Influence of Islamic Revolution on Political Science in Iran

As the most remarkable incident in the contemporary history of Iran, the Islamic Revolution has had numerous consequences for subsystems within the Iranian society. Political science as a component of the educational system has been influenced by this revolution. Understanding the changes in the political science resulting from the Islamic revolution highlights the need for theoretical studies in this field more than ever. The present study aims to answer this question: What are the effects of Islamic Revolution as social components on political science as knowledge in Iran? The study hypothesis proposes that the most important effect of the Islamic revolution on form and content of political science is the turning of political science from a secular Western doctrine toward meaning-based political sciences. Therefore, the current study examines these effects based on sociology of knowledge. These effects were explored at surface (form) and content levels, and also in quantitative and qualitative terms, with respect to professors, students, faculties, and content of political science in Iran, and they were categorized in components derived from sociology of knowledge. Finally, the key finding of this study is evaluation of effects of Islamic Revolution (as social components) on the field of political science (as knowledge), especially regarding the content-oriented turn in this knowledge-based field.