed to test the mediating effects of social media use, eWOM and brand loyalty on the relationship between social identity and brand purchase intention. Findings: The findings indicated that social identity (affective, cognitive, and evaluative) of users/consumers has a significant impact on: (a) social media use, (b) eWOM about brand, and (c) brand loyalty. Social media use and brand loyalty were found to be the determinants of eWOM about brand. Finally, this research found that all three variables of: (a) social media use, (b) eWOM about brand, and (c) brand loyalty are the main determinants of intention to purchase a certain brand. Conclusion: This research suggests that social identity perspective can be integrated with other perspectives to model the consumer's psychological path to brand purchase intentions. This study confirms the critical role of social identification of users in the reaction towards a given brand and stresses the mediation effects of social media use, brand loyalty and eWOM on the effects of social identity on the path to brand purchase intention.

Background: Self-development microcelebrities constitute a distinct and rapidly expanding subtype within the broader culture of fame. These figures primarily operate within the digital self-help domain, offering audiences simplified psychological and lifestyle concepts that promise personal transformation through adherence to their guidance. Contemporary self-help discourse is rooted in the positive psychology movement that gained traction in the United States during the late 20th century and is heavily influenced by neoliberal ideologies that emphasize individual agency and responsibility. Aims: In this research, Instagram pages of Iranian self-development microcelebrities were studied to understand what they share with their audience and the various methods they employ to engage with them. Methodology: This study analyzes the Instagram accounts of Iranian self-development microcelebrities with follower counts exceeding 300,000, using a thematic analysis approach. Initially, each account was analyzed individually, followed by a cross-case analysis to identify recurring thematic patterns. Findings: The analysis revealed three overarching themes—pseudoscience, the primacy of luck and the inner self, and self-made rules—comprising seven organizing themes and 31 basic themes. The findings indicate that these microcelebrities promote a form of hyper-individualism aligned with neoliberal values. Conclusion: This model of subjectivity emphasizes psychological self-regulation and inner transformation while detaching individuals from social and political engagement.

Background: Social media has enabled both intentional and incidental user exposure to diverse cultures and subcultures. This exposure fosters the socialization of similar cultural elements or produces changes in original cultural patterns through cyber-acculturation, which arises from continuous contact with culturally distinct groups. Aims: This study aimed to develop models of social media users’ cyber-acculturation in their exposure to cyber-subcultures. Methodology: Using a Q methodology research design, the study employed convenience snowball sampling and an online questionnaire to collect data from 52 participants, who freely rated 61 statements derived from interviews. Exploratory Factor Analysis, treating participants as variables, was conducted to identify distinct cyber-acculturation models. To further examine the characteristics of each factor, network analysis was applied. Discussions: Users demonstrated varying patterns of cyber-acculturation. Comparable to the model proposed by Sam and Berry (2006)— which outlines the strategies of assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization— this study identified five distinct models of social media users’ acculturation in exposure to cyber-subcultures: 1) Conservative Socialization Adopters, 2) Media-Literate Non-Adopters, 3) Media-Literate Acculturation Adopters, 4) Change-Aspirant Semi Non-Adopters, and 5) Risk-Taking Socialization Adopters. Each of these categories, to some extent, reflects the integration strategy, particularly motivated by social mobility, self-actualization, well-being, and personal advancement. Conclusion: Understanding the variations in how users adopt cultural elements enables governance bodies, policymakers, and professionals in media, culture, and education to design and implement more effective measures with greater impact across different user types.

Background: Following the Islamic Revolution and the expansion of access to visual media, the use of this media in Shia rituals, such as religious gatherings ( hey’ats ), significantly increased. In recent years, a new form of Shia ritual, referred to as “public communities”, has emerged which organized by cultural institutions. These communities differ markedly from traditional Shia-Iranian rituals and have established a distinct communicative domain. Aims: This study aims to critically examine these events by identifying their constitutive components and analyzing the nature of their mediatization. Methodology: Three events held in the Iranian calendar year 1401 were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. These Shia-revolutionary performative rituals are categorized into two main domains: the “Public construction of the ritual” and the “construction of the presence and positioning of the subject”. Their media representation is also shaped by two principal categories: the “transitionalization of the communication mode” and “ideological representation”. Findings: Our findings indicate that the organization and media representation of these events produce a spectacular pseudo-ritual that significantly diverges from traditional Shia rituals in Iran. Conclusion: These events have been organized and represented in ways that prioritize spectacle, visibility, and media populism, thus enabling a transformation in ritual structures and indicating a growing tendency toward mediatization in Iran.

In the competitive tourism industry, augmented reality (AR) technology has emerged as a transformative tool for enhancing visitor experiences and promoting cultural identity by blending digital overlays with physical environments, yet prior research often overlooks its role in marketing cultural narratives from industry experts’ perspectives, revealing a theoretical gap in fostering emotional connections and sustainable development. This study aims to explore AR’s role in marketing the cultural identity of tourism destinations, examining how it creates competitive differentiation, strengthens tourist loyalty, and overcomes implementation challenges. Using a qualitative approach with thematic analysis, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 27 industry experts (academics, managers, and technology specialists in tourism and AR), achieving theoretical saturation after 18 interviews, with analyses grounded in frameworks such as Symbolic Interactionism, Experiential Marketing, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Results revealed six main themes: enhancing cultural experiences (e.g., immersive 3D reconstructions), fostering emotional engagement (e.g., creating a sense of belonging), improving tourists’ understanding (e.g., enriching cultural knowledge and promoting responsible behavior), prerequisites for AR adoption (e.g., technological infrastructure and training), outcomes of AR implementation (e.g., increased trust and decision-making), and practical strategies (e.g., cost reduction via open-source platforms). AR delivers interactive, personalized experiences that bolster loyalty but faces barriers like high costs and the need for authentic content. This research fills the gap by providing a conceptual framework for AR in cultural marketing, offering practical recommendations for managers (e.g., collaborative content creation), developers (e.g., gamified apps), and policymakers (e.g., funding infrastructure), while emphasizing AR’s potential for sustainable tourism and suggesting future quantitative studies to validate these qualitative insights.

