Introduction:‌The field of cultural drivers encompasses a large and diverse range of actors and functions, and examining these actors can contribute to a better understanding of the structural and functional breadth of this field. In addition, policymaking in the field of cultural drivers is particularly important because of the existence and interrelationship of influential institutions. A comprehensive examination of these institutions requires attention to the major actors involved, their status, formal interactions, objectives, instruments, and functions at the national level. Focusing on this issue, the main actors can be identified through three approaches: examining the functions of institutions; examining four matrices, namely the goals–instruments, institution–instruments, institutional interactions, and institution–goals matrices; and simultaneously examining institutional functions and the four matrices, particularly the institution–function matrix. Accordingly, this study seeks to identify the key actors through the institution–function matrix and addresses two basic questions: 1) Who were the actors involved in cultural drivers before the emergence of virtual social networks in Iran? 2) What functions did each of these actors perform?
Methods: In this study, the “institutional mapping” method was used to examine the major actors involved in cultural drivers before the emergence of virtual social networks in Iranian society. Data were collected through a library-based review of previous studies, documents, and records, including organizational mandates, statutes, laws, and upstream policy documents, as well as interviews with 20 experts and specialists in the fields of culture and media. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, with theoretical saturation achieved at the level of governing institutions, including supra-branch and executive institutions. To identify active actors in the field of cultural drivers and examine the relationships between actors, cultural objectives, and functions, additional data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire based on a matrix of mutual influences. The resulting data were analyzed using MICMAC software.
Findings: The Islamic seminaries exhibited a high level of influence over other actors while also being subject to influence from them, indicating a significant level of power and interaction. Other actors also demonstrated substantial levels of influence and interdependence. Overall, the Islamic seminaries had the greatest influence on other actors, while exhibiting a moderate level of dependence. The police force, by contrast, showed the lowest levels of influence and dependence among the actors. According to the findings, the main custodian at this level was the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. Its most important roles and functions included policymaking; assessment, monitoring, and evaluation; drafting laws and regulations; prioritizing programs and plans; foresight and vision-setting; supporting research; supporting cultural dissemination; and allocating resources and funding to projects. The second group consisted of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), domestic newspapers, and news agencies, which contributed primarily through relevant media productions. The third group comprised the Islamic seminaries and the Islamic Propaganda Organization, which played a role through propaganda and cultural-religious activities in the aforementioned field. These institutions can therefore be regarded as key implementers in the formation of cultural drivers. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Basij Resistance Organization were other important actors, contributing in areas such as media production and support for media productions; addressing the research needs of policymaking bodies; providing statistics and responding to emerging issues; and educating, training, and empowering knowledgeable, specialized, skilled, and creative human resources. In this respect, they constituted another group of actors that functioned as mediators and intermediaries between the policy-making and executive sectors and facilitated the implementation of policies. The findings also showed that the promotion of the spirit of chivalry and the culture of sacrifice, jihad, and martyrdom, as well as the prevention of indecent behavior through the media, received the highest levels of direct and indirect intervention among all actors.
Discussion: By clarifying the influential roles of the Iranian broadcasting system and the Islamic seminaries in shaping the cultural drivers of Iranian society before the emergence of virtual social networks, the findings indicate that these actors played important communicative and cultural roles in the cultural development of Iranian society and in the preservation and transmission of Islamic teachings. They performed both explicit and implicit functions, including role modeling, strengthening religious beliefs, promoting social solidarity, reinforcing the moral order, preserving dominant social models, and providing leisure-related functions. In their efforts to shape culture in society, particularly within the family institution, these actors sought to influence different dimensions of culture. In this process, they contributed first to changes at the level of fundamental beliefs, followed by changes in values and norms, which ultimately contributed to the consolidation of customs, traditions, and, consequently, patterns of lifestyle at the societal level.