Abstract
Given the increasingly evident discontent found among a large proportion of the Iranians, including ethnoreligious groups, liberal/secular groups, women’s rights groups, and the ever-increasing sociopolitical demands of the youth, how likely is societal instability and/or ethnic conflict in the foreseeable future? This chapter provides empirical justification for the argument that ethnicity-orientated self-identification is growing rapidly in Iran. Ethnic groups blame the regime in Tehran for their deprivation, and Tehran is the chief object of their grievances. Ethnic groups seek alternatives to the current situation, either through a change of the political system in Iran or, in some cases, by seeking to create their own autonomous and independent state. This chapter applies the concepts of relative deprivation and societal security to the context of Iran’s ethnic groups. In doing so, it examines the factors that have intensified the process of growth in ethnic identification in Iran, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the increase in the employment of technology, the increase in the weakness (and authoritarianism) of the state, and the process of globalization. In this chapter, the impact of regional and international actors will also be studied. This chapter uses interviews and data collected during fieldwork in Iran to explore these questions and to determine the extent to which ethnicity now shapes Tehran’s relations with its external environment.
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Notes
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© 2013 Alam Saleh
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Saleh, A. (2013). Ethnic Minorities in Iran. In: Ethnic Identity and the State in Iran. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137310873_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137310873_7
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