Journal Metrics

spektrumiran.com/journal/metrics

    Volumes 9
    Issues 18
    Number of Manuscripts 171
    Number of Downloads 33,426
    Authors 194
    Visibility 38,567
    Submitted Papers 60
    Rejected Papers 4
    Rejection Percentage 7
    Accepted Papers 42
    Acceptance Rate 70
    Acceptance time 60
    Indexing Databases 13
    Reviewers 54

 

Religion

Rumi’s Conceptions of Meaning in Life: Reading the Seven Sermons (Majāles-e Sabʿa) Toward Wisdom Pedagogy in Adult Education

Pages 1-29

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.523971.1035

Rasool Akbari

Abstract This article explores the pedagogical significance of Rumi’s Majāles-e Sabʿa (Seven Sermons) as a religious framework for meaning-making in adult education. The study positions religion as a meaning system and highlights the underutilized pedagogical potential of wisdom literature in promoting existential orientation, especially among Muslim adults in diasporic contexts. Utilizing Baumeister and Vohs’s four-fold framework of meaning, including purpose, values, efficacy, and self-worth, the article offers a hermeneutical-phenomenological analysis of Rumi’s First Sermon to understand his notions of meaning in life. Through a textual analysis of supplicatory monologues, moral parables, and theological reflections, the study examines how Rumi constructs a theocentric model of existential transformation grounded in longing, repentance, and divine mercy. Purpose is rendered as an eschatological and teleological orientation toward the return to God; values are framed through repentance, humility, and moral sincerity; efficacy is redefined as spiritual agency through remembrance and trust; and self-worth is shaped by sincerity and divine recognition rather than merely meritocratic or moralistic frameworks. Methodologically, the article integrates grounded theory and hermeneutical phenomenology to offer a contextual, layered reading of Rumi’s homiletic discourse, viewing it as a performative site of meaning rather than a static text. In its pedagogical implications, the study proposes to approach Rumi’s Sermons as a “wisdom pedagogy” that draws on Rumi’s thought to support identity formation, moral resilience, and existential literacy among Muslim adult learners. It is argued that Rumi’s model offers a powerful educational framework for dealing with plural, disorienting modern lifeworlds, while also raising critical questions about normativity and inclusivity in such pedagogies.

Persian Heritage

Migration of Persian Manuscripts: Examining the Dispersal and non-Identical Indexing of Muraqqaʿ-e Gulshan Folios

Pages 31-53

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.522813.1034

Fatemeh ShafieeSarvestani

Abstract The Muraqqaʿ-e Gulshan is a historically significant Persian album of miniature paintings, calligraphy, and engravings, whose fragments are now dispersed across institutions worldwide. While earlier research has examined its artwork and historical significance, no substantial attempt has been made to apply network analysis to trace the interconnectedness of its scattered folios. This article explores the extent and structure of this dispersal through an analysis of catalog records, provenance data, and acquisition histories. It also considers the access challenges faced by Persian-speaking scholars and the role of digitization in facilitating more equitable scholarly exchange. This research employs Graph-Based Network Analysis and the Linked Open Data paradigm to trace the dispersal of folios and quantify cataloging variability that may hinder comparative manuscript research. It aims to identify gaps in accessibility and metadata organization. The results will contribute to manuscript studies by demonstrating the utility of computational approaches in provenance research and user-directed digitization initiatives, addressing shortcomings in current scholarship and offering a comprehensive model for studying the migration of Muraqqaʿ-e Gulshan folios among global collections.

Social Studies

Alevi Organizations in Germany (AABF)

Pages 55-72

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.504990.1022

Deniz Caner

Abstract A decisive step for Alevi identity politics in Germany was the Alevi Culture Week, which was organized by Alevis at the University of Hamburg in October 1989. After this event, rapidly growing Alevi associations were founded, and Alevism became known to the public in Germany. This article aims to introduce the Alevi organizations in Germany. In particular, it will focus on the Federation of Alevi Communities in Germany e.V. (Almanya Alevi Birlikleri Federasyonu, abbreviated AABF). The approximately one hundred member organizations of the AABF are constantly growing in importance. The activities of the AABF are diverse; there are numerous events, public speeches, statements, and the magazine "Alevilerin Sesi" (Voice of the Alevis). In this study, our focus is on the goals and activities of the AABF, which it pursues for the benefit of the Alevis in Germany. The aim is to answer the following questions: When and why was the AABF founded, and what significance does it have for the Alevis in Germany? What activities has it been involved in to date?

