Evaluating countermeasures for protection of national Symbols

Subject Areas : Journal of Cultural Management

Masoumeh Yeganeh Rad ¹ , Reza Salehi Amiri ² , Ebrahim Hajiani ³

1 - Graduate of M.A. in Cultural Affairs Management, Islamic Azad University Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
2 - Associate professor of Faculty of Management & Economics, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch Tehran. Iran (Corresponding Author) [e-mail]
3 - Assistant Professor, Center for Strategic Research, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2017-04-16 Accepted : 2017-08-12 Published : 2016-11-21

Keywords: Countermeasures, Performance evaluation, National symbol, national identity,

Abstract :

Iran due to an old and ancient history as well as the geographical extent, has a wide variety of national symbols but omission of the authorities and the Iranian nation has made not only achieved the little success in the field of national symbols but the neighboring countries have used this neglect and occasionally introduce an Iranian symbol to the world as their own. Therefore, this study while survey of the neighboring countries activities in order to confiscate the Iranian national symbols, try to review and assess the countermeasures to protect these symbols. This study, based on purpose, is an applied research and in terms of data collection is a survey research and in terms of data analysis method is a descriptive-survey research. In terms of how to implement the study is qualitatively and using the analysis of the importance / performance (IPA). Demographic targeting is based on Census of all symbols. Due to limitations, 10 of them (wicket, Pooriya Vali, coffee shop, Lavash Bread, Tar, Windward, Yalda, Hyrcanian Forests, Antelope, and Ferdowsi) have been addressed. Also, the respondent's population in this study is experts related to protection of national symbols that survey conducted in 30 experts using the Delphi method. In order to ranking the importance of each indicator examined the strengths and weaknesses of Iran countermeasures in protection of the disputed symbols using Chi-square test and the Friedman test was used in order to answer questions. According to research results the symbols importance are: Polo 30%; Puriya valy 61%; Coffee-house 60%; Lavash bread 66%; Monochord50%, louver 62%, Yalda 57%, Hirkanian forests 57%; Antelope67%; Ferdowsi 62.5% which is indicative of their high importance, but on the contrary, the performance of executive agencies in the field of countermeasures to prevent confiscation of symbols  is weak and reported as Polo 30%; Puriya valy 31%; Coffee-house 20%; Lavash bread 17%; Monochord 20%, louver 12%, Yalda 14%, Hirkanian forests 14%; Antelope 34%; Ferdowsi 12%. Also, the results from the IP matrix show that experts' Opinions on countermeasures in the fourth quarter (the area of weakness), means the executive agencies, didn’t meet the expectations of the experts in this case and is below the total average of importance / performance, and some actions are in the third quarter (the field of indifference), means that it doesn’t matter in protecting of symbol confiscation. Therefore, better action is necessary to adopt appropriate policies to prevent the confiscation of national symbols. The results showed that Iran countermeasures in protection of the disputed symbols aren’t in a favorable condition and due to the significance of each symbol in national identity, it is necessary to take more effective action. So it can be said that registration of cultural elements in the National Book List and then on the World Heritage List; attention of all relevant organizations to Protecting national symbols as well as taking more serious measures about confronting the confiscation of national symbols can significantly affect the protection of national symbols.