Sociological Cultural Studies

Sociological Cultural Studies

Changes of Philanthropy Culture in Iranian Society

Document Type : .

Authors
Alireza Eskandarinezhad 1
Younes Nourbakhsh 2
1 PhD Candidate in Cultural Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.30465/scs.2025.48282.2837
Abstract
Introduction
Philanthropy is one of the most ancient social actions of Iranian society. Our culture, especially literature and folk culture and great poets like Saadi, are full of anecdotes that have directly or indirectly spoken in praise of charity and good people. Many theorists and researchers in the field of philanthropy return the history of philanthropy and charity in Iran to before the arrival of Islam. The issue of the history of philanthropy shows that the issue of philanthropy in Iran, according to common definitions, is a social institution that has had its own function in different historical periods. Understanding the cultural changes in this area, especially the changes in people's actions in this area, has not been included in the research subject of the study. The current research is an effort to understand these cultural changes in the context of charitable activities. In this research, more than anything else, we will look at macro cultural changes in the field of philanthropy. Researches in this field have rarely made such changes the subject of their study. It seems that in order to understand this area of social life in the first place and cultural and social policy making in the next step, one should have a relatively accurate picture of the current situation and of course the changes that this area has found over time. As a result, the main question of the current research is what changes have occurred in the values, attitudes, meanings and implications related to philanthropy in Iran during at least the last four decades.
Materials and methods
The current research has included interviews with 30 charity managers using qualitative methodology. The sampling of the current research was non-probable and purposeful. Finally, the texts of the interviews are interpreted and presented using the qualitative content analysis technique.
Discussion & Results
Based on qualitative content analysis, 3 main categories were extracted. The first category is the differentiation of philanthropy, which means the specialization of philanthropic activities in Iran, people's more specialized view of charities and philanthropy, the expansion of mass media in this area, and a series of changes that have raised philanthropy as an independent social field. The second category is the downplaying of benevolence or charity. In fact, according to the participants in the research, the general trust of the people in good deeds has decreased and the charitable and benevolent activities of the people have decreased. Finally, the last category is structural upheavals, which refers to the aggravation of the situation of the needy and the needy and the turbulent economic situation of the Iranian society and the role of these upheavals in changing the values, attitudes and implications of charity.
Conclusion
It seems that paying attention to changes in the culture of charity in Iranian society can facilitate policy-making in this area, which has received less attention before. The present study attempted to shed light on some of the most important and prominent changes in the field of charity. Social and institutional trust is a very important issue in the field of charity that can lead people towards a culture of volunteerism and generosity. The attention of government officials to cultural changes, especially the issue of reducing public trust, can lead the charity environment towards more effective cooperation and attracting more participation and trust. However, the results of this study should not be exaggerated. Various limitations that came in the way of this study have overshadowed the results of this study; including the fact that one of the most important elements of charity, namely actual and potential philanthropists (people), were not present as participants in this study.
Keywords
Philanthropy culture
Cultural changes
Charity culture
Public trust
Iran
Subjects
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Sociological Cultural Studies
Volume 17, Issue 1 - Serial Number 59
Spring 2026
Spring 2026
Pages 517-546

  • Receive Date 02 March 2024
  • Revise Date 08 February 2025
  • Accept Date 08 February 2025
  • Publish Date 22 May 2026