Investigating the Interaction Between the State and the Society during the Period of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Policymaking from the Perspective of the Network Society

Laelalizadeh, Mohammad; Dianat, Mohsen

doi:10.22054/tssq.2025.72744.1396

Investigating the Interaction Between the State and the Society during the Period of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Policymaking from the Perspective of the Network Society

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohammad Laelalizadeh

Mohsen Dianat

Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Payame Noor University (PNU), Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22054/tssq.2025.72744.1396

Abstract

The government, as a special political institution that plays a role in political and social developments and the development of societies, its interaction with society is always emphasized. Meanwhile, the interaction between the government and the society, the distribution of power and the influence of different groups and institutions is one of the issues that have been defined in different ways among thinkersIn this research, with a sociological approach and in the framework of Joel Migdal's theoretical model of the government in society and the network society and in the form of a descriptive-analytical method by collecting documents and library information related to the relationship between society and the government during the Islamic Revolution., it was determined that in the form of a qualitative method and understanding of the interaction between the government and society in Iran after the Islamic revolution and the collection of documentary and library information; It was found that in the interaction between the government and the society after the Islamic revolution, the government in the components of the ability to influence the society; And the distribution/allocation of resources has not performed successfully, however, it has been successful in the component of resource extraction and has also performed relatively successfully in social control. Despite the formation of a networked society, its hard and impenetrable shell has caused the government to resort to tough institutions such as the military and security agencies, and a strong and developmental government is not being formed towards change and transformation. Therefore, the relationship between the state and society and the link between society and power in the policy-making process is determined. By analyzing the Migdal network society, a model of policy making in the period after the Islamic Revolution is proposed.
There are various theories about the relationship between the state and society, which can be considered in the form of theories of rentier government, absolute patrimonial government, authoritarian bureaucratic government, theory of oriental tyranny, theory of Sultanate systems, theories of development and modernization. Many existing approaches to understanding social and political transformations in the third world have underestimated the conflict between the state and society (especially in modernization theories), or ignored certain types of conflict that only occasionally have a class basis (such as Marxist content) or Those who are blind to the most important dynamics within the society (such as the theories of dependence and the world system). The current research may suggest a new model to help overcome the traditional (modernist) understanding of the hegemonic role of the state to control society. Such a paradigm can show the vital role of religious networks and other civil society organizations in development. This study proposes Joel Migdal's (1994) government-in-society approach, which conceptualizes the government (a political organization) and other agents of community development as competing social forces in different arenas of society. According to Migdal, the state is neither an organic entity nor an ontological status, because it does not exist outside or beyond society, but it is a part of society, like other factors affecting development.
The current research, considering the theoretical framework of Joel Migdal's network society, intends to deal with the type of interaction between the Iranian government and society after the Islamic Revolution. Knowing this relationship and how the government interacts with society is an important factor in understanding the country's position in the path of development. With the formation of these power networks and groups, the gap between the government and society has deepened so much that the society has been able to confront the government; But this capability of the society does not mean its strengthening, but rather the weakening of the government, which could not have the ability to influence the society and respond to the demands of the society according to the resources at its disposal and within the framework of the regulation of desirable social relations. The society has become extremely hard and impenetrable, and the government has resorted to hard and efficient institutions such as parties, the military, and security agencies to implement its decisions, as a result of which the distance between the government and society has increased. In fact, the existence of a powerful and stable government is indeed necessary for political development, but the existence of an active civil society, which consists of political, social, and trade union institutions and organizations independent of the government, is also one of the most essential elements of political development.
Conclusion: The findings and data analysis of the Islamic Republic period based on Migdal's point of view, indicate that the focus has changed from the government as a structural approach based on an independent and centralized organization to a process-oriented and network view of the government and society. Therefore, according to this perspective, the policy model regarding the government and society can also be reviewed with a new perspective.

Keywords

Islamic Republic of Iran

Migdal

Network Society

Policymaking. State

Society

Subjects

Political Sociology

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