Investigating the Philosophical Origin of Community Education in the Citizen Participation Process from the Perspective of Islamic Realism

During the evolution of the urban development approach, attention to social participation has led to formation of community-led urban management. Social participation can improve social capital, sense of place, through community-led urban development process. Based on the views of the theorists, social participation can also create social sustainability. Since the sufficient skills and knowledge are needed to take part in decision making process with the aim of social participation in local development projects, it seems that the lack of training required was due to failure in social participation. The educating will be assumed as the means to achieve enabling, empowering, capacity building and institutionalization for residents. Disregarding the role of residents who live in urban neighborhoods is the most important reason of failure to implement urban development in Iran. It is the result of lack of planning to attract participation not their teaching, not to teach people with the aim transferring experiences and to make appropriate methods to paradigm shift in the participants, on the other hand there are not enough awareness and expertise in the urban management groups. In addition, it is necessary to produce conceptual frameworks for educating, training and teaching residents based on creed, native culture and identity of Islamic-Iranian society. This study focuses on specifying the position of social education and training during common participation attraction process and also clarifying the theoretical and philosophical basis of Islamic Ideology about social education with emphasis on the role of community and participation concept. Likewise, in order to Islamic thought’s disciplines about social education and training and social behaviors in the community, defining the aims, principles, methods and contents of social education and training affecting Islamic thought organize the main purposes of this study. The method of this research as its purpose is decisive and based on its social science nature is descriptive. With the purpose to define attribute of social education and training affected Islamic theology, two viewpoints are compared: Islamic Realistic philosophy and its Etebariat theory versus some theories about participation in urbanism and urban planning which have been based on social education and training. Finally, the results of study represent that based on Islamic realistic philosophy, the paradigm is educating and training from society and for society are the main purpose. The conclusion shows that educating to society has no expected results. The values of this society have been specified based on anthropology. There are hierarchical aims based on Islamic philosophy and in accordance with these goals, the characteristics of education to the community have been explained. In general, despite the differences in the titles used to explain the theoretical and philosophical foundations of each of the two views there are similarities in the general orientation of explaining the role of education and training to the community to strengthen social responsibility and participation in both perspectives. As a conclusion, it should be said that conscious participation requires education, which should be explained in the context of the Islamic worldview and the principles of education in Islam.