Warning bell of generational divide in Iran
According to Iran Gate, we are experiencing the most significant generational divide in our history, even greater than the generational divide during the conversion of Iranians from Zoroastrianism to Islam.
Iran Gate reports that the issue of generational divide has become one of the most important social and cultural problems in Iran. According to Hatam Ghaderi, we are experiencing the most significant generational divide in our history, even greater than the generational divide during the conversion of Iranians from Zoroastrianism to Islam.
Ghaderi further adds that when we talk about generational divide, it does not mean a complete and absolute separation between generations, where the new generation has no connection with the beliefs of previous generations. The behaviors of this generation in certain aspects become new combinations that did not previously exist or are being reinterpreted, rather than having no connection at all with the previous generation.
In fact, the fact that there are many conflicts indicates that there are also many points of convergence. It is around these points of convergence that different interpretations or behaviors emerge and take shape.
Considering that new generations in Iran, due to economic changes, advancements in mass communication tools, and the possibility of expanding interaction with other cultures, are more exposed to modern values and new societal trends, the identity differences between new and previous generations are increasing.
The most important reasons for the value differences between generations in Iran, which generally include the new middle class, can be listed as follows:
The growth of existential values among the new generation
Existential values indicate the movement of societies from material and survival-based values towards transcendent values that are based on self-expression and quality of life. These values emphasize freedom, independence, and the importance of human choices. These values grow in conditions of improved economic situations, where individuals feel greater security in terms of physical and material well-being.
The growth of expressed values is one of the factors that contribute to the value differences between generations in Iran. The economic reforms implemented after the end of the war in Iran prevented the subsequent generations from facing the economic problems that the revolutionary generation encountered in the first decade of the revolution and the war. The new generations were not concerned about economic security and physical survival to the extent that existed during the war. They were exposed to a different environment and had different experiences, which led to the growth of their expressed values.
During the formative years, individuals do not necessarily adopt all the desired values of their societies. Instead, they are likely to accept values that are compatible with their direct experiences during these formative years. They distance themselves from values that are not compatible with their direct experiences. This allows for a change in values between generations to occur.
If the younger generation grows up in very different conditions from previous generations, the overall values of society will gradually change through the intergenerational substitution. In Iran, the new generations did not experience the era of revolution and war, so the values of that era differed from their direct experiences. Conversely, the new generations have experienced the period of political and economic stability and the expansion of communications with the world, and the values of this period are compatible with their experiences. This is one of the factors contributing to generational differences in Iran.
Change in reference groups
A reference group is a tool of social acceptance and refers to a group that an individual compares themselves to and uses as a criterion for evaluating their behavior and actions, whether positively or negatively. In contrast, there are escape groups or Western groups, which individuals perceive their values and norms negatively and strive to distance themselves from them as much as possible.
There are groups with idealistic states and individuals aspire to be a part of them and try to adhere to their values and norms. If the values and norms of these groups align with the general values and norms of the social system, the legitimacy of the social system increases and it reduces issues such as identity crisