Hadi Azami; Vahid Sadeghi; Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Hosseini
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Tribalism, birthplace, and nativism are factors that influence the candidates’ voter bases. The Mamasani electorate is a geographical region in which the political actors’ bases are influenced by regional and tribal orientations; a major part of their success ...
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Extended Abstract
Introduction
Tribalism, birthplace, and nativism are factors that influence the candidates’ voter bases. The Mamasani electorate is a geographical region in which the political actors’ bases are influenced by regional and tribal orientations; a major part of their success is indebted to tribalism and their place of birth. Yet, despite the dominant influence of tribal voting patterns on political actions of Mamasani voters, the candidates and representatives’ bases at this electorate are not solely exclusive to their tribe or habitat territory; the presence of geographical regions that play a complementary role in the base with either a fragile or stable nature at the territories of other tribes could also play a significant role in their victory. Subsequently, it can be expressed that the formation of social roles at each tribal territory would empower and form the candidates’ bases in a “random”, “organized”, or “hybrid” manner.
Review of Literature
2.1. Social Network
The focus of the social network theory is on connections and relations between different components of social phenomena. According to this theory, there are interactive network among various components of the society both at micro and macro scales. Integration of these interactive networks and their functions result in the preservation and survival of the organism of society.
2.2 Social Construct
The theory of social construct involves a network of positions or degrees by which people have relations with one another. Fundamental elements of the social construct include “culture”, “language”, and “communication”; to understand social actions, it is necessary to recognize these elements as well as their interrelations. In the structural view, people in a society are regarded as beings under the influence of social constructs, of which they are members.
2.3 Electoral Geography
Electoral geography is the analysis of interactions between space, location, and the election process, as well as the study of the effects of spatial differences in political behaviors. Alternatively, electoral geography is inspired by political geography in which the patterns for spatial distribution of power as interactive relations among geography, election and power are examined.
2.4 Tribalism
Tribalism is an internal sense and motivation within the inhabitants of a particular location who prefer the values related to their understanding of their living environment over values that extend beyond their own territory and relate to other locations. Accordingly, as a coherent and consistent whole, the residents of a particular settlement have a local collective identity based on which they would vote for a figure or a party they sympathize with, whilst taking their own social, economic, and cultural into account.
Method
The present inquiry is a basic study conducted using the descriptive-analytical method. In this study, the relation between three variables of the social network theory, social construct, and voter base were examined and analyzed as the independent, mediator, and dependent variables, respectively. Data were collected using library and document studies as well as field observations.
Results and Discussion
Given the findings of the study, factors including tribes and ethnic and kin relations had the highest effect on the formation of candidates’ bases at Mamasani electorate due to the dominant tribal-oriented structure of the area; subsequently, the number of votes for the entire candidates were guaranteed at their places of birth. However, candidates and members from each tribe have managed to create social networks within each other’s territories using tools of social; construct (culture, language, and communication). Considering the type of social construct, these networks are classified into a number of forms including “organized”, “random”, and “hybrid”. Consequently, organized networks within the territory of a tribe are oriented towards the candidates of another tribe based on factors such as identity, location, culture and language, empowering their voter bases. Furthermore, random networks during certain election rounds have supported candidates associated with other tribes using communication tools (social interaction, economic services, construction projects, funds, pertinacity, etc.). Therefore, it is much more likely for these networks to separate themselves from other tribes and support their own. In addition, some of these networks are hybrid (identify-benefit) to serve as a powerful support for representatives. The findings also show that the candidates and representatives of three tribes including Bakesh, Rostam, and Javid have managed to create networks within each other’s territories.
Conclusion
According to the results, during the 7th until the 10th round of election, the voting bases of candidates and representatives from tribes including Bakesh, Javid, Rostam, and Tire Bavaan have been influenced by environmental and identity-related factors such as geographical and tribal identities; moreover, the representatives’ bases were empowered by constructs such as random, organized, and hybrid social networks shaped by tools of social construct (culture, language, and communication).
Meysam Mirzaei Tabar; Seyed Mohammad Hossein Hosseini; Vahid Sadeghi
Abstract
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Citizenship and citizenship rights are important legal and political concepts that can have different functions in traditional and new societies. Mamasani is one of the counties of Fars Province, which still has its traditional structure. Formation of clan and tribal ...
