On Iranian Culture
Michael Hillmann
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A Camparative Characteristics Model for Cultural Identity Description®
Lecture/Discussion at Critical Languages Institute, Arizona State UniversityMichael Craig Hillmann, ..... July 2011
1
. Checklist of Cultural Characteristics, Features, and Categories
2
. Chart of English American and Persian Iranian Cultural Characteristics and Values
3
. Checklist of Values in Iranian Culture
4
. Checklist of Issues and Conflicts in Iranian Culture
5
. Bibliography
1
. Here follows an open-ended list of cultural features and characteristics derived from classroom and discussion sessionswith university students and professionals from various national cultures. Add items to the list and check (
✗
) items in the listwhich strike you as significant or privileged in American culture.
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candor, frankness
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circumspectness
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competitiveness
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compromise
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conservatism
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courage/bravery
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national cuisine and foods
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decorum, dignified comportment
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dervish lifestyle
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ethical principles, morality
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fair judgment
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family
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family history
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acceptance of fate
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flexibility, adaptability
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formality
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friendship
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future orientation
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love of homeland
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honesty, fair dealing
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hospitality at home
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humility
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idealism
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individualism
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individuality
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industriousness
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informality
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innovation
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intellectualism
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music
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moderation
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modernity
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modesty
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monotheism
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indigenous movies
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national history
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national language
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cultural nationalism
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political nationalism
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nationality
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nature-loving
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openmindedness, freethinking
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optimism
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orientation toward the past
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patriotism
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poetry-loving
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politeness, courtesy
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living in/for the present
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realism
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religiosity – piety
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religious beliefs
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reputation, good name
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resoluteness, will
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respect for elders
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national historical
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spirituality
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spring season
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strolls/outings/ excursions
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summers
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traditions
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leisure travel and vacationing
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winter
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. On the next page appears a self-explanatory chart assigning specific items cited above to the American culture of English-speaking Americans and to a foreign culture, in this case the Iranian culture of Persian-speaking Iranians. The chief,non-archival sources for items in the Iranian list are identified in Section #3 (below). As for the items identified as American,the two primary, non-archival sources were: (1) 15+ groups of adult, English-speaking Americans participating in advancedPersian language seminars and intensive courses from 2001 to 2009; and (2) a group of 105 participants in a Fall 2010undergraduate course at The University of Texas at Austin called The American Experience as Told through Autobiographies.
PAGE 2 GOES HERE.
3
. Here follows a checklist of terms–including Iranian culture-specific versions of many terms in the foregoing lists andchart–relating to cultural values which some educated Persian-speaking Iranians cite as important to their culture andIranianness
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ﱠ
]
. The cited items had two primary, non-archival sources: (1) a group of five Iranian(-American) teachersof Persian who participated in a series of Persian language seminars and intensive courses from 2001 to 2009 for universitystudents and American government personnel studying Persian at the advanced level; and (2) a group of 150+ Iranian(-American members of IAMA (Iranian American Medical Association at their 2008 annual meeting. Data from such sourcesare not scientific, but at least constitute aspects of Iranian self-views and not the views of an outside, foreign observer.For some Iranians, the listed items signal the significance and worth of their culture. Even though many or most of theterms in the list relate to values to which many cultures may pay at least lip service, the combination of items in the list, assuggested in the foregoing chart, may suggest a distinctively Iranian cultural personality or identity. At the same time, the listdoes not include values which would likely figure in a similar list of items which some Americans think important in theircultural identity, such as competitiveness, informality, volunteerism and community service, and individualism
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1.the land of Iran
2.religious beliefs – monotheism – 12er Shi’ite Muslim faith
3.he Persian language – love of the Persian language
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4.family
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5.friendship
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6.hospitality and socializing
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of nature – strolls, outings, excursions – spring
8.traditional ceremonies: New Year’s, weddings, funerals, and...
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9.Iranian cooking and foods
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10.respect for the national historical past
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11.loving poetry, poetry-loving
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12.Ferdowsi – Khayyam – Rumi – Hafe
13.spirituality
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14.intellectualism (seen as a superior way of experiencing life(
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15.openmindedness, freethinking
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16.simple dervish life (style(
17.respect for elders
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18.reputation, good name
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19.decorum, dignity – politeness – courtesy – circumspectness – modesty
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20.fate – fatalism
The last item in this list, "fate – fatalism," identifies a value not prominent in mainstream American cultural orientations, inwhich progress, change, and presumed possibilities of making things right and/or better figure significantly. Some Americansargue that fatalism has the negative consequence of predisposing individuals and groups not to take action to change thingsfor the better. At the same time, some Americans might not appreciate how a fatalistic orientation might help individuals andgroups cope with circumstances and events beyond their control and/or not amenable to change, for example, death
4
. The last item in the foregoing list, "fate – fatalism," also suggests issues and conflicts part and parcel of the culturalorientations of many Iranians. In other words, some Iranians may not feel inclined to participate in group action to improvetheir society because they think that whatever fate or God has in store for them will not change because of what they mighttry to do. At the same time, they feel a responsiblity to initiate actions to improve their lives and the lives of their familymembers and others. It so happens that some Iranians view much of their culture as exhibiting conflicts or contrary tensions.The following list presents terms in pairs or triads highlighting cultural dualities, issues, or conflicts which some educatedIranians discuss in everyday conversation and in writing about themselves or other Iranians.
1
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ﮔ
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1.fate – fatalism – free will
2
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2.pessimism – optimism
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ﮕ ﮕ
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3.sense of alienation – comfortable familiarity
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4.reputation – concern for what 'the people' think – individualism, individuality
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ﭘ ﭘ
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5.patriarchy, male domination – rule by the people
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ﭘ ﮔ ﲡ
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ﭘ
6.inflexibility, one-trackmindedness, reactionariness – flexibility/adaptability
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7.grandiose view of self – humility
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8.ceremonialness – down-to-earthness
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ﱠ ﮔ ﭘ
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ﮔ ﭘ
9.traditionalism, antiquarianism – modernism, fadism
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ﮔ ﮔ
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ﮕ
10.weststruckness (infatuated with the West), Arabstrickenness – xenophobia
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ﱡ
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ﱡ
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11.prejudice, bias – equanimity
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12.extremism – moderation
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ﮔ ﭘ
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13.audacity, pushiness – humility – diffidence, timdity, modesty
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14.cleverness – simplicity, naiveté
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ﱡ
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15.dissimulation, formality – candor – sincere devotion
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16.religiosity, piety – worldliness – materialism
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ﭘﱢ
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17.putting on airs, showing off – humility – simple life
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ﲔ ﮕ
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18.skepticism, conspiratorialism – trustingness
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19.hypocrisy, duplicitousness – honesty, uprightness
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ﱡ
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20.sense of superiority – sense of inferiority
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ﲡ ﭘ
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ﭘ
21.conservatism, reactionarianism, unwillingness to change – willingness to change
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ﮔ
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22.materialism – spirituality
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23.lavish life style – simple life (style(
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24.ambiguity, indecision about a choice – ambivalence, duality – determination
Some Iranians assert that both sides in foregoing pairs constitute parts of their cultural character or personality. That couldsuggest that apparent conflicts, tensions, contradictions, dualities
[]
, and dipolarities in those pairsconstitute a natural cultural condition for some Iranians. In light of Iran’s lengthy history and cultural continuity, one couldassert a paradox in Iranian culture: that the existence of such conflicts, tensions, dualities, and dipolarities plays a salutaryrole in the longevity of Iranian culture.
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