Social Change in Iran

Behzad Yaghmaian

Description

Social Change in Iran is an inquiry into the recent changes in Iran, blending scholarly analysis, eyewitness accounts, and the author's personal experiences. It tells the stories of everyday people, be it young men and women challenging the cultural and social mandates of the Islamic Republic, or workers toiling at multiple jobs to overcome harsh economic realities. This passionate homage to the people of Iran as told by a native is a glimpse into the human feelings and aspirations of a people subjected to varying forms of violence at home and widespread misunderstanding abroad. At the same time Yaghmaian provides an informed analysis of the widening political divide within the state, and the emergence of a movement for reform, both of which have shaken the seemingly indisputable foundations of the Islamic Republic.

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction
Iran: An Eyewitness Account and Study of Social Change

1. Emerging Social Movements, Victories, and Setbacks in the Battle for Rights

2. State and the Socialization of Violence: A Narrative of Everyday Life

3. Children of the Islamic Republic—Part I The Rise of a New Social Movement for Joy: A Narrative

4. Children of the Islamic Republic—Part II Student Movement: Transcendence from a Movement against Rights to a Movement for Rights

5. Children of the Islamic Republic—Part III The Politicization of the Movement for Joy: A Narrative of a New Student Movement in the Making

6. A Movement for a Free Press—The Vanguard of the Battle for Rights and Civil Society

7. State, Economy, and Civil Society—Part I Wage Earners' Response to Economic Catastrophe

8. State, Economy, and Civil Society—Part II Economic Decline, Divided State, and Policy Retreat: The Triumph of Neoliberalism

9. Oil, International Division of Labor, and the Crisis of the Iranian Economy: A Political Economy Analysis

10. The Great Debate: A Republic or Velayat-e Faghih?

Conclusions

Postscript

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• History of the Middle East
• Political economy
• Middle East

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791489413
• Langue: English

Extrait

Social Change in Iran

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SOCIAL CHANGE IN IRAN

An Eyewitness Account of Dissent, Defiance, and New Movements for Rights

BEHZAD YAGHMAIAN

State U n ive r s i ty of N ew Yor k P re s s

Published by State University of New York Press Albany

© 2002 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production, Kelli Williams Marketing, Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Yaghmaian, Behzad, 1953– Social change in Iran : an eyewitness account of dissent, defiance, and new movements for rights / Behzad Yaghmaian. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0791452115 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0791452123 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Social change—Iran. 2. Iran—Politics and government—1997– 3. Civil society—Iran. 4. Student movements—Iran. 5. Iran—Social conditions—1997– 6. Iran—Economic conditions—1997– I. Title.

HN670.2.A8 Y34 2002 303.4′0955—dc21

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2001049287

Acknowledgments

Preface

Contents

Introduction I RAN : A N E YEWITNESS A CCOUNT AND S TUDY OF S OCIAL C HANGE

Chapter One E MERGING S OCIAL M OVEMENTS , V ICTORIES , AND S ETBACKS IN THE B ATTLE FOR R IGHTS

Chapter Two S TATE AND THE S OCIALIZATION OF V IOLENCE : A N ARRATIVE OF E VERYDAY L IFE

Chapter Three C HILDREN OF THE I SLAMIC R EPUBLIC —P ART I T HE R ISE OF A N EW S OCIAL M OVEMENT FOR J OY : A N ARRATIVE

Chapter Four C HILDREN OF THE I SLAMIC R EPUBLIC —P ART II S TUDENT M OVEMENT : T RANSCENDENCE FROM A M OVEMENT AGAINST R IGHTS TO A M OVEMENT FOR R IGHTS

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SOCIAL CHANGE IN IRAN

Chapter Five C HILDREN OF THE I SLAMIC R EPUBLIC —P ART III T HE P OLITICIZATION OF THE M OVEMENT FOR J OY : A N ARRATIVE OF A N EW S TUDENT M OVEMENT IN THE M AKING

Chapter Six A M OVEMENT FOR A F REE P RESS — THE V ANGUARD OF THE B ATTLE FOR R IGHTS AND C IVIL S OCIETY

Chapter Seven S TATE , E CONOMY , AND C IVIL S OCIETY —P ART I W AGE E ARNERS ’ R ESPONSE TO E CONOMIC C ATASTROPHE

Chapter Eight S TATE , E CONOMY , AND C IVIL S OCIETY —P ART II E CONOMIC D ECLINE , D IVIDED S TATE , AND P OLICY R ETREAT : T HE T RIUMPH OF N EOLIBERALISM

Chapter Nine O IL , I NTERNATIONAL D IVISION OF L ABOR , AND THE C RISIS OF THE I RANIAN E CONOMY : A P OLITICAL E CONOMY A NALYSIS

Chapter Ten T HE G REAT D EBATE : A R EPUBLIC OR V ELAYAT  E F AGHIH ?