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Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Citizenship and citizenship rights are important legal and political concepts that can have different functions in traditional and new societies. Mamasani is one of the counties of Fars Province, which still has its traditional structure. Formation of clan and tribal tendencies in this county associated with the ranks of residents suggests that citizenship rights can be influenced by political and tribal considerations especially during elections. In addition, victorious candidates in parliamentary elections may have a tribalism approach to citizens’ issues, and their sense of belonging to their clan and family is a prominent feature of candidates’ personality, rather than being representative of the public. An attempt to divide individuals (outsider and insider) can lead to strengthen and weaken the various regions of the county. Tribal nationalism may be increased among those feeling that their rights have been violated. It affects the components of freedom and justice known as citizenship rights and causes the next election cycle turn into a conflict. Obviously, the emphasis on tribal issues in an election can affect the positive and negative freedom of the people’s independence. The present research has questioned the relationship between tribal culture and civil rights in Mamasani county. It seems that there is a meaningful relationship between the two variables of tribal culture and citizenship rights, and the attitudes of the tribal elite have a key role in ignoring the rights of citizens in the Mamasani County.
2. Theoretical Framework
Citizenship rights
Citizens’ rights or civil freedom are a set of civil, political, economic, and social rights that a person has as a member of community. The set of freedoms that people of a community have, the so-called individual rights, freedoms and the general rights of citizens, are also considered as the human and citizens’ rights.
Positive and Negative Liberties
Positive freedom means individual autonomy to act according to reason and the right of participate. In contrast to the concept of positive liberation, the concept of negative liberty defends the basis of liberalism. As Berlin (2003) states, "If I cannot do what I want because of the interference of others, I will lose my freedom, and if the interference of others expand so that the scope of my freedom is less than minimal, I've been taken as a slave”.
Election
Elections are the most important means of responding to public opinion, demands and preferences. It shows the social bases of political power. It is a good criterion for assessing the distribution of power in the society. Election is a democratic way of selecting the institutions for public representation, and building the foundation of legitimate democratic structures.
Tribe and Tribalism
A cultural unit is composed of an interconnected human community in a geographic space in which people have a common perception of each other's characteristics and interests. Accordingly, tribalism assumes that residents form a coherent whole together and have a collective and local identity based on their characteristics, and social, economic, and cultural identities. This collective identity brings about collective unity, social cohesion and social solidarity.
3. Methodology
The aim of the present research is twofold. In terms of purpose, it is fundamental and also applied. Nevertheless, its fundamental aspect can be considered as its dominant one. In terms of ontology and methodology, the research is a descriptive and analytical study that investigates the relationship of two variables of tribalism as an independent variable, and the rights of citizenship as a dependent variable. Data were collected through the library, field observations and statistical analysis of the questionnaire.
4. Findings and Discussion
Findings of the research show that one of the factors of the formation of clan tendencies and its socio-political culture in Mamasani County has been based on human work in history. This culture has faced with members of various tribes over the time with doubt, and taught them to pursue the goals through overcoming the "other". Accordingly, traditions are preferred more than rational choice, emphasizing the common history and tribal morale. It is the basis of individuals’ performance in Mamasani; thus, it limits the positive freedom. Based on these findings, the mental and objective effects of tribalism culture affect the negative freedom of citizens, their privacy and thoughts. The kinship groups play the most important role in stimulating the traditional pattern in the minds of individuals and they are forced to accept social and political life of the tribesmen. In this regard, the institutionalization of the tribal life and the safeguarding of traditions are also objectively apparent. The election of the Islamic parliament is an area for showing and proving themselves to the other tribes. The deprivation of the positive and negative freedom of citizens in Mamasany County, in addition to influencing the individual's attitude through the tribal and traditions, is influenced by other influential groups elites and social forces. On the election day, they practically take the citizens to the service of the tribal desires. Thus, the rights of citizenship are ignored. The findings also suggest that kinship groups make it possible spontaneously or deliberately to mobilize the masses on the basis of clerical culture and neglect the citizenship rights. Generally, the domination of clan culture in the electoral space leads to neglecting the citizenship rights through depriving the positive and negative liberties of the independence and vote; creating an atmosphere of emotional and irrational political participation; providing a field of ineffective participation in the political destiny of the land management; the lack of respect to the citizens' privacy; creation of conditions for the victorious candidates to regard their tribe and the unequal allocation of funds facilities and management positions in different parts of the city.