Linguistics

Drama and Theater Pedagogy and Their Significance for Language Teaching and Intercultural Learning at Iranian Universities

Pages 73-99

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.502616.1021

Mohammadreza Dousti Zadeh, Mohammad Hajiamini, Sonya Anwar

Abstract This qualitative case study examines the role of drama and theater pedagogy in teaching German as a foreign language (DaF) at Iranian universities during the academic years 1403–1404 (2024–2025). The aim of the study is to analyze the extent to which drama pedagogical methods facilitate the learning process of students, particularly with regard to reducing speaking inhibitions, learning new vocabulary and grammatical structures, and promoting intercultural competencies. The starting point is the question of whether and how theater work can help overcome shame and language anxiety and motivate students—especially in the early semesters—to participate actively and express themselves in class. In addition, the study investigates whether working with dramatic texts enhances cultural understanding and increases motivation for text-based work. Data collection was carried out through group discussions and open questionnaires with students of German studies at the University of Tehran. All statements were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA software. To ensure the trustworthiness of the data, the results were verified through triangulation of methods (discussion + questionnaire), participant feedback, and consistent category formation. The study shows that drama pedagogical approaches not only support linguistic expression and intercultural learning but can also contribute to the personal development of learners. It calls on instructors to systematically utilize the potential of this method and integrate it into DaF instruction.

Linguistics

Book review with a translation from Tajik Persian from “In the Stone Sack” (1988/1989); The Tajik-Persian memoirs of the Bukharan-Jewish writer Mordechai Bachaev alias Muhib (1911-2007)

Pages 101-125

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2024.485170.1006

Mehrdad Saeedi

Abstract This text consists of two parts: a brief book introduction and a translation from the book, which constitutes the main part. The translation, rendered from Tajik Persian in accordance with the original style, is taken from the final chapter of the first volume of the two-volume memoir In the Stone Sack (1988/1989) by Mordechai ben Hijo Bachaev, alias Muhib (1911–2007). Muhib was a Persianophone writer, poet, translator, and cultural and language activist among the so-called Bukharan Jews in Central Asia, particularly in present-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In his memoirs, he describes in detail—and in a novelistic style—his life circumstances during the period of the Great Terror, the Stalinist campaign of persecution in the late 1930s, leading up to his imprisonment in 1938. However, the main aim of this text is to introduce one of the most influential figures in the history of Tajik-Persian language and literature among Bukharan Jews. This ethno-religious minority in Soviet Central Asia (1917–1935) constructed and developed a new “language” alongside and derived from Persian and its Central Asian variety, Tajiki—under the name “Bukharian Jewish.” This language was first written in Hebrew script, then in Latin, before being abandoned by government order in 1934. The last books in Bukharian Jewish continued to be published until around 1940. The number of speakers of this Tajik-Persian variety is estimated to have been around 85,000 by the end of 1987, with 45,000 residing in the USSR and 32,000 in Israel.

Religion

Analysis of the Scope of Mother's Guardianship over the Child in Islamic Jurisprudence and Statutory Law

Pages 127-152

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.517135.1029

Zahra Hosseini, Abbasali Rostamisani, Sara Akhondi

Abstract The concept of the mother's guardianship over her child is one of the significant topics in Islamic jurisprudence and statutory law. This article aims to examine the extent and scope of the mother's guardianship over her child in Islamic jurisprudence and statutory law, clarifying the mother's role in the legal and educational decision-making process for the child. This research adopts an analytical and comparative method to explore the jurisprudential and legal foundations of the mother’s guardianship over the child. The study investigates Quranic verses and narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) regarding the rights of mothers and their guardianship over children. Subsequently, the various aspects of this topic are analyzed using contemporary jurisprudential and legal sources. The findings reveal that in Islamic jurisprudence, particularly in the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) school of thought, the mother's guardianship over her child—especially during the early stages of life (from birth to puberty)—is extensively emphasized. the results indicate that in many legal systems, the mother is recognized as a key figure in decisions related to the child’s growth and upbringing. The results of this article demonstrate that the mother’s guardianship aligns with children's rights and their best interests. Serious attention to this guardianship is essential to ensure the child’s proper and balanced development. Emphasizing the practical application of these concepts in social and educational contexts is necessary to promote children's rights and highlight the mother’s role in this regard

Philosophy and Theology

A Comparative investigation of the Origin of Psychokinesis in Mulla Sadra's Philosophy and Bohmian Quantum Physics

