Pizhuhish nāmah-i intiqādī-i mutūn va barnāmah hā-yi ̒ulūm-i insāni (Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences)

A Critique of the Iranian Temperament Genre A Case Study of the Book Intimate Sociology: Why Are We Helpless?

Document Type : Research

Authors

Ehsan Khanmohammadi 1
Ramin Moradi 2

1 PhD in Sociology, Yasuj University, Yasuj, Iran

2 PhD in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Yasuj University, Yasuj, Iran,

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2024.44553.2707
Abstract
There are many works about the moral behavior of Iranians. The genre of Iranian Temperament is a distinctive form of social literature that examines and catalogs the moral and behavioral traits of Iranians. Numerous works have been written under this genre. In this article, we have chosen one of Hassan Naraghi's books to examine and criticize the representation of Iranian moral behavior. We have criticized this book using the critical discourse analysis method based on van Dijk's model. The results of the research showed that in this work, Naraghi used many ideological strategies to represent the moral behaviors of Iranians. Naraghi criticizes Iranian behavior in light of self-critical discourse. Rather than describing the moral behavior of Iranians, he gives direction to it. According to Naraghi's representation, Iranians' undesirable moral behaviors are fourteen times more common than their desirable moral behaviors. Works of this genre ultimately claim that Iranians are inherently immoral and Westerners are inherently moral. Therefore, works of this genre should be criticized because, by unrealistically representing us Iranians, they can have negative identity consequences for society.

Keywords

Moral Behaviors
Representation
Critical Discourse Analysis
Self-Critical Discourse
Self-Orientalism
Iranian Temperament

Subjects

Amir, A. (2016), Genealogy of the works of Iranian Temperament in the last fifty years, Tehran: Research Institute of Culture, Art and Communication.
Amir, A. (2016), Iranian Self-Analysis in the Modern Era; Collection of Articles from the Iranian Self-Analysis Conference in the Modern Era, Armin Mir (ed.), Tehran: Research Institute of Culture, Art and Communication.
Hall, S (1997), Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, Sage Publication.
Jorgensen, M. and L. Phillips (2002), Discourse analysis as theory and method, SAGE Publications Ltd.
Mardiha, M. (2019), “Temperament Genre: An Explanatory View”, Quarterly of Social Studies and Research in Iran, vol. 8, no. 2, 257-278.
Namdar, M. and J. Nazarimoghaddam (2019), “Validation of the Theory of ‘Oriental Despotism’ in Understanding Social Developments in Iran”, Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences, vol. 18, no. 12, 207-230.
Naraghi, H. (2020), Intimate Sociology: Why Are We Helpless, Tehran: Akhtaran Publication.
Storey, J. (1996), Cultural Studies and the Study of Popular Culture, Edinburgh University Press.
Tofigh, E. et al. (2019), The Emergence of the Kholqiyat in Iran, Tehran: Research Institute of Culture, Art and Communication.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1993), “Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis, The Study of Discourse Analysis”, Special Issue of Discourse & Society, vol. 4, no. 2, 249-283.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1995), Discourse Analysis as Ideology Analysis, in: Language and Peace, C. Schafner and A. Wenden (eds.), Alder shot: Dartmouth Publishing.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1995), From Text Grammar to Critical Discourse Analysis, University of Amsterdam Program of Discourse Studies.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1997), “Discourse as Interaction Society”, in: Discourse Studies: A multidisciplinary Introduction, London: Sage Publication.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1997), “The Study of Discourse”, in: Discourse Studies: Multidisciplinary Introduction, London: Sage Publication.
 
Pizhuhish nāmah-i intiqādī-i mutūn va barnāmah hā-yi ̒ulūm-i insāni (Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences)
Volume 24, Issue 4 - Serial Number 118
Winter 2025
Winter 2025
Pages 79-105

  • Receive Date 06 October 2024
  • Revise Date 28 November 2024
  • Accept Date 29 December 2024

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