سامان حقیقی
89 یادداشت منتشر شدهمددکاری اجتماعی ایرانیان | Iranian Social Workers
A Decade of Digital Prowess and Social Resilience in Iran’s Specialized Media
Introduction: The Emergence of Specialized Social Informatics in Iran
The professional field of social work, globally recognized for its commitment to enhancing human well-being and promoting social justice, often faces challenges in achieving widespread policy recognition and public awareness, particularly in centralized or rapidly developing states like Iran.
In such contexts, traditional professional associations may struggle to adapt to fast-paced social and economic changes. The emergence of specialized digital platforms has thus become a critical strategy for professional mobilization and knowledge dissemination.
The Iranian Social Workers (ISW) media platform (iraniansocialworkers.ir) stands as a pivotal case study in the successful utilization of social informatics to bypass institutional constraints and strategically mobilize a professional identity.
Established as a specialized, independent, and non-profit public platform, ISW has fundamentally altered the digital landscape for social work in Iran. Since its inception, the platform has achieved significant national recognition and notable transnational reach, attracting online visitors from over 168 countries.1
This global engagement underscores ISW’s significance not merely as a localized resource but as a key hub for global observers interested in Iranian social issues, professional practice standards, and the unique challenges faced by the Iranian social work community.1
This scholarly analysis seeks to provide an exhaustive review of the Iranian Social Workers media platform, detailing its chronological evolution, the strategic pillars of its mission and vision, its pioneering role in defining social resilience, its key intellectual contributions through publications and programs, and the profound influence of its founder, Dr. Javad Taleschi Yekta.
The report systematically covers the platform’s history, leadership, strategic framework, specialized content (particularly Resilience), and academic output to assess its decade-long impact on the social work profession in Iran.
Foundational History and Institutional Evolution (2011–Present)
A. The Genesis and Initial Objectives (1390–1392 / 2011–2013)
The journey of the Iranian Social Workers media platform began in the winter of 2011 (1390).1 This initial phase of activity involved launching several blogs focused specifically on social work topics.
This blog-centric foundation marked the first specialized, independent digital content effort for the profession in Iran.1 This grassroots effort served as a preliminary needs assessment, identifying the critical lack of centralized, specialized content in the virtual space for Iranian social workers.1
Following this foundational phase and a strategic six-month needs assessment, the official, comprehensive website, iraniansocialworkers.ir, was formally launched in April 2013 (Farvardin 1392).1 This centralization effort transformed a collection of disparate blogs into a coherent media institution with national and transnational coverage.1
The primary objectives established during this foundational period were explicitly stated: enhancing specialized professional knowledge, fostering social awareness among the public, strengthening the collective voice of social workers, and actively promoting social justice within the country.1
B. Organizational Maturation and Global Recognition
The subsequent years demonstrated a rapid organizational maturation driven by the platform’s commitment to high-quality, specialized output. The platform’s success in consolidating professional discourse was evidenced by its expansive reach, drawing online visitors from more than 168 countries.1
This extensive international engagement validates ISW’s stature as an essential reference point for understanding social policy and professional practice in Iran, far exceeding the typical local influence of a specialized professional body.1
To ensure that the management and intellectual direction of the growing, permanent, non-profit media platform remained systematic and academically sound, the leadership authorized the formation of a specialized team and the first Media Think Tank of Iranian Social Workers.1
This strategic move established a commitment to structured, academic oversight, distinguishing the platform as a serious producer of knowledge rather than a purely journalistic outlet.1
C. Declaration of Independence: Strategic and Brand Implications
A defining moment in the platform’s institutional history was the formal declaration of independence of the “Iranian Social Workers” brand from all official professional bodies, announced in 1404 (approx. 2025).1
This declaration was not merely a statement of ideological separation but a proactive measure to defend the platform’s unique identity and intellectual capital in the digital domain.
The primary, or first-order, rationale for this separation was to unequivocally confirm the platform’s identity. The website explicitly stated that it is a specialized, entirely public-driven movement, free from formal, organizational ties, content dependency, or financial or structural allegiance to governmental entities, non-governmental bodies, or older professional institutions, such as the Iranian Social Workers Association (socialwork.ir) or the Iranian Scientific Association of Social Work.1 This absolute independence is crucial for maintaining editorial freedom and ensuring the specialized, grassroots nature of its content production.1
A secondary, yet highly critical, rationale involved protecting the brand’s digital integrity. The IT team raised an explicit “SEO Alert” regarding the persistent overlap in search results, where targeted searches for the brand “مددکاری اجتماعی ایرانیان” or “Iranian Social Workers” were incorrectly displaying results belonging to the Iranian Social Workers Association website.1
This issue was viewed as potentially misleading the specialized audience and compromising the brand’s established digital authority. The declaration, framed partly as an SEO strategy, represents a unique assertion of digital sovereignty for an independent professional organization.
