Cultural Consequences of Modernization in Iran (Tehran Case Study)

Document Type : .

Author

Associate Professor of Sociology, Higher National Defense University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Abstract
Modernization in Iran has grown rapidly in recent decades and the Iranian society has been renewed by various standards, and Tehran is considered a symbol of this modernization in various aspects. But, are the people of Tehran - as the most modern city in Iran - considered culturally modern (western) or are they still adhering to traditions? While the early theories considered modernization to be associated and possible with all-round cultural changes and the formation of modern values instead of traditional values, on the other hand, some newer theories believe in the foundation of traditions for modernization. In this category are those who consider modernization as the cause of activation of localism. The third group of theories believe in the fusion of cultures in the face of modernization. The theories in question often assume a unified destiny for societies and cultures undergoing modernization; However, this research believes that all three aforementioned reactions to modernization can be observed within the same society. The data analysis of the research - which was carried out by the survey method - also showed that all three trends mentioned above (modern, hybrid and local-traditional) can be seen in different degrees in Tehran.
Introduction
 Although Iran's society has been modernized in decades, Tehran has made significant progress in modernization compared to other cities in Iran and is considered the most modern city in Iran by various standards. Changes in this city in areas such as the expansion of new industries, the development of education and its level improvement, the production and consumption of cultural goods, the expansion of mass communication tools and the extent of their use, the amount and density of the population, the lifestyle and the like are unique and without any doubt. Is; However, this question is raised whether all-round social-structural changes in Tehran have been accompanied by comprehensive and profound cultural changes? This little effort has been made to find out through an empirical investigation, what is the state of culture and traditional values in the city of Tehran in the face of modern values and changes caused by modernization, and whether the people of Tehran - as the most modern city in Iran - are culturally modern as well. Are they considered or are they traditional?
Theoretical framework
 In the field of cultural consequences of modernization, there are three categories of mutual theories that assign different destinies to local cultures in the era of modernization. The first group believes in the decline of indigenous cultures and their replacement by western cultures. The second category believes in the resistance of native cultures against the invading western culture and the closure of these cultures against change, and the third category believes that the world culture (both western and non-western) acquires a composite characteristic in the era of modernization and globalization. The mentioned opinions believe in the inevitable fate of each national culture in each country against modernization, in accordance with the announced mechanism. In this sense, they consider the result of modernization as either cultural change, or cultural resistance, or cultural combination in each country. However, all three opinions can be recognized for any national culture faced with modernization. That is, he believed that the cultural consequence of modernization at the sub-national level would find three different situations: the formation of Western culture; resistance to western culture and insistence on indigenous identity; Combination of native culture with western culture. Thus, the cultural consequence of modernization in Iran (and Tehran) can be searched in three different aspects: Westernism, traditionalism and the formation of a composite culture. In this view, in the studied society, traditional culture has three different destinies: First, it is still dynamic and lively and effective in a part of the society and not only continues but also challenges the modern parts of the society. In the second case, a part of the society affected by modern culture becomes non-traditional and its ruling values become modern. In the third case, culture is a combination of tradition and modernity and consists of traditional and new dual values. In this case, a composite culture has been formed in which the components of modern culture are prominent and visible next to native-traditional values.
In order to determine the tendencies of people and their experimental evaluation, five variables of belief (or disbelief) in religious authority, secularism and political open space and social-civil tolerance and value Feminist texts are selected and studied. It is thought that people with western tendencies have more belief and tendency towards social-civil facilitation, secularism, political open space and feminist values and their belief in the jurisprudence is low, and on the contrary, people with native-traditional tendencies have low belief and tendency. compared to the above-mentioned variables (except for Velayat al-Faqih). Mixed people are more Western-oriented in some variables and more native-traditional in others.
Methodology
 This research was conducted by survey method among the population over 18 years of age in Tehran urban area in the winter of 2015 and the sample size was calculated through Cochran's formula and was determined to be 4264 people. It is necessary to explain that after collecting and refining the questionnaires, 3974 questionnaires were found to be reliable and the analysis was done on them.
Conclusion
 Despite the existing opinions in the field of modernization that assign three different fates to the cultures undergoing modernization (westernization, remaining traditional and hybridization), the analysis of experimental data showed that these three categories of phenomena exist within the studied sample. In other words, when faced with modern values, there are three different reactions within each country: value change and the formation of modern (Western) values; Nativeism and emphasis on native-traditional values; The formation of composite values.
Keywords: culture, modernization, modern values, mixed values, native-traditionalism

Keywords


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