Objective : This study aims to conceptualize the structure of digital servitization—the shift from product-centric to digital service-oriented business models. It seeks to integrate fragmented academic literature into a coherent framework and provide practical guidance for managers navigating this transformation.  Methodology: Through a systematic review methodology, a meta-synthesis was conducted to integrate and interpret prior research. Following the retrieval of 140 articles from major academic databases, multiple rounds of screening—based on criteria of quality, relevance, and novelty—culminated in the selection of 20 pivotal studies. These were categorized and analyzed through a conceptual model structured around the antecedents, processes, and outcomes of digital servitization. Results : Digital servitization can be structured into three core dimensions. Antecedents include technological readiness, human competencies, and organizational culture. Key processes involve designing digital platforms, implementing data-driven services, and reconfiguring business models. Outcomes result in enhanced innovation, organizational agility, and sustainable business performance. Conclusion : Successful digital servitization requires a systematic approach across antecedents, processes, and outcomes. The proposed framework offers an integrated view of the technological, human, and structural factors involved, helping managers avoid common pitfalls—such as strategy misalignment and employee resistance—and move beyond simple digitalization toward genuine service-based transformation.

Introduction: The intensification of environmental crises in urban societies, particularly in the context of accelerating climate change, has turned environmental policy into one of the most important arenas of public decision-making. Cities are, on the one hand, major centers of pollution generation and resource consumption, and on the other hand, they concentrate the highest levels of social inequality and environmental vulnerability. Within this context, urban environmental policies face complex ethical challenges related to the distribution of responsibilities, costs, and benefits among citizens and institutions. Drawing on the literature of environmental ethics and climate justice, this article seeks to rethink the concept of individual responsibility, examine the tension between environmental efficiency and social justice, and analyze the role of urban institutions and structures in the redistribution of responsibilities. Material and Methods: This research was conducted as a narrative–analytical review article. To this end, reputable scientific sources published in international databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, and Google Scholar were systematically searched. The information obtained from the studies was analyzed and conclusions were drawn based on the analyses. Conclusion: The analytical findings indicate that an exclusive focus on individual responsibility, without due attention to structural and institutional constraints, can lead to the reproduction of urban inequalities and undermine the legitimacy of environmental policies. Climate justice, as a normative framework, enables the integration of environmental efficiency, social justice, and institutional responsibility, and redefines the criteria for policy evaluation. The article concludes that the design of just urban environmental policies requires a multidimensional approach in which citizen empowerment, institutional accountability, and the reduction of social inequalities are pursued simultaneously. Such an approach constitutes a fundamental condition for achieving environmental sustainability and social justice in contemporary cities.

This study examines how The Maximus Poems by Charles Olson and The Opening of the Field by Robert Duncan build on Fredric Jameson’s critique of pastiche, offering a more immediate and engaged model of postmodern writing. Drawing on Jameson’s reading of Lacan—particularly his use of schizophrenia as a way to describe the breakdown of the signifying chain in late capitalism—the research explores how both poets confront the fragmentation of language and its absorption into commodified culture. Olson’s projective verse emphasizes presence and locality, while Duncan’s layered syntax and mythic references resist fixed interpretation and invite open-ended exploration. The study uses close reading and theoretical interpretation to show how both poets turn poetic form into a site of resistance, where language—though fractured— still carries meaning and shapes how we see the world. In Jameson’s terms, these works function as “symbolic texts,” where personal expression and social contradiction intersect. Rather than mirror postmodern disorientation, the poems open up a space for a different kind of awareness—one that moves through the tension between imagination and structure, and points toward the hope and possibility woven into poetic form. 

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) is a cornerstone of Gothic literature, renowned for its dark settings and themes of death, isolation, and vengeance, all of which evoke terror. These elements create profound unease in readers, which Sigmund Freud calls the uncanny. While Freud’s psychoanalytic account emphasizes repressed fears and childhood anxieties, Nicholas Royle’s expanded theory redefines the uncanny as a literary mode which destabilizes identity. This article aims to apply Royle’s theoretical framework to analyze Shelley’s characterization of Victor Frankenstein and his Creature, focusing on five central concepts: silence and isolation, thought, the double, the phantom, and the death drive and repetition. From this vantage point, the study depicts how silence resounds with ghostly echoes in solitude, thought can make the identity fractured, doubling becomes a rupture of the self, the phantom uncovers hidden traumas and inherited secrets, and the death drive takes form as compulsive repetition which haunts the mind. These elements reframe the novel’s horror as uncanny. The findings suggest that through a Roylean perspective on the uncanny, Shelley’s Frankenstein transcends traditional Gothic boundaries by dramatizing the instability of the self and the persistence of what cannot be fully known or repressed.