By addressing Google’s algorithms directly, the platform sought to enforce complete domain and brand separation, a necessary defense of its specialized intellectual position against established, formal structures.1
Furthermore, the declaration encompassed a commitment to third-order ethical and strategic principles. The platform affirmed that despite possessing the technical expertise and high SEO capabilities necessary to dominate search results for other professional organizations, such actions were deemed unethical and disruptive to professional content order.1
The strategic commitment is to strengthen ISW’s own specialized platform as the primary and exclusive authority for its key search terms, rather than engaging in unfair digital infringement.1
Table 1: Key Milestones and Institutional Development of Iranian Social Workers Media
Year (Shamsi/Gregorian) Event/Milestone Significance Source 1390 (2011) Initial activities launched via specialized blogs. Start of specialized, independent digital content aggregation. 1 1392 (2013) Official launch of iraniansocialworkers.ir (ISW). Establishment of a comprehensive, centralized media platform. 1 1392 (2013) Founding of the first Resilience Content Publication Media. Strategic pivot toward the specialized field of Social Resilience (Tab-Avari). 1 1393 (2015) Founding of Iran Resilience House (خانه تاب آوری ایران). Creation of a dedicated scientific and research synergy center. 1 1404 (Approx. 2025) Announcement of Brand Independence from official bodies. Formal assertion of its grassroots, non-affiliated, specialized identity and digital sovereignty. 1 The Architect of the Ecosystem: Dr. Javad Taleschi Yekta
The trajectory and strategic focus of the Iranian Social Workers media platform are inextricably linked to the diverse academic and professional background of its founder, Dr. Javad Taleschi Yekta (دکتر جواد طلسچی یکتا).1
Recognized as the “father of media resilience and social work in Iran,” Dr. Taleschi Yekta is a leading social worker, researcher, and resilience instructor born on October 12, 1978, in Bandar Anzali.1
A. Biographical and Academic Trajectory
Dr. Taleschi Yekta’s educational path is notable for its interdisciplinary sequencing, which provided the comprehensive perspective necessary to establish a complex, multi-faceted media ecosystem.1
He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (1997-2002), providing the foundational practical knowledge of the profession. This was followed by a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology (2002-2005), adding depth in individual and therapeutic intervention.1
The strategic culmination of his academic journey, however, was his Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) in Entrepreneurship Management and Futurism from the University of Tehran (2017-2020).1
This degree is instrumental in explaining the platform’s innovative approach and institutional structure. The specialization in Futurism provides the necessary framework for proactive strategic vision, allowing Dr. Taleschi Yekta to establish not just one organization but a continuous ecosystem of interconnected brands (ISW, Resilience Media, Resilience House).1
This advanced strategic mindset, focused on long-term systemic evolution rather than immediate organizational demands, allowed him to identify the digital gap in the Iranian social work sphere early on and fill it proactively, enabling rapid growth that often exceeds the pace of traditional professional bodies.1
B. Professional Milestones and Foundational Legacy
Dr. Taleschi Yekta’s professional experience began immediately after his undergraduate studies, serving for two years as a social worker at Bandar Anzali Prison starting in 2002 (1381).1
This early practical experience provided direct engagement with complex social issues and harm prevention. Upon returning to Iran after his Master’s degree, he exhibited entrepreneurial spirit by establishing the Meraj Social Work Clinic, licensed by the State Welfare Organization. This clinic focused on practical schemes, including the empowerment of women heads of household and working with orphaned or poorly cared-for children.1
His most significant contribution began with the founding of the Iranian Social Workers website in 2013.1 Following the launch of the media platform, a major academic achievement was the production and publication of six books derived from the website’s exclusive content.
This endeavor solidified the platform’s position as a scientific reference and knowledge producer, demonstrating a strategic move toward the professionalization and centralization of specialized social work content in the online space.1
C. Pioneer of Social Resilience (Tab-Avari)
A key area of specialized leadership attributed to Dr. Taleschi Yekta is his pioneering role in the field of resilience (Tab-Avari) in Iran.1 His entry into this field marked a critical paradigm shift: previous work on resilience in Iran had largely been rooted in psychological theories.
