EXPLORING THE ETIOLOGY OF SOCIAL DEVIANCE AND THE WAYS OF ITS CONTROL FROM THE VIEWPOINTS OF THE NOBLES OF PERSIAN LITERATURE

This study identified general questions which exist within criminology and sociology of deviance (social pathology) on the etiology of social deviance and ways of dealing with them. For this purpose, it focused on finding answers for these questions from the perspective of masters of Persian literature. In this respect, views of masters of Persian literature (with emphasis on Saʹadi and Mowlavi due to the limitation of research and their unparalleled positions in the field of Persian literature) were investigated. Since their views rooted in various social and cultural beliefs, values and customs responding to these questions has following benefits for research: first, it is considered as an effective field in the link between above- mentioned areas of study and the valuable Persian literature, second, it could pave the way for the nationalization of sciences, third, helps to measure the potentials of Persian literary texts for the systematic identification of social causes of deviant behaviors and finding ways of dealing with their impacts, and at last, leads to recognize the specified position of these texts in this field. Research findings show that masters of Persian literature had considered the impact of various causes of deviant and delinquent behaviors and the mechanisms for the effectiveness of these causes at different individual, macro and middle range levels by using analytical methods resembling those of the social sciences. In particular they also accepted the distinction between the role of delinquents and victims. In addition, a variety of strategies to hinder the causes of effectiveness of deviant behavior and preventing delinquency was noticed in various aspects such as prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and punishment.