Necessity of Offering Correct Definition of Applied Terms for Cultural Observation

Touching on the lack of sufficient vocabularies and standard concepts on the cultural observation, the director general of the Cultural Observation and Studies Office of Islamic Development Organization‘s research and education department stated: if we review the existing literature on the cultural observation in our country, we will realize that yet, there is no comprehensive definitions of the applied terms for this field.

The informed and motivated researchers and experts have to take the essential measures to investigate in this regard and offer the correct and useable definitions of the cultural observation. If a program or activity is to be suggested in the domain of the cultural observation, it will be inevitable to make use of words and terms like cultural goods, cultural observation, cultural lookout, currentology, cultural space, precious goods, satisfaction, etc.; whereas cultural managers don’t have a common and understandable perception of these terms and the definitions of these words differ among them, Davoud Mirzaee added, public relations office of Islamic Development Organization reported.

Stating that cultural goods have various definitions, he specified: these definitions are divided into various domains by the Cultural Observation and Studies Office. Cultural goods are divided into media cultural goods (written and non-written) and non-media goods (dolls, computer games, etc.).

Mirzaee Moqadam stated that cultural observation means to analyze and consider the values, attitudes, norms and behaviors of the public, the level of national and general culture and sub-cultures, and it aims at identifying the cultural issues and analyzing the cultural processes in various domains including religious culture, political culture, economic culture, civilized culture and scientific culture.

He defined the applied terms for the cultural observation as the following:

Observation: keeping careful watch for collecting and reporting data across the region by utilizing the newest means and standard methods of gathering information.

Currentology: having a careful study regarding the targeted subjects in order to know the roots of forming and the aims and path of the various intellectual, cultural, social and political sects by sharing the views and experiences of researchers and prominent professors

Cultural space: in various levels, it is based on a new definition which seeks the cultural space at the point at which the body of the city meets with the mind of citizens regarding the cultural issues. From this point of view, as well as not understating the material aspect of life, the importance of the intellectual and non-material aspect of culture including common points, backgrounds, history, mental and emotional needs of citizens, main role of officials in creating the culture or developing the essential facilities is highlighted.

Satisfaction: satisfaction means a feeling achieved after consuming a product or receiving a service.

Superior and exemplary goods: it is a product or goods which can be a model for the other similar products, since it has been produced based on the latest defined standards.

Monday 30 April 2012 - 10:6