Blackwell Reference Online

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Communication studies in Iran is a hybrid field combining both the western and Islamic traditions. In its Islamic context, it focuses on a process of tabligh or propagation rooted in Islamic theology, philosophy, rhetoric (→ Rhetorical Studies ), poetics, → linguistics , and speech. It deals with the traditional channels of communication peculiar to Islam and especially Iran, such as the mosque, Friday congregations, bazaar, and public gatherings in such places as the husseinieh , hey'at , and doreh . The mosque serves not only for daily prayers but also for spreading news and opinion and as a forum for political decision-making. This form of communication, called khutbah , is largely based on the Islamic tradition of combining political and religious discourse. (→ Communication Modes: Muslim ) Theological schools and colleges, especially in such cities as Qum, Mashad, Isfahan, and Tabriz, have always been the centers of traditional communication studies and education. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Islamization of communication studies of all kinds, in both traditional and modern media, has been at the center of the work of Iranian universities and higher education. For example, Imam Sadegh University, established immediately after the revolution, has pioneered both undergraduate and graduate studies in the field of communication and culture, producing a number ... log in or subscribe to read full text