Conclusions

Postscript

Notes

Bibliography

Index

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Acknowledgments

he idea of writing this book was conceived after my1995 visit to T Iran. I returned to the United States haunted by images of the pain, anxiety, and frustration of men and women who confronted and battled the state’s cultural and political violence, rising prices, decline in the value of the national currency, and deteriorating stan dard of living. I had a story to tell—the story of wage earners work ing multiple jobs to survive, men and women selling their body organs to feed their children, and youths facing beating and impris onment by the state’s moral police and the security force. My book is dedicated to the ordinary people, the heroes of every day life. It is they who inspired me and gave me the zeal and energy to be the narrator of their stories of sorrow and happiness, tears and laughter, and their hopes for a better tomorrow. They taught me per severance and patience in combating the pains of everyday life, com passion amidst poverty, and living with hope for a brighter tomor row. They made this book possible. I benefited from the help and friendship of many individuals in Iran. To protect them from possible actions by the Islamic Republic, I decline to name those who gave me valuable moral support, taught me with their insight and their sober approach to social and political change in Iran, helped me find needed information for my book, and remained my loyal friends. I am indebted to those who lived with me through moments of fear and anxiety, and shared with me the joy of seeing change in the making. I thank them for their contribution to this project. A variety of people in the United Sates contributed to my thoughts about different issues raised in the book. Many friends

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among the Iranian expatriate community helped the articulation of my ideas through their critique and discussions of the issues. I am indebted to them for their support. Special thanks are due to Diana Alspach of the Schools of Social Science and Human Services of Ramapo College of New Jersey for her friendship, support, and her fantastic sense of humor. Her steady flow of emails helped me retain my contact with the world outside the madness of everyday life in Iran. Her words of encouragement helped me pursue my project, and her brilliant stories made me laugh when laughter was all but for gotten. I owe a great deal to Christopher Madden, a highly promis ing young journalist and a committed advocate of people’s rights, for his meticulous reading of the entire manuscript and his insightful substantive comments and editorial assistance. Christopher’s com ments and our ongoing dialogue about Iran and other world issues helped the articulation and presentation of the ideas in the book. I am also indebted to Peter Scheckner for his very constructive sug gestions and guidance for revising the original manuscript. Many thanks to Jennifer Holland, Charlie Part, and Mark Mikhael for reading the work in progress and for their enthusiastic support. Finally I would like to thank the editors, reviewers, and staff of the SUNY Press for making this project possible.

Preface

uly 20, 1999—The “Web Station,” Paphos, Cyprus. Cafes, bars, the J Mediterranean breeze, and a fine cup of French coffee: I am free. Staring at the computer screen, I am sunk in haunting images of fear, despair, and lost hope: bearded men in slippers swinging their clubs on young dreamers; soldiers shooting at the chanting crowd; buses set afire; buildings burnt to the ground; bearded men in slippers roaming in the town. This was the time of revenge, payback time, paying back for two years of dreaming of a better world. July 19, 1999—The day of fear, the fear that kills, penetrates the deepest part of one’s soul. I left the city of fear. Frightened, alienated, I waited for my departure in Tehran International Airport. Will the plane take off? Will I ever be free? Hours of deadly fear, I imagined bearded men in slippers, prison bars, angry laughter of the victors. Will I ever be free? I left in fear. Alone, I carried with me memories of one year of living in fear, anxiety, and joy. I loved. I feared. I hoped. I dreamed. I laughed. I lived. I took all of my memories with me. The plane took off. I breathed deeply. Now miles away from the land of bearded men in slippers, a fine cup of French coffee, British tourist playing computer games: I am in the “Web Station.” The mesmerizing blue sky and the Mediterranean Sea, I remember the week of death, the week that will be remem bered, the week that will not die. I remember the faces of anxiety, the seventeenyearold who was hit in the head by the bearded man’s club. She died not being

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