Dr. Taleschi Yekta, utilizing his extensive social work background, identified and redefined the social components of resilience, moving the discourse toward a community-based approach.1
This redefinition was achieved through a rigorous, consensus-building methodology, involving specialized online and in-person roundtables with large groups of Iranian social workers.1
His resultant frameworks have gained academic currency, reflected by his role as an instructor for the first specialized resilience workshops held at prestigious universities across the country, including the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences.1
D. Expanding the Media Ecosystem
The founder’s strategic vision extends beyond the core ISW platform to create a self-sustaining ecosystem dedicated to specialized content.
Dr. Taleschi Yekta founded the first resilience content publication media, utilizing the ISW platform, in 2013.1 This was followed by the launch of the first Resilience Club in 2015 (1394).1
In a continuous refinement of this digital strategy, he established the Iranian Resilience Media (resiliencemedia.ir) in 2023 (1402).1
The stated goal of this new, dedicated media house was to eliminate content overlap among active resilience websites, centralizing and professionalizing the specialized discourse.1 Complementing the media output, he also founded the Iran Resilience House (خانه تاب آوری ایران) in January 2015 (December 1393) to create a scientific and research synergy center across various fields of resilience.1
Table 2: Dr. Javad Taleschi Yekta’s Academic and Professional Profile
Category Details Timeline (Shamsi/Gregorian) Impact/Role Source Education (Ph.D.) Entrepreneurship Management and Futurism (University of Tehran) 1396-1399 (2017-2020) Provides strategic foresight for institutional and media development. 1 Education (B.A./M.A.) Social Work (B.A.), Clinical Psychology (M.A.) 1376-1384 (1997-2005) Established foundational expertise in human services and clinical intervention. 1 Early Practice Social Worker at Bandar Anzali Prison 1381 (2002) Direct experience with social harm prevention and intervention. 1 Founding Role Founder of Iranian Social Workers (ISW) Media and Iranian Resilience Media. 1392 (2013) – 1402 (2023) Established Iran’s leading independent specialized media ecosystem. 1 Pioneering Work Redefined Resilience (Tab-Avari) Post-2005 (Ongoing) Shifted focus from psychological to community-based social components in Iran. 1 Recognition Father of Media Resilience and Social Work in Iran Ongoing Symbolizes influence and academic authority in the field. 1 IV. Strategic Framework: Mission, Vision, and Core Objectives
The strategic framework of the Iranian Social Workers media platform is designed to maximize professional advocacy, scientific rigor, and public utility through digital means, ensuring macro-level social policy impact.1
A. Vision: Enhancing Social Welfare and Quality of Life
The overarching vision is centered on positioning social work as an interdisciplinary science and an influential profession that is vital for enhancing social welfare and improving the quality of life for individuals and communities throughout Iran.1
The platform’s existence is framed as a necessary response to the country’s “numerous social and economic challenges,” necessitating the continuous development and advancement of the social work field.1
To achieve this vision, the specialized media outlet actively works to enhance the knowledge and skills of social workers, promote the profession’s inherent value, and advance long-term professional goals through a comprehensive and scientific approach.1
This commitment includes producing specialized content, supporting advanced research (such as the Iran Social Work Laboratory), and achieving global access to information through bilingual digital infrastructure.1
The ultimate aspiration is to secure a brighter future for the social work profession in Iran by systematically expanding these core activities.1
B. Missions (The Three Pillars of Action)
The platform operationalizes its vision through three distinct but interconnected missions:
Reflecting the Voice of the Social Work Community (Advocacy)
A foremost mission of the website is to serve as an official channel reflecting the professional community’s voice to internal and external institutions and organizations.1 This is achieved through the publication of analytical articles, detailed reports, professional interviews, and surveys related to both the triumphs and tribulations of social work practice in Iran.1
By providing field reports from diverse regions and presenting credible statistics, the platform creates an evidence-based picture of social conditions and needs, facilitating an informed exchange of views among specialists, officials, and the general public.
