Analysis of Suspension of conscription and Retention in Univerisity (Case Study: Students of University of Tehran)

Introduction: Conscription is a concern that is of great importance to young people and even their families at the current situation, therefore, several studies have addressed various aspects of this subjcet. The most important question of this dissertation is whether the boys with academic exemptions at the University of Tehran in postgraduate studies have retained in the university due to conscription suspension or not? In response to this question, the understanding of the mental arrays of boys with academic exemptions in postgraduate studies at the University of Tehran regarding the issue of retention in the higher education system has been examined with emphasis on the suspension of the conscription.
Method: Accordingly, the research was conducted using Q methodology and taking 48 statements from the c and collecting data from 119 participants, all of them were graduate students of the University of Tehran. This method is used to identify the subjectivity of the agents. Because the nature of the present study is exploratory, Q methodology will be the best option for data collection. For this purpose, after extracting the propositions, Q sorts were designed and data were collected from participants in the form of Q table. Factor analysis technique was used to analyze the data.
Findings: Analysis of participants' opinions using factor analysis technique identified the final 8 factors. Each of these eight mindsets addresses a particular understanding of the phenomenon of persistence in the higher education system in relation to the suspension of conscription, which has been examined in depth. The scales weigh a little heavier on the "suspenders". This group of agents each tries in some way to suspend the service by remaining in the higher education system. The other group of agents showed interest in the university but still agree with the first group on their aversion to military service. Among the extracted factors, the factor of "academians ready to serve" is a very different factor that indicates the relative tendency to both environments, and the factor of "interest seekers" also shows a utilitarian approach to both environments.
Results and Conclusions: Although the views of the participants could not be generalized to the whole community in Q methodology, the results clearly showed that conscription policies in Iran have not been effective for students and some are trying to suspend it through possible channels. Military policies in Iran put pressure on students and their families, as well as on the military and conscription system itself, and can alienate students from the university environment and reduce the efficiency of the military. It seems that the all-volunteer army that is being formed in many countries of the world can be a good option to change the military in Iran, but we must also pay attention to the different geographical, political, social and cultural characteristics of Iran in this change.