Since 1979 Iranians have experienced a variety of events that reasonably will have lasting effects on their mental health. In 1979 the Islamic Revolution took place and in 1980 eight years of Iraq-Iran war started. In recent years there has developed conflicts between Iran and the International society because of the Iranian activities in developing nuclear energy. To these can be added the social and religious limitations on the behavior of people. These limitations are experienced especially strong in the life of adolescents and young people. This thesis covers four different aspects of the mental health of Iranians. General health questionnaire (GHQ-12) was utilized to investigate the mental health of 4599 Iranian 3rd grade high school students (aged 17-18 years). The GHQ cut off was taken 7 or more. A considerable proportion of the students were at risk of suffering from mental health problems (29.5 %), girls more than boys. Periodic mental health surveys in high schools are proposed to identify students at risk and activities to improve their coping skills and problem-solving abilities. To study the methods of poisoning used for deliberate self harm, 2039 medical records in Loghman Hospital in Tehran were reviewed (52.3 % were females). Loghman Hospital is a specialized hospital for intoxication cases. In both genders the greatest proportions of individuals were in the ages 20-29. Drugs, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals were the most commonly used methods in each age group regardless of gender. Females outnumbered males especially in the youngest age group of 10 to 19 years of age. In a cross sectional study of 214 subjects from Tehran the Attitude Towards Suicide (ATTS) instrument was translated and validated in Farsi language. The coefficient alpha for all sections was more than 0.70 except for the Attitude section which was 0.68. Ten latent factors were extracted from the attitude section accounting for 61 % of the variance in the data. It is concluded that the instrument can be used to study suicide ideation and attempts in Iranian populations, but new items with special attention to Iranian cultural characteristics should be added to the attitude section. To make a cross cultural comparison of personality using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) samples of 300 Germans, 300 Swedes and 316 Iranian subjects were studied. The factorial structural analysis using procrustes rotation method showed the structure of personality to be generally rather equivalent across cultures. It is apparent, however, that there are cultural differences between the Iranian and the European subjects mainly concerning character dimensions. These results support the theoretical assumptions that character development is mainly determined by socio-cultural factors during the socialization process. Based on our studies on independent samples in Iran a significant number of people are at risk of various mental health problems. A considerable number of young and adults are at risk of attempting self harm and suicide. Because of many limitations on specific topics of research in Iran including self harm and suicide we cannot present a realistic picture of this phenomenon in our society. There are different sources of tension in adolescent's life in Iran including familial and social sources. They are ever increasing in nature and in number. Besides these domestic sources of inconvenience our people is living in a kind of cold war situation which increases tension over life of all people.

Studien syftar till att undersöka forskares upprätthållande av säkerhetiseringen av Irans kärnkraftprogram och hur detta påverkar deras roll som potentiella policyskapare. Studien ämnar vara teoriutvecklande genom att definiera Köpenhamnsskolans aktörsroll inom säkerhetiseringsteorin på ett mer nyanserat och precist sätt. Studien går igenom olika perspektiv inom debatten kring ”bridging the gap” mellan teori och praktik och använder Köpenhamnsskolans säkerhetiseringsteori som analytiskt ramverk vid analysen av det empiriska materialet. Studien analyserar artiklar skrivna av amerikanska forskare i amerikanska tidskrifter och undersöker hur och om dessa upprätthåller säkerhetiseringen av Irans kärnkraftprogram. Studien sätter därmed forskarna i rollen som säkerhetiserande aktörer för att se hur detta kan påverka forskarnas roll i att ”bridge the gap”. Studien menar att forskare genom att ha ”dubbla roller” som både ”forskare” och ”aktörer” kan använda sig av säkerhetisering för att ”bridge the gap” mellan forskning och policyskapande.