This structured advocacy aims to lead to better policy understanding and the provision of more appropriate solutions to social harms.1
Promotion and Development of Social Work (Professionalization)
The platform is actively engaged in the nationwide promotion and development of the social work profession. This mission involves providing accurate and understandable information about the field, introducing available social work services, and generally increasing public awareness regarding the profession’s importance.1
Crucially, the platform supports professional development by publishing specialized educational materials, comprehensive guides, and training films. Furthermore, it facilitates access to services by introducing active social work centers and hosts online webinars and training workshops to facilitate learning and experience exchange among specialists.1
Modern Education and Research in the Field of Resilience and Social Work (Innovation)
A strategic priority of the platform is focusing on modern education and advanced research, particularly in the critical domain of resilience (Tab-Avari) and contemporary social work methods.1
This involves disseminating the latest scientific and research findings concerning effective social work interventions and resilience practices.1 The platform actively supports research relevant to the specific needs of Iranian society, thereby aiding in the development of indigenous professional knowledge.1
Through publishing scientific articles, research reports, and organizing specialized scientific meetings, the platform creates essential forums for information exchange among researchers.
An additional priority in this mission is the practical focus on teaching skills necessary for increasing resilience in both individuals and entire communities.1
V. Programs, Activities, and Content Specialization
ISW maintains a dynamic infrastructure of content specialization, systematically organizing its output into specialized banks and categories that enable practitioners and researchers to access targeted resources.1
This infrastructure reflects the platform’s dual commitment to professional practice standards and critical social observation.
A. Specialized Content Banks (Knowledge Infrastructure)
The platform serves as a central clearinghouse through its organized information banks:
- Social Work Information Bank: This resource covers professional ethics, global practices (e.g., the National Association of Social Workers, NASW), and detailed analyses of specialized fields such as elderly social work, child welfare, social work in the criminal justice system, and social work within the health system.1
- Resilience Information Bank: This bank focuses on applied and theoretical resilience research, including the cultural dimensions of neighborhood-based resilience and strategic organizational resilience, such as in passive defense planning.1
- Educational Information Bank: This section offers practical training and pedagogical resources, including continuous self-care training, general resilience training in Iran, resilience training customized for individuals with disabilities, and roadmaps for resilience education across the lifespan.1
- Research Information Bank: This specialized resource provides access to comprehensive academic resources, including detailed analysis of professional ethics in social work and studies on vulnerable populations, such as guides for supporting patients with addiction and strategies for the empowerment of female-headed households.1
B. In-Depth Social Analysis (واکاوی اجتماعی)
The Social Analysis section (واکاوی اجتماعی) positions the Iranian Social Workers media platform as a crucial critical social observatory.1 The articles published in this category move beyond standard clinical casework to engage in critical review of pressing national issues, extending the definition of the social worker’s domain to systemic challenges.
This strategy is particularly evident in the platform’s decision to analyze large-scale infrastructure and policy issues, such as the social and economic impact of daily power outages, and to examine the condition of working and street children amidst persistent economic crises.1
By directly analyzing socio-economic stressors that fuel individual and community harms (like power outages and inflation), the platform establishes a direct link between micro-practice and macro-policy.
This expanded scope legitimizes the social worker’s role as a policy analyst and advocate, providing the professional community with evidence-based arguments necessary for driving systemic change and fulfilling the mission of strengthening the voice of social workers.1
Other key areas of focus include the analysis of student social harms and comprehensive social work solutions, and the study of social harms affecting specific populations.1
C. Media Campaign Strategy (کارزار رسانه ای)
The media campaigns (Karzar Resaneh-i) are a fundamental component of the ISW’s advocacy mission, defined not as mere advertising but as a macro media strategy utilizing a scientific and dynamic approach to social action.2
These campaigns leverage professional consensus and digital reach to mobilize the social work community and influence public opinion on specific issues.3
While the platform’s designated media campaign section outlines the theoretical models of media campaigns (e.g., Models of Social Action in Media Design) 2, the tangible success of this strategy is best demonstrated through the resulting publications.
For instance, the Media Campaign of Social Workers (2015), which focused on global social work month themes, involved the participation of over 30 active social workers and more than 10 accredited websites, culminating in the publication of a book documenting the effort.3
A subsequent major initiative was the Third Media Campaign, which focused specifically on the necessity of social support for recovering addicts (Summer/Autumn 2015). The successful execution of this campaign led to the publication of a dual-language (Farsi/English) electronic book, demonstrating direct intervention in a critical public health and social policy area.3
VI. Publications and Knowledge Production: The “Book of the Year” Model
The institutionalization of digital discourse through formal publications is a defining success of the ISW media platform. The platform has strategically developed and implemented a unique “Book of the Year” (کتاب سال) model to convert its independent digital archive into accredited academic capital.
