SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEMOCRACY AND SECULARISM: THE CASE STUDY OF DEMOCRATIC EXPERIENCES OF FRANCE AND IRAN

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Abstract

There is an idea among some scholars which refers to democracy and secularism as two inseparable things. According to this viewpoint any democracy is and should be secular. In spite of this, a different hypothesis has been taken into consideration on this paper. Based upon this hypothesis "The type of relationship between democracy and secularism depends on the demands of determinant social forces." This study has been conducted by the sociological research methods. Therefore, the democratic experiences of France and Iran have been studied through comparative perspective. The findings approve the hypothesis. So it could be said that there is no necessary relationship between democracy and secularism.

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