مطالب

The purpose of this research is to develop a strategic marketing plan for the Lifeguard and Diving Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The current research is a mixed study with the strategic approach. By conducting a combined method including expert opinion, review of valid documents, and using some matrices related to the formulation of a strategic plan, the formulation of a strategic plan for the marketing of the Lifeguard and Diving Federation has been discussed. The research participants included 15 members of the Board of Directors of the Lifeguard and Diving Federation, managers and sports marketing specialists. In quantitative phase, the measurement tool consisted of a researcher-developed questionnaire that was designed and adjusted using the Delphi method. According to the final score of the evaluation matrix of internal factors (2.47) and the evaluation matrix of external factors (2.44), it was determined that the strategic marketing position of Lifeguard and Diving Federation was in the WT position. The results of SWOT analysis have led to the formulation of 3 SO strategies, 3 ST strategies, 3 WO strategies, and 4 WT strategies. 13 strategies to fulfill the mission of the long-term marketing goals of the federation have been developed and an operational plan has been prepared for each of them. It was concluded that the lifeguard and diving federation needs to use defensive strategies and close to the competitive area (ST) in the field of action. 

The artistic background of the Good Shepherd motif can be traced to ancient eras of the East and the West. This motif later gained prominence in early Christian art. The ram-bearer (carrying a sacrificial or an offering animal) first appeared in Near Eastern art and later became an important motif in Greco-Roman art to represent certain roles of the god Hermes. This motif was considered by Christian converts as a symbol of Jesus Christ, as they represented him in the figure of a young shepherd caring for his flock. This theme can also be seen on some Sasanian seals, which can be considered as the Good Shepherd motif. In this article, the authors introduce the aforementioned motif depicted on these seals and examine their possible connection with the Christian communities. The motif of the Good Shepherd, as seen on the seals, demonstrates modifications in the original iconography. These changes can be observed in the longer dress of the ram-bearer or the engraving of celestial symbols. These modifications are probably a sign of the localization process of an imported motif in the Sasanian Empire.

The present research was an attempt to investigate gender portrayal represented in EFL reading textbooks. Using Johnson and Young’s (2002) verb taxonomy , the reading passages of the four books of the Active Skills for Reading series were selected as the corpus. Qualitative content analysis was employed to identify the type and frequency of verb categories including, action , competition/destruction , agency/control , limited, state, feeling and nurturing , and negative verbs. Based on the results of statistical analysis, no significant difference was demonstrated in frequencies of verb types assigned to each gender other than in Action and Limited verb elements which were biased toward males. Moreover, it was revealed that males were assigned to some social roles which were traditionally attributed to female characters. In addition, the findings revealed that there was no significant difference between doer vs. receiver roles allocated to male and female characters. The results of the study can shed more light on micro and macro policymaking in the area of education, language teaching, curriculum development, and materials preparation for EFL courses.