Pages 153-170

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.501111.1020

Mohamad Mahdi Zamani, Mohsen Izadi, Habibollah Razmi

Abstract Psychokinesis is the ability to affect objects without using physical forces. In Mulla Sadra's philosophy, this ability is rooted in the imagining of the soul. In quantum physics, the concepts of the observer's role and quantum entanglement provide potential explanations for this phenomenon. In this paper, we consider a comparative analysis of Mulla Sadra's philosophy and Bohmian quantum interpretation, highlighting the affinity and mutuality of these two approaches. Both approaches are based on causality and accept the role of the mind in doing things. While Mulla Sadra posits that the ability to influence objects and their physical movments is linked to the strong imagining of the human soul, Bohmian quantum physics suggests that the entanglement of the observer's mind with the inner level of phenomena (worse) enables the possibility of psychokinesis. It appears that relying solely on a physical approach to explain miracles, which represent a specific subset of psychokinesis, is neither accurate nor effective.

Persian Literature

Persian-speaking poets of the past as contemporary celebrities?

Pages 171-187

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.504769.1023

Sara Rahmani

Abstract The existence of celebrities throughout different periods is primarily interesting in itself, but also somewhat misleading—especially when this perspective is applied to celebrities or the notion of celebrity in the past. This often means we deal with famous figures of our own time while forgetting or even deliberately ignoring those of earlier times. When we attempt to engage with these past celebrities—whether poets or other notable figures from previous eras—our perspective is inevitably non-simultaneous and diachronic. This lack of synchronism introduces various problems, such as how to view these personalities, especially given the limited historical information available, and whether they can be considered celebrities by today’s standards. The problem becomes more complex when one considers that these so-called poet-celebrities, especially Persian-speaking ones, remain alive in the cultural memory of the people. Yet they can no longer attain the status of modern celebrities—partly because their fame does not involve contemporary factors such as media interaction or industry visibility, and is instead reflected in symbolic acts (e.g., people taking photographs at their graves). This article aims to clarify the relationship between Persian-speaking poets of the past and the present-day Iranian sense of nostalgia and their possible celebrity status. Using a bottom-up or inductive approach, it explores the nature of this relationship in light of today’s celebrity culture, questioning whether this is a general phenomenon or more specific to a so-called poetic population, and identifying other possible characteristics that define this process. The results point to a broader idolatry of Iranian poets.

Religion

Shifting Religious Orientations: Qāżīzādih Ardibīlī through His Writings

Pages 189-207

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.518019.1031

Taher babaei

Abstract Qāżīzādih Ardibilī was an Iranian elite captured by the Ottoman forces who nonetheless began writing and translating books in Persian. He authored Ghazavāt-i Sulān Salīm in Persian and translated Wafayāt al-aʿyān from Arabic into Persian. In both works, Qāżīzādih’s religious orientation can be detected through various elements of his writing. Based on library research and a comparative analysis of the two texts (i.e., Ghazavāt-i Sulān Salīm and Wafayāt al-aʿyān) this study showed that Qāżīzādih, who practiced Shiʿism, adopted two distinct attitudes toward Ahl al-Sunna in these works. In his translation of Wafayāt al-aʿyān, Qāżīzādih employed a softer tone toward the rival denomination. This shift can be attributed to the earlier composition of Ghazavāt, discrepancy in the intended audience of the two works, and the contrasting demands of writing original texts versus translating existing ones. This study explores the transformation in Qāżīzādih’s religious orientation, identifying signs of adjustment in his Shiʿī stance, and examines the factors that contributed to this evolution.

Religion

Peter and Paul in Muslim Tradition

Pages 209-223

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.516395.1028

Vali Abdi, Mohsen Sharfaei

Abstract As soon as Muslims gained knowledge about Christianity, they began to write and think about its doctrines, beliefs and religious rituals. In addition, Muslims have considerably dealt with Jesus Christ, His disciples, and apostles. It seems, in the first place, Muslim writers achieved their knowledge of Christianity via Quran and oral traditions. However, from the third/ninth century onward, they could access Christian original sources, including the New Testament. And during those centuries, both Christians and Muslims took part in controversial and even dialogical debates. Such immediate contacts authenticated and improved mutual understanding. The ongoing research focuses on the Muslim perspective of St. Peter and St. Paul, the former was Jesus’ favorite disciple and the latter was a converted apostle. As in the following pages, we will demonstrate that Muslim writers have combined Quranic and oral viewpoints with some Christian authentic sources. Therefore, sometimes their knowledge of the two above-mentioned apostles is paradoxical and self-contradictory. Muslims, especially Shiites, have regarded St. Peter as a true and authentic successor to Jesus. Nonetheless, they slammed St. Paul as one who distorted the true teachings of Jesus Christ.