Many researchers have contributed to the field of international purchasing; but there are no consistent findings to illustrate particular connections within the field. This particular research studies the ways that two Iranian producers of polymer piping systems handle international purchasing in current complex Iranian economic circumstances. By going beyond macroeconomic theories of international trade and using three-factor model of international industrial purchasing this particular study aims to reveal how international industrial purchasing is handled by Iranian producers of polymer piping systems under current Iranian economic and politic circumstances. A case study approach employing face-to-face semi-structured interview method is designed. A set of interview questionnaires was designed to gather empirical qualitative and quantitative data. A narrative analysis was then conducted to lead the discussions and to draw conclusions. The results of the study show that international purchasing in both firms is influenced by internal factors including attitudes and competence as well as external factors including market conditions and regulations. The levels to which the first three mentioned factors influence international purchasing varies between the studied firms; but regulations have similar effects on the ways the studied firms handle international purchasing. Also, the modified three-factor model is perfectly applicable to the studied cases under current circumstances of Iranian economy.

Los académicos del campo de la traductología han argumentado que los principales agentes de las traducciones (traductores, editores y los diferentes intermediarios que se encuentran entre los traductores y sus clientes) merecen más atención por parte de la academia. Más aún, es poco lo que saben los académicos no persas sobre la teoría y la práctica de la traducción en el Irán moderno, es decir desde el siglo XIX hasta la actualidad. Los investigadores en el campo de la traductología que usan enfoques sociológicos ahora exploran el concepto de agencia y la agencia de los agentes de la traducción. El Irán moderno, por su contexto geopolítico y socio-cultural específico, es un ejemplo revelador que no solo proporciona un buen entendimiento del papel de los agentes de la traducción y su agencia, sino que también ayuda a comprender las formas como se ejerce esta agencia. Con base en los conceptos de campo, capital y disposición de Pierre Bourdieu, principalmente, y usando también dos principios de la teoría de actor-red de Bruno Latour, esta tesis busca describir y examinar la agencia en la traducción y la producción de novelas en inglés en el Irán moderno. Para realizar este análisis, los traductores y los editores se consideran los agentes principales de la traducción. El estudio plantea tres preguntas principales: quién decide qué se traduce, qué motiva a los traductores y editores a traducir y producir novelas escritas en inglés y qué limita o refuerza su agencia. Estas preguntas se ponen a prueba usando un modelo de agencia de tres capas, que incluye un enfoque de método mixto de estudios históricos y archivísticos, datos cuantitativos sobre el flujo de las traducciones y estudios de caso desarrollados por medio de entrevistas y observación de los participantes. Los resultados, que tienen implicaciones en los campos de la traductología, los estudios iraníes y la industria editorial, muestran que los agentes de traducción han podido ejercer su agencia, a pesar de la complicada naturaleza política de Irán. Asimismo, los traductores iraníes tienen un papel tan importante como el de los editores al momento de elegir las novelas que se van a traducir. Las motivaciones de los agentes de la traducción también varían desde motivos sociales y culturales hasta motivos con una orientación más profesional. Finalmente, diferentes factores textuales y contextuales han limitado la práctica de los agentes de las traducciones. Sin embargo, históricamente los agentes han usado diferentes tipos de estrategias (como exiliarse o traducir los clásicos) para lidiar con estos problemas y con el fin de mantener su posición en el campo editorial en el Irán moderno. / Translation Studies (TS) scholars have argued that the main translation agents – translators, publishers, and various intermediaries that come between translators and their clients – deserve more scholarly attention. Moreover, the theory and practice of translation in modern Iran, i.e. from the late nineteenth century to the present time, is little known to non-Persian scholars. TS researchers using sociological approaches to translation are now exploring the concept of agency and the agency of translation agents. Modern Iran, given its specific geo-political and socio-cultural context, is a revealing case in point in providing insight not only into the role of translation agents and their agency, but into understanding the ways they exercise it. Drawing mainly on Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capital, and disposition, and partially on two principles of Bruno Latour’s actor-network theory, this thesis aims at describing and examining agency in the translation and production of novels from English in modern Iran, taking translators and publishers as the main translation agents. The study poses three main questions: who decides what to translate, what motivates translators and publishers to translate and produce novels from English, and what constrains or enhances their agency. These questions are then put into a three-tier model of agency, using a multi-method approach of historical and archival studies, quantitative data on translation flow, and case studies in the form of interviews and participant observation. The findings, with implications for the fields of TS, Iranian Studies, and the publishing industry, show that translation agents have been able to voice their agency, despite the complicated nature of political Iran. Moreover, Iranian translators perform just as important a role in selecting novels for translation as the publishers. The motivations of translation agents also range from social and cultural motives to more professionally oriented ones. Finally, various textual and contextual factors have constrained the translation agents’ practice; nonetheless, they have historically used multiple coping strategies, such as going into exile and translating the classics, in order to maintain their position in the publishing field in modern Iran.

