Analysis of Political Developments in Iran in terms of Identity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Associate Professor in Political Science, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch
2 Ph.D Candidate of Political Science, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to bring together various elements that portray the complex conceptuality of Iranian Identity facilitating or suppressing political development. The model evolved from a grounded theory study of 15 Iranian scholars ranging in ideology and diverse in background.
It engages the conceptual model of multiple dimensions of identity (Reynolds and Pope – 1991) which depicts a core sense of self, society, inner and outer elements in connection with the political development in Iran. To sketch out the models, firstly we determined the factors and elements that portray the complex conceptuality of identity influencing political development in Iran. To fully delimit and define these elements, we put into force three stages of coding and classification. In this way, we established the Iranian positive facilitator identity elements and negative suppressor identity constituent factors of Iranians playing a role on political development. This study embodies intersecting circles surrounding the core identity representing significant identity dimensions and contextual influences that may possess the potential to transform political development.
At the end, the researchers presented two models of multiple dimensions of Iranian identity affecting political development, one as facilitators and the other as suppressors.
Keywords