Islamic Thought

A Comparative Study of the Foundations of Spiritual Education in Social Interactions: Emphasizing the Perspective of Imam Ali (AS) and the Theory of Virtue Ethics

Pages 225-247

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.517229.1030

Marzieh Mohases

Abstract This study undertakes a comparative analysis of the foundations and components of spiritual education in social interactions from the perspective of Imam Ali (AS), within the framework of virtue ethics. While most studies on spiritual education in Islamic contexts have primarily focused on individual dimensions such as worship, piety, and self-purification, this paper seeks to present a coherent account of the influence of spiritual education on human interactions, drawing on Nahj al-Balagha and the philosophical structure of virtue ethics. The theoretical basis of this research is virtue ethics, which emphasizes the cultivation of virtuous character, gradual moral development, the internalization of virtues, and the role of practical reason in discerning moral situations. Employing a comparative-analytical method, the study explores principles such as theocentrism, belief in innate human goodness, freedom and responsibility, eschatological awareness, and the role of emotions in social interactions. It demonstrates that these principles manifest in Imam Ali’s (AS) educational system as social virtues such as cooperation, justice, tolerance, and accountability. The findings suggest that the social ethics of Imam Ali (AS) are not only intelligible within a religious framework but also align with the foundations of virtue ethics and can serve as an integrated model for reconstructing contemporary social ethics.Ultimately, the study concludes that, from Imam Ali’s (AS) perspective, spiritual education is an internal, gradual, and socially oriented process through which the moral transformation of both the individual and society can occur simultaneously. This approach offers a viable model for addressing ethical crises and rethinking human relationships in the modern world.

Philosophy and Theology

Rudolf Otto and his view on Islam

Pages 249-271

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.529618.1036

roland pietsch

Abstract After a brief overview of Rudolf Otto's life and work, his phenomenology of the Holy is outlined. His position on Islam is then shown, drawing on his travel reports and then his writings. For Rudolf Otto, the holy is the innermost core of every true religion. In order to distinguish the holy from its linguistic connotation of moral perfection, Otto uses the concept of the numinous as a numinous category of interpretation and evaluation.
Rudolf Otto sees the inner essence of religions in harmony with their external forms, such as the correspondence between mystical emptiness and the architectural emptiness of mosques.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Dual-spacization of intelligence: A theoretical retroduction of the socialization of artificial intelligence in meaning construction

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.565209.1055

Manijeh Akhavan, Saied Reza Ameli, Maseud Rahgozar, Shahghasemi Shahghasemi

Abstract Nearly five decades after Hubert Dreyfus underscored the importance of accounting for the social character of intelligence in the development of artificial intelligence, and notwithstanding artificial intelligence’s consolidation as an actant within the news media, practical implementations have progressed more rapidly than corresponding theoretical inquiry. Because the capacity for meaning-making within a social institution presupposes the socialization of a cognitive system, the socialization of artificial intelligence may be examined along a trajectory comparable to that of human natural intelligence. On this basis, the present article investigates the processes through which AI becomes socialized so as to assume a meaning-making role within a social institution such as the news media, addressing the central question: What constitutes socialized artificial intelligence? To this end, the study integrates the Dual-spacization of Intelligence with representation theory within a socio-organizational framework and adopts a retroductive theoretical approach to answering the research question. Within this analysis, social order is understood as an function of AI’s socialization process. The dual-spacization of the world consequently gives rise to a dual-spatial social order. The study’s findings suggest that AI may either be engineered to replicate existing forms of knowledge and entrenched social stereotypes in a manner analogous to human cognition, or be subject to social regulation that fosters an algorithmic rationality oriented toward the common good and the realization of a sustainable and just social order. Such an order depends on the opening of representational practices through reflexive engagement with social stereotypes, enabling transformations in representation and supporting increased diversity of identities. The contribution of this article lies in proposing an integrated model for understanding the mechanisms of AI socialization across meaning-producing social institutions. Furthermore, the model offers a comprehensive perspective on the socialization of both natural and artificial cognitive systems within the evolving structures of dual-spatial institutional social orders.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Transformative Role of Artificial Intelligence in Media Data Analysis for Crisis Management