Social capital is a concept which has almost recently entered into the literature of sociologyand during the last two decades, Robert Putnam and James Coleman have paid a particularattention to conceptualizing it. Putnam emphasizes the horizontal relationship among peopleand Coleman puts an emphasis on the vertical contribution and the relation among people incivil institutions as the creators of social capital on the one hand, and the products of socialcapital on the other hand .When it comes to the notion of sustainable development, social capital besides other capitalsis an essential part of the resources that a sustainable community requires, and is consideredas one of the engines of development.It needs to be considered that social capital has the characteristic of multiplication andreproduction. It means that through its proper utilization, there is an opportunity ofaggregating it. On contrary, leaving it not used leads to its destruction and diminishing. Thisfact shows an important difference between social capital and other forms of capital.The main objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between social capitaland sustainable development in the city of Zahedan the center of Sistan and Baluchestanprovince in Southern Iran. This province is located far away from the Capital city of Teheranand thus, compared to more central parts of the country, is considered as one of the leastdeveloped Iranian provinces.Zahedan on the one hand has an increasing population growth in a heterogeneous formconsisting of different cultures, social classes and ethnicities and on the other hand, theprovince shares the same border with two crisis stricken countries of Pakistan andAfghanistan, whose crises have great negative impacts on Zahedan such as social insecurity,economic instability, high risk of financial investment, and high rate of crime related tosmuggling and drug trafficking. The uncontrolled immigration of refugees and their dwellingin the most deprived parts of the city have resulted in conflict, weakened conformity coupledwith little sense of belonging, growth of formlessness in this area and also increase in povertyrate and marginalization. All of these problems created many obstacles in the way of theZahedan’s sustainable development. Thus sustainable development takes a new meaning withsocial capital. Knowing the indices such as public trust, participation and social awarenesscan play a significant role in increasing and decreasing social capital and sustainabledevelopment. According to the latest census, the population of this city was 567449 peoplewhich included the main ethnic groups of Baluch (48%), Zaboli (41%), Birjandi (7%) and others (4%). For the analysis of the above mentioned indices in this research, 183 peoplewere selected based on the proportion of each ethnic group through random sampling and thenecessary information was collected through using questionnaires and it was analyzedthrough using the Pearson Test in SPSS software. The results are as follows: The average level of each of the main components of social capital, namely publictrust, participation and awareness is low among the citizens of Zahedan. There is a positive correlation between the low level of social capital indices and the weak situation of sustainable development in the city of Zahedan.

The purpose of this study is to depict and analyze the foreign policy perspectives of political factions in Iran. The focus will be on the goals of the factions while the mechanics of the factional contention will be discussed only to the extent that it is related to this issue. The argument will be that the views of the factions with regards to foreign policy of Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) are determined by the needs of the domestic agenda of each faction namely its economic and cultural policies. To develop the thesis, firstly the concept of factionalism will be reviewed within the context of Iranian politics. Secondly, the foreign policy perspectives of the factions in the first two and a half decades of the Islamic Republic will be outlined. Next, an account of the most recent factional positions regarding the foreign policy will be provided. To conclude, an analysis will be made to demonstrate the main arguments of the thesis.

Texte remanié de: Dissertation Ph. D.--Department of Near Eastern Studies, Art and Archaeology--Berkeley--University of California, 1988. / Bibliogr. p. 211-227. Index.

Diss.--Uppsala--University, 2002. / Bibliogr. p. 367-383.

Habilitationsschrift--Universität Bonn, 1996. / Notes bibliogr.

Dissertation--Universität Wien, 2001. Titre de soutenance : Der Herrscher als Jäger - Die Jagd der Souveränen Herrscher des makedonischen und persischen Reichs vom 6.-4. Jahrhundert v. Chr. sowie unter den Diadochen Alexanders des Grossen. / Bibliogr. p. 13-27.