Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• Mahdi Malmir

Shahid Beheshti University

Abstract

Through a secondary analysis of three waves of the Iranian Values and Attitudes Survey, this article endeavors to depict the political, cultural, and economic facets of Iranian society through the lens of identity dimensions, including national, ethnic, and class identities. The findings indicate a positive attitude towards national identity among all respondents. However, when this type of identity is juxtaposed with ethnic and linguistic diversity, varying relationships emerge between the two. While the interaction between national and ethnic identities has been synergistic in most provinces, certain vectors reveal a weakening of national identity and a strengthening of ethnic identity. Moreover, monitoring the trend of social mobility as an indicator of society's economic improvement reveals a declining trend in social mobility, leading to a shrinking middle class and an expanding lower class. The combination of this identity gap (national-ethnic) with economic deprivation and inequality provides an analytical tool for understanding and explaining the social and political actions of social forces and agencies in the current Iranian society.

Keywords

• National identity
• Ethnic identity
• Class identity
• Social status assessment
• survey of Iranian values ​​and attitudes

Main Subjects

• Sociology