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 17 December 2025

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2025.563353.1051

Hatef Pourrashidi Alibigloo, Mehran Samadi

Abstract During times of crisis, the volume and speed of media data increase, making traditional analysis methods inadequate for information management and public awareness. Artificial intelligence, with its automation capabilities, sentiment analysis, crisis identification, and communication strategy provision, assists organizations in managing crises more effectively. This article, presented in a documentary style, seeks to explore the function of artificial intelligence in media data analysis and management during a crisis and how it enhances crisis management effectiveness in the information age. The theory utilized in this context is machine learning theory. By examining the challenges in media data analysis and crisis management, the article discusses the role of artificial intelligence in automating media monitoring, sentiment analysis, pattern and anomaly identification, and news trend prediction. It also delves into how AI can enhance crisis communication, detect misinformation, and offer more effective responses. Finally, the article addresses the challenges and limitations of using AI in media data analysis and crisis management, such as data bias, algorithmic transparency issues, and ethical considerations.During times of crisis, the volume and speed of media data increase, making traditional analysis methods inadequate for information management and public awareness. Artificial intelligence, with its automation capabilities, sentiment analysis, crisis identification, and communication strategy provision, assists organizations in managing crises more effectively. This article, presented in a documentary style, seeks to explore the function of artificial intelligence in media data analysis and management during a crisis and how it enhances crisis management effectiveness in the information age. The theory utilized in this context is machine learning theory.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Semantic Sovereignty in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Persian Language, Meaning, and Cultural Self-Determination

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 04 January 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.556925.1044

Mohsen Karami

Abstract The rapid proliferation of large language models and text-generative systems has precipitated not only technological transformation but also an epistemic reconfiguration of how meaning is produced and circulated. This paper diagnoses a specific risk facing Persian: the attenuation and potential displacement of its cultural-semantic horizon within globalized, predominantly English-language AI infrastructures. The objective is analytic and diagnostic: to delineate the conceptual grounds of 'semantic sovereignty' and to map the structural pathways through which contemporary AI practices endanger Persian meanings, metaphors, and hermeneutic traditions.

The study combines conceptual-philosophical analysis (philosophy of language, hermeneutics, phenomenology) with a critical reading of current AI training regimes and data ecologies. It employs analytic conceptual synthesis rather than empirical intervention: the analysis traces theoretical presuppositions (Wittgensteinian ‘meaning as use’, Gadamerian horizons, Davidsonian triangulation, Floridi’s information ethics) and maps them onto the material practices of dataset curation, model training, and platform mediation.

The paper identifies multiple, mutually reinforcing mechanisms by which AI systems produce semantic asymmetry: corpusic bias and representational scarcity; algorithmic translation that restructures non-English semantic networks into English-dominant vector spaces; infrastructural mediation that repositions Persian cultural artifacts as data-points divorced from their hermeneutic contexts; and epistemic filtering enacted by recommender and retrieval systems that privilege certain forms of explicability over opacity and singularity. Collectively these mechanisms instantiate what I term the ‘phenomenological extinction’ of a language’s world-disclosing power.

The phenomenon at stake is not mere lexical loss but an ontological impoverishment: a contraction of Persian’s capacity to disclose distinctive modes of being. Recognizing this risk requires conceptual clarity about semantic sovereignty as a diagnostic category. This paper stops short of prescribing remedial policies; instead, it aims to provide a rigorous philosophical staging of the problem so that subsequent scholarship and public discourse can assess the depth, modalities, and stakes of Persian’s semantic endangerment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI and Interpersonal Relationships in Iran: Cultural and Social Challenges

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.554746.1043

Samuel Clarke, Shahnaz Khademizadeh, Zeinab Mohammadi

Abstract This study examines the multifaceted impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on interpersonal relationships within Iranian society, highlighting the cultural, social, and psychological challenges emerging from the rapid adoption of AI technologies. As tools such as virtual assistants, social media algorithms, and AI-driven communication platforms become embedded in daily life, they are reshaping patterns of interaction, emotional engagement, and cultural norms. Drawing on twelve semi-structured interviews analysed through a mixed-methods, qualitative-dominant approach, including thematic analysis, intercoder reliability checks, and cross-case comparison, the research identifies a dual narrative: AI enhances communication, productivity, and daily convenience, yet simultaneously undermines face-to-face engagement, emotional bonds, and traditional social practices central to Iranian culture.

