Constructing and Deconstructing Othering: Polycentrism versus Westoxication in Iran

Between Tolerance and Exclusionism: Urban Iranian Youth’s Attitudes towards Race and Religion

“…Throughout these years, however, Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has been capitalizing on repressive and ideological state apparatus to reaffirm its legitimacy in the region and maintain its power over the nation [15]. In line with such efforts, the state-controlled social institutions including mainstream media have been incessantly striving for construction of a homogeneous identity based on Islamic, revolutionary and anti-West ideology that would ensure the solidarity of the nation and thus securing the state's power [16]. In so doing, the state attained a considerable success, albeit through making the most of the situation where the nation was still retaining the revolutionary spirit all throughout the warfare with the West-backed common enemy [17].…”

Iranian Youth’s Identity Politics: Cosmopolitan Aspirations, Self-Reproach and Lived Experiences of Belongingness to the Nation

“…Throughout these years, however, IRI has been capitalising on both repressive and ideological state apparatuses to reaffirm its legitimacy to rule over the nation (Golkar, 2016). In line with such efforts, the state-controlled social institutions, including mainstream media, have been incessantly engaged in construction of a homogeneous identity based on Islamic, revolutionary and anti-West ideology in order to ensure the continuity of the theocratic regime through solidarity of the nation (Amirpur, 2017). The regime's relative success in establishing an Islamic state, however, was enabled through netting the support of the majority of people who up until mid-1990s had retained a revolutionary spirit and a warring attitude against a West-backed enemy, Iraq (Chubin, 2019).…”