Educational Strategy Selection of Religious Minorities in Modern Iran: the Case of the Jewish, Christian, and Baha’I Communities
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Educational Strategy Selection of Religious Minorities in Modern Iran: The Case of the Jewish, Christian, and Baha’i Communities Sina Mossayeb Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2010 © 2010 Sina Mossayeb All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Educational Strategy Selection of Religious Minorities in Modern Iran Sina Mossayeb Based on the concept of education as a universal right, this dissertation analyzes the impact of government repression on the access to and quality of educational opportunities of minority groups, and the strategies used by marginalized and discriminated groups in response to educational inequity under authoritarian regimes. Do minority groups accept, tolerate, resist, or reject the limitations imposed on them? Do they establish their own institutions and services, or leave the country in pursuit of educational opportunity? This dissertation describes and illustrates the situation of three groups: Jews, Christians, and Baha’is, living in modern Iran. I argue that group composition and characteristics, networks, and regime-group relations significantly shape the strategies developed, selected, and deployed by minority groups in meeting educational needs. Relational dynamics between the groups (and their internal communities) and the regime, and other transnational actors are critical motivating factors in the pursuit of educational opportunities. I draw on historical analysis and the mechanism-process approach to identify educational strategies and explain how they are selected, and argue that group features both affect educational strategy selection, and are affected by previous strategies. The relational dynamics of interactions, conditions, processes, and outcomes are considered as causal factors in educational strategy selection. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables .........................................................................................................................iv List of Figures ........................................................................................................................v Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................1 Research Problem and Question ............................................................................................1 Theoretical Approach.............................................................................................................5 Methodological Approach .....................................................................................................6 Analysis..................................................................................................................................7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................13 Conflict Theories of Education ..............................................................................................13 Reproduction Theories .....................................................................................................14 Resistance Theories .........................................................................................................17 Summary ..........................................................................................................................18 Social Movement and Contentious Politics Literature ..........................................................18 Resource Mobilization Theory and Political Process Theories .......................................19 Framing Process ...............................................................................................................25 Contentious Politics .........................................................................................................26 Summary ..........................................................................................................................34 International Relations Theories and Contentious Politics ....................................................35 Globalization and Internationalization .............................................................................35 Transnationalism and Transnational Contention .............................................................36 Summary ..........................................................................................................................41 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................43 Research Question .................................................................................................................43 Methodological Design ..........................................................................................................43 Sample Subjects and Sites .....................................................................................................44 Sample Sources ................................................................................................................45 Data Collection ......................................................................................................................45 Archival Sources ..............................................................................................................45 Interview Sources.............................................................................................................47 Consent and Confidentiality ..................................................................................................53 Secondary Analysis and Sources .....................................................................................53 Data Analysis Methods ..........................................................................................................54 Theoretical Propositions ..................................................................................................54 Interviews Analysis ..........................................................................................................55 Historical Analysis ...........................................................................................................56 Mechanism-Process Analysis ..........................................................................................58 Concepts of Network Analysis ........................................................................................60 Validity Issues ........................................................................................................................62 Limitations .............................................................................................................................63 i CHAPTER 4: CASE SETTING AND OBJECTS—IRAN AND ITS REGIMES ...............65 On Regimes ............................................................................................................................65 The Pahlavi Dynasty (1925 to 1979) .....................................................................................67 Reza Shah and Nation Building (1926 to 1941) ..............................................................67 Muhammad Reza Shah and an Era of Rapid Reform (1941 to 1978) .............................70 Summary of the Pahlavis .................................................................................................74 The Islamic Republic of Iran (1979 to the Present) ...............................................................75 Gestation of a Revolution: “Burn the Shah, End the Pahlavis” .......................................75 Birth of an Islamic Nation................................................................................................76 First Epoch: Khomeini and the Establishment of the Islamic Republic ..........................76 Second Epoch: The Search for Consolidation and Stabilization (ca. 1989 to 1997) .......81 The Third Epoch: From Revolution to Reform (ca. 1997 to 2005) .................................83 The Fourth Epoch: The Resurgence of Conservatism (2005 to 2009) ............................85 Summary of the Islamic Republic of Iran ........................................................................87 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................88 CHAPTER 5: CASE SUBJECTS—THE JEWISH, CHRISTIAN, AND BAHA’I COMMUNITIES .......................................................................................................90 Analysis of Variables and Bounds .........................................................................................90 Group Composition and Characteristics ..........................................................................90 Networks ..........................................................................................................................93 Regime-Group Relations .................................................................................................94 Group Composition and Characteristics of Jews, Christians, and Baha’is ............................96 Demography .....................................................................................................................96 Geographic Spread of the Three Minority