Findings reveal growing concerns about weakened family and community ties, reduced social skills, dependency on intelligent systems, and generational gaps in digital adaptation. Participants also noted broader cultural shifts, including the rise of virtual lifestyles, threats to cultural identity, and increased social inequality driven by uneven access to AI tools. The study further identifies psychological risks such as loneliness, superficial online connection, diminished empathy, and the decline of emotional intelligence as individuals increasingly interact with algorithmic systems. At the societal level, privacy, data governance, and ethical challenges create additional pressures that shape public trust and relational dynamics. The study contributes to national and international debates on human–AI interaction by demonstrating how global technologies interact with local cultural contexts. It argues that balancing technological innovation with the preservation of Iranian social values is essential to ensuring that AI strengthens rather than erodes the foundations of meaningful human relationships.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI as a Boundary Object: The Persian X Discourse

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.569202.1059

Shaho Sabbar

Abstract This study investigates how Persian-speaking users on the social media platform X engage with generative artificial intelligence as a sociotechnical and discursive phenomenon. Drawing on a dataset of 24,215 Persian-language posts, we employ a multi-label topic modeling framework and affective profiling to analyze public discourse surrounding AI tools, their perceived implications, and normative judgments about their use. Rather than treating sentiment as a static indicator of opinion, we interpret affective expression as a communicative act shaped by platform incentives and cultural context. Our findings show that AI is positioned not only as a technical artifact but as a boundary object entangled with debates over expertise, ethics, and institutional legitimacy. The discourse is anchored in practical concerns—especially labor, education, and tool comparisons—but frequently extends into culturally specific narratives about risk, fairness, and epistemic authority. Emotionally, the conversation is marked by pragmatic positivity, critical intensity, and a sizable neutral band reflecting orientation rather than evaluation. This study contributes to ongoing debates in communication, AI ethics, and platform studies by offering a non-Anglophone, culturally grounded analysis of how publics perform vernacular governance over emerging technologies. Emotionally, the conversation is marked by pragmatic positivity, critical intensity, and a sizable neutral band reflecting orientation rather than evaluation. This study contributes to ongoing debates in communication, AI ethics, and platform studies by offering a non-Anglophone, culturally grounded analysis of how publics perform vernacular governance over emerging technologies. Drawing on a dataset of 24,215 Persian-language posts, we employ a multi-label topic modeling framework and affective profiling to analyze public discourse surrounding AI tools, their perceived implications, and normative judgments about their use.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; sentiment analysis; digital publics; vernacular governance; Persian discourseKeywords: artificial intelligence; sentiment analysis; digital publics; vernacular governance; Persian discourse

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Hermeneutics: Data Bias, Algorithmic Ethics, and Social Implications

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.562967.1050

Fatemeh Abdollahpour sangchi, Hossein Rahnamaei, Ali Asgariyazdi, Mehran Rezaee

Abstract This study examines the relationship between data bias, algorithmic ethics, and the social consequences of digital hermeneutics. With the expanding influence of artificial intelligence in interpretive domains particularly in the interpretation of religious and philosophical texts the issue of data neutrality and algorithmic objectivity has become a fundamental concern. The findings of this research, using an analytical–explanatory approach, demonstrate that training data, contrary to common assumptions, are not neutral; rather, they embody cultural values and presuppositions that are reproduced within algorithmic processes. Such reproduction can lead to semantic simplification, the elimination of interpretive diversity, and even distortion of the content of sacred texts.

Drawing upon a hermeneutical perspective, the present article highlights the necessity of distinguishing between “human pre-understanding” and “machine data,” showing that the absence of awareness, critical reflexivity, and lived experience in algorithms prevents the attainment of authentic understanding. Moreover, the study indicates that the social implications of this situation extend beyond textual interpretation, posing threats to privacy, exacerbating social inequalities, and weakening cultural diversity. Ultimately, the article emphasizes that digital hermeneutics can be constructive only when, alongside the technical capacities of artificial intelligence, ethical principles, religious oversight, and the preservation of interpretive traditions are upheld.

Introduction

The emergence of artificial intelligence and machine-learning algorithms has opened new horizons within the humanities and the interpretation of texts horizons that simultaneously entail fundamental opportunities and profound threats. Digital hermeneutics, as an interdisciplinary approach situated at the intersection of information ethics, the philosophy of understanding, and modern technologies, raises a critical question: how is the position of the human being, as the interpretive agent, to be redefined in the age of algorithms? Although large language models possess remarkable capacities for organizing data and generating text, the questions concerning the validity, objectivity, and ethical soundness of their outputs remain unresolved.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Futures of Public Trust in Media in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Scenario Planning for Iran 2036

