Sajede Moghadami

Institute

University of Tehran (UT, Iran)

Research Cluster

Partnership in cooperation development - Access to development cooperation for marginalized groups

Supervisor

Dr. Yones Nourdakh

PhD Project Title

A sociological study of  the role of faith-based organizations and grassroots groups in rural development (with emphasis on structure, plan, policy)

Abstract

Reducing poverty and establishing justice has always been one of the concerns of humanity. This concern has been seen in all periods of history. With the advent of the Islamic Revolution and the emergence of new concepts in the field of justice, the revolutionary forces' attention was drawn to poverty alleviation in all parts of society. These forces, which sought to create a just society with a revolutionary spirit, based on their faith and belief, began to develop in the cities and especially in the deprived villages. About forty years after the revolution, we can still see the traces of the revolutionary forces in the beginning of the revolution and even during the war years.  These Faith based forces  strive to provide justice in their society by providing free services and good deeds in deprived urban and rural areas without pay or benefits. This type of service, according to scientific evidence, is a different way of alleviating poverty in disadvantaged areas. This difference can be seen in several ways: service providers, in addition to eliminating deprivation, seek to gain spiritual benefits from their service. Apart from faith in the spiritual dimension, a firm belief in revolutionary and voluntary  action is one of the basic foundations of these groups.

Accordingly, the link between faith as a manifestation of religion and poverty alleviation as a manifestation of development can be seen in the activities of these groups, and since poverty is often concentrated in rural areas; The advantages and disadvantages of this link can be assessed at the village level. On this basis, faith based groups who do voluntary work in rural spaces to reduce poverty  can be defined as popular groups based on faith and perhaps non-governmental organizations(with a little negligence). Although these groups are funded by governmental and sometimes non-governmental sources because they also bring benefits to the community from non-governmental organizations.

In fact, it can be said that the effectiveness of faith-based groups in rural development is one of the important issues for the researcher. Because according to the religious context of Iranian society, religion can have many functions in development. However, now faith-based groups such as  these constructive groups in Iran have many activities in the field of rural poverty. Accordingly, the researcher's problem is the sociological study of faith-based organizations and popular groups in rural poverty alleviation. this research seek to confirm and provide evidence of rural poverty reduction as an example of the presence of religion in rural development.

Research purposes:

  • Sociological study of the role of faith-based organizations and grassroots groups in rural poverty alleviation policies
  • A study of the positive and negative effects of religion on rural development in Iran
  • Review of poverty alleviation policies and Pathology of faith based groups
  • Criticism of faith based groups' activities in the field of poverty alleviation policies in Iran

Educational Background

  • 2008-2012: Bachelor, Tehran universty, majoring in sociology with a primary focus on searching
  • 2012-2014: Master, Shahed universty, majoring in sociology
  • 2019-2022: PhD, Tehran universty, majoring in sociologywith a primary focus on rural development

Professional Experience

  • September 2019 - Present: TA of Dr Norbakhsh (Tehran university professor & head of unesco chair in social health  & development in Tehran university), part-time, Tehran, Iran.
  • December 2019 - Present: Executive Board Member in Unesco chair in social health and development of Tehran university, Part-time, Tehran, Iran.
  • August 2020 - April 2021: cultural consultant & researcher in Emdad comitee ( which is responsible for poor people ,women, indigenous people, people with disabilities), part-time, Tehran, Iran.
  • December 2019 - March 2021: Workshop instructor of social health and development in Tehran university, part-time, Tehran, Iran.
  • April 2019 - August 2021: Teacher of secondary and high school of Hafezan vahy, part-time, Tehran, Iran.
  • 2018: Writer & translator in field of culture & thought in Fars news Agency, part-time, Tehran, Iran.
  • 2012-2014: Writer in Snn News agency, part-time, Tehran, Iran.

Social / Political Activities

  • Active Member of women group in unesco chair in social health  & development of Tehran university

Publication

Contact

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