Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1 Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Theology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
2 Master student of public policy at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman. Iran.
Abstract
Highlights
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Cyberspace has emerged as one of the most central, contested, and politically sensitive issues in the Islamic Republic of Iran, encompassing political, social, and security dimensions. The country’s political factions, adopting divergent approaches toward this domain, have generated a wide range of outcomes. Policymaking in this field is largely informed by various theoretical foundations, each rooted in distinct political and philosophical schools of thought. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the policymaking and governance of cyberspace in Iran, with a particular focus on examining the dominant political factions’ approaches.
The research methodology is based on a qualitative content analysis approach. To collect data, 17 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior executive and legislative managers and experts (including members of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace and the Parliamentary Commission on Regulatory Affairs), university professors, and scholars representing different political orientations in the country. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, and qualitative content analysis was employed to process the information.
The findings indicate that policymaking and governance of cyberspace in Iran represent a multidimensional and highly contested arena, profoundly influenced by persistent disagreements among political factions. These divergences stem from differences in ideological foundations, political thought, moral values, and strategic goals, all of which directly shape the policy orientations proposed by each faction with regard to cyberspace. Ultimately, the study concludes by offering several policy recommendations aimed at strengthening control and improving governance of the national cyberspace.
The theoretical importance of this research is that in this research, by analyzing the state of the country's cyberspace, with regard to policymaking and governance approaches in the field of cyberspace, taking into account the views of elites Looking at the challenges that have arisen in implementing the plan to protect users' rights in cyberspace and regulate social media, they will be addressed and emphasized using the qualitative content analysis method.
in legislation, and taking into account the opinions of the country's political currents.
Methodology
In principle, the key feature of the case study approach is not the method or the data but the emphasis on understanding processes as they occur in their context. The emphasis is not on separating the context from the research subject but on seeing the subject in the research context. This research is applied in terms of its purpose, pragmatic in terms of its philosophy and paradigm of research, mixed in terms of its research approach, cross-sectional in terms of its time, based on the qualitative content analysis method in terms of its research strategy, mixed in terms of its data type, exploratory in terms of its data collection method, and based on interviews with experts. A total of 17 interviews were conducted with experts and specialists, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached and no new codes were received. Sampling for the interviews was carried out using a non-random sampling method in a purposeful manner. Then, codes were extracted from the interviews and categorized based on three thematic divisions: a) general approaches and perspectives, b) policies and priorities, and c) considerations and challenges, and by separating the three political factions: reformists, fundamentalists, and moderates, which can be seen in the relevant table in the findings section.
Conclusions
The results of the research showed that the issue of cyberspace in Iran is a complex and multifaceted area whose policymaking and governance have always faced challenges and serious disagreements between different political factions. These disagreements arise from differences in the intellectual foundations, values, and goals of each faction, which ultimately affect their proposed approaches and strategies for policymaking and management of this space.
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