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.566873.1056

Amir Garousi, Mahmood Jamali, Einollah Keshavarz turk

Abstract Public trust in media constitutes a core component of social capital and communicative legitimacy, yet it is increasingly challenged by the rapid integration of artificial intelligence and synthetic media into news production and distribution processes. This study explores alternative futures of public trust in media in the age of artificial intelligence and develops scenario-based insights for Iran toward the horizon of 2036. Adopting a futures-studies approach, the research employs a mixed-methods design that combines environmental scanning and a systematic review of academic and policy sources (2018–2025) with a two-round Delphi consultation involving fifteen experts in media, artificial intelligence, and governance. Structural analysis using the MICMAC method was applied to examine influence–dependence relationships among key variables, leading to the identification of media transparency and the quality of AI regulation as the two critical uncertainties shaping future trajectories of public trust. Based on these axes, four alternative scenarios were developed—Smart Trust, Total Distrust, Islands of Trust, and Imposed Trust—each illustrating a distinct configuration of governance choices, technological use, and audience responses. The findings demonstrate that future patterns of public trust are not technologically deterministic but are primarily driven by institutional transparency, regulatory arrangements, and governance decisions. The study concludes that strengthening accountable AI governance, enhancing media transparency, and investing in media literacy among audiences are essential for steering Iran’s media ecosystem toward a sustainable and trust-based future.

Social Studies

Iranian Digital Discourse, Affective Alignments, and the Geopolitics of AI

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.551119.1040

Mahsa Havsson, Mandana Sajjadi

Abstract This study investigates how Persian-speaking users on X interpret and emotionally respond to DeepSeek, a Chinese-developed large language model. Drawing on a curated corpus of 1,112 posts collected from Iranian users, the research employs a mixed-method approach incorporating sentiment analysis, topic modeling, and co-occurrence network analysis. The findings reveal a layered discursive landscape in which DeepSeek serves not merely as a technological product but as a symbolic site for negotiating issues of geopolitical alignment, epistemic trust, and technological aspiration. Six major affective orientations—neutrality, skepticism, hope, pride, anxiety, and dismissiveness—structure user engagement with the model, reflecting ambivalent yet politically informed responses. Thematic analysis identified eight recurring topics, including performance comparisons, Chinese sovereignty, AI ethics, and cultural identity, which often co-occurred in complex rhetorical configurations. These results suggest that Iranian users deploy DeepSeek as a proxy to reflect on domestic technological constraints, platform politics, and the shifting contours of global AI hegemony.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

How Artificial Intelligence Redefines Digital Branding and Consumer Engagement

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.567776.1058

Mohammad Reza Jalilvand, Ataei Ataei

Abstract Objective: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used as a key tool in redefining digital branding and customer engagement. It encompasses techniques and methods that businesses leverage to create brand value, enhance the effectiveness of customer interactions, and improve marketing strategies. Analysis of interviews indicates that AI applications—through data analysis, advanced algorithms, modeling, and other techniques—bring significant transformations in digital branding processes, while also presenting specific challenges and opportunities. Accordingly, this study focuses on identifying AI techniques, persuasive effects, transformations, and challenges associated with AI implementation in digital marketing and customer engagement.

Method: To address the research questions, this study employed a qualitative, field-based approach. Seventeen experts in AI and digital branding were purposefully selected and studied through semi-structured interviews. Participant selection focused on expertise, professional experience, and practical familiarity with AI applications in digital branding. The interviews aimed to explore experts’ experiences, perceptions, and insights regarding AI’s role and functions in branding processes. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Initially, codes were extracted from interview transcripts, which were then categorized and aggregated to identify sub-themes and, ultimately, the main research themes.

Results: The study found that the main themes regarding AI techniques in digital branding include scalable computational algorithms, machine learning, reinforcement learning algorithms, search algorithms, operational automation, recommender algorithms, data interpretation and processing, human-computer interaction algorithms, and AI-based platforms. Regarding AI-driven transformations in digital branding, themes such as dynamic digital marketing, transformation in distribution channels, personalized brand communications, dynamic pricing, adaptive business strategies, enhanced cybersecurity, development of internal and external databases, improved customer experience, strengthened brand positioning, development of organizational processes and systems, enhanced decision-making quality, brand globalization, formation of digital business models, and value creation were identified.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Decolonizing the Literary AI in the Age of LLMs and Digital Neocolonialism