A. The Unique Publishing Model
The Iranian Social Workers media platform has produced and published six specialized “Book of the Year” volumes from its exclusive content, solidifying its position as a knowledge producer and scientific reference.1
The strategic importance of these publications lies in their formal accreditation: all six books have been registered in the National Library of Iran, validating their status as formal academic resources.5
This systematic conversion of ephemeral, independent, and grassroots digital content (articles, notes, and campaign reports) into permanent, tangible, and citable academic resources distinguishes the platform globally.6 ISW highlights that it is the “only one around the world whose specific content is annually published as a book”.4
This model is critical for gaining leverage in policymaking and establishing the platform as a foundational academic reference, which is essential for advancing professionalization in a context where formal, published sources often carry greater policy weight than online articles.5
B. Key Publications and Themes
The books typically compile specialized content published by ISW and its affiliated media outlets over a given period, often focusing on high-impact thematic areas.
Two of the six books published thus far were directly based on content generated during the aforementioned media campaigns, demonstrating a direct link between advocacy and academic output.4
A notable example is the book Resilience Club (باشگاه تاب آوری), which served as the Book of the Year 1400 (2021).6 This volume compiled specialized resilience content, including articles that discussed the core theoretical components of resilience—namely, the requirement for both “challenge/tension” and a “good outcome” in any comprehensive definition.6
The book further analyzed the temporal dimensions of resilience (past, present, and future) in terms of coping, prevention, and recovery after trauma.6 Other key campaign-derived publications include the Media Campaign of Social Workers (2015), and the dual-language Third Media Campaign: Necessity of Social Support for Recovering Addicts (2015).3
Table 3: The ISW Knowledge Production Model: Converting Digital Output to Academic Capital
Model Component Description Strategic Purpose Source Content Source Exclusive specialized articles, notes, and media campaign reports published on iraniansocialworkers.ir and affiliated media. Ensure scientific rigor and originality; maintain brand independence. 4 Output Format Six “Book of the Year” volumes (کتاب سال). Transform ephemeral digital content into permanent, formal knowledge resources. 1 Accreditation Registered in the National Library of Iran. Solidify the platform’s position as a citable scientific reference for practitioners and academics. 5 Key Thematic Focus Social Resilience (Tab-Avari) and pressing social campaign issues (e.g., addiction support). Direct the professional discourse toward high-impact, policy-relevant areas. 3 VII. Conclusion: The Future Trajectory of Iranian Social Workers Media
The Iranian Social Workers media platform represents an essential evolutionary step in professional mobilization and digital advocacy in Iran. Its success is rooted in the synthesis of specialized content, disciplined organizational development, and visionary leadership, defining a new model for non-state professional media in the Middle East.
The platform’s transition from grassroots blogs (2011) to a centralized, independent professional media entity (2013-present) underscores the effectiveness of its approach.1
This success is profoundly influenced by the multidisciplinary background of Dr. Javad Taleschi Yekta, whose Ph.D. in Futurism provided the structural logic for establishing a proactive professional ecosystem rather than merely reacting to existing professional demands.1
The strategic decision to prioritize social resilience as a core focus, moving the national discourse from psychological to community-based applications, established ISW as a leading specialized authority.1
The strategic declaration of independence, framed partly as a necessity for asserting digital brand integrity against overlapping institutional identifiers (the SEO Alert) 1, is profoundly significant. It demonstrates that the platform recognizes digital authority as a prerequisite for institutional efficacy, maintaining its editorial freedom and securing a distinct digital signature for its independent intellectual output.1
Furthermore, the “Book of the Year” model provides a robust, scalable mechanism for professional development and academic institutionalization.4
By formally converting digital discourse into accredited, citable academic knowledge, ISW ensures the long-term sustainability and recognition of its intellectual contributions, giving its evidence-based findings increased weight in policy discussions.5
Looking forward, the ISW media platform, through its continuous refinement (e.g., the launch of resiliencemedia.ir) and its engagement in critical social analysis of macro challenges (e.g., economic crises and infrastructure failures) 1, is positioned to continue expanding the scope of social work in Iran. The ongoing challenge for the platform will be to translate its immense digital and academic authority into measurable changes in national social policy, thereby fully realizing its vision of enhancing social welfare and strengthening social resilience across the country.1
The platform serves as a powerful testament to the influence that specialized, independent media can exert on professional identity and public discourse.
