Publisher's Synopsis
The aim of The Cultural Front of the Islamic Revolution Series of books from Lion of Najaf Publishers is to provide a truly alternative perspective from that which one has become used to receiving from the mainstream press and publishers. The voices expressed in this series are the genuine revolutionary voices from the heart of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and provide a refreshing change from the -mad mulla- clap-trap of the mainstream media and publishers (and indeed from their -alternative press- loyal opposition). Sa'id Khorshidi's The Revolutionary Culture of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in the Nineteen Eighties is a breakthrough study of factors having effectual impacts on the dynamism of the cultural-artistic front of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in the first decade (1979 - 1989) of the revolution utilizing the oral historical sources of the cultural and artistic activities of the Islamic Revolution. After providing a brief introduction where the study's objectives, methods and findings are stated, in Chapter One Dr. Khorshidi goes on to analyze the Underlying Social Factors of this seminal decade, factors which included the establishment of an ideal Islamic culture (religious idealism) in society; increase in the demand for culture (consumption) in society with the triumph of the revolution; the genuine and resolute attention paid to cultural and artistic activities by revolutionary forces; the support of the clergy for cultural and artistic activities; the people's welcoming of and support for cultural and artistic productions of a revolutionary nature; the support of the media. In Chapter Two, the Attributes of the Cultural Activists and Artists of the Revolution are examined. Such attributes include: purity of devotion and faith; the sense of responsibility for the preservation and expansion of the Islamic revolution; self-confidence; high levels of consumption of cultural productions; being people-oriented; and their young median age. In Chapter Three, the specific attributes of the cultural products and activities of the Islamic Revolution are examined. These include: responsiveness to the needs of society and the Islamic Revolution; popular comprehensibility; innovation and creativity; the priority of content over form; the reproduction of revolutionary cultural productions in different formats; mosque-centeredness; and due attention being paid to the poor and disadvantaged. In Chapter Four, structural, organizational and administrative factors are examined. These include: the wide-ranging and intimate connections of cultural activists and artists with each other; the collective undertaking of cultural activities and artistic productions; committee-based management and decision-making; maximal use of local resources and possibilities; efficient distribution of cultural productions; paying attention to their own experiences and to the experiences of others; and the presence of developmental approaches within cultural organizations.