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.565038.1054

Mohammad Bagher Shabanpour

Abstract Large Language Models (LLMs) are usually considered neutral technological advancements. However, critical digital studies increasingly emphasize the need to challenge their potential to perpetuate colonial power structures in cyberspace. This paper argues that LLMs function as powerful apparatuses of digital neocolonialism. It aims to diagnose this phenomenon within the field of literary AI and to propose a decolonial framework for its future development. This study demonstrates how the protocols of extracting and processing data privilege Western epistemologies in a systematic manner. Then, it develops a conceptual framework for the praxis of decolonial AI based on the principles of reciprocity and epistemic justice. The analysis reveals that the extractivist data collection utilized by dominant LLMs treats cultural and linguistic data as territory for appropriation, privileging the Western literary canon and erasing marginalized languages and traditions. This has led to linguistic homogenization and epistemic injustice as well as the imposition of aesthetic standards of the global West. In response, the proposed decolonial framework has necessitated a paradigm shift from extraction to reciprocity, which involves community-led data governance. Furthermore, AI should be used as a collaborative, co-creative tool by literary writers and researchers. As a further decolonial step, Eurocentric evaluative criteria in this field must be reformed in concrete ways. The decolonial approach advanced in this paper, seeks to fundamentally reposition literary AI. The ultimate goal of this repositioning is to foster a pluriversal aesthetic and epistemic framework.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Gender Construction in Anthropomorphizing Generative AI: An Interplay of Society and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.566965.1057

Shalaleh Meraji Oskuie

Abstract Humans anthropomorphize digital entities, such as Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), assigning them human-like physical traits, mental states, or social characteristics, including gender. GAI, as a sociotechnical actor, both reflects and shapes the society that produces it. Similarly, the intersections of GAI and gender are mutually co-constitutive. Gender is embedded, reproduced, enacted, materialized, and embodied in AI technologies. The current research explores anthropomorphism and the gendering of GAI from a social constructionist perspective, examining how individuals consciously and unconsciously adopt stereotypical gendered expectations when anthropomorphizing GAI. An embedded mixed-methods design was employed, with quantitative data nested within a predominantly basic qualitative research approach. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously via purposive and convenience sampling, and sixty-seven Iranian participants completed the online questionnaire. The study began with an autoethnographic vignette. The quantitative strand followed the logic of Q methodology, identifying distinguishing items by treating participants as variables in the analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Over half of the participants did not assign a gender or name to GAI, while roughly half of the remaining participants assigned a variable gender (male, female, or genderless), the remainder attributed a fixed gender, which was predominantly male. Many participants did not anthropomorphize GAI, emphasizing its machinic nature, whereas other participants’ responses revealed that human-like attachments, gender assignments, naming practices, and the ways these anthropomorphic exercises are shaped by GAI use mirror broader cultural norms, indicating that perceived gender in GAI is socially enacted rather than intrinsic. Since emotional bonds with increasingly humanized GAI chatbots can lead to negative or positive outcomes, GAI literacy is necessary. Policymakers and educational institutions should devise initiatives to raise GAI literacy, and that GAI corporations adopt self-regulatory measures to protect users.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Affective Asymmetries in AI: Sentiment Bias Between English and Persian in Harmonized LLM Pipelines

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 February 2026

https://doi.org/10.22034/spektrum.2026.563602.1052

Michael Totaro, Leila Gheisi, Ehsan Shahghasemi

Abstract This study explores how language influences sentiment classification in outputs generated by a multilingual large language model (LLM), Grok. Anchored in Langdon Winner’s theory of technological politics—which holds that technologies are inherently non-neutral and embed structural biases—this study examines whether sentiment distributions vary systematically across languages even under a fully harmonized analytic pipeline. The analysis draws on a corpus of 4,799 posts (English: n = 2,399; Persian: n = 2,400) generated using identical prompts. Sentiment outputs were mapped onto a common three-category schema (Negative, Neutral, Positive), and analyses incorporated both discrete class assignments and continuous probability scores. To account for superficial textual variation, structural characteristics—including sentence, word, and character counts—were computed and incorporated as controls. The results demonstrate a robust cross-linguistic divergence in sentiment patterns. English-language outputs are predominantly clustered around Neutral classifications and exhibit comparatively lower affective intensity, whereas Persian-language outputs display a pronounced shift toward Positive sentiment accompanied by greater dispersion. Crucially, these differences remain statistically significant after controlling for structural features, suggesting that language affiliation, rather than text length or segmentation, constitutes the principal correlate of observed sentiment variation. At the probability level, English distributions exhibit a tighter concentration around neutral probabilities, while Persian distributions are flatter and more positively skewed, with higher intensity indices. These results have significant implications for multilingual sentiment analysis and LLM auditing. If language effects are not explicitly modeled and calibrated, comparative analyses may conflate linguistic variation with affective intent, leading to distorted inferences about tone, stance, or emotional valence. The study underscores the importance of reporting both label and probability metrics, adopting language-specific calibration protocols, and treating language as a first-order measurement dimension in cross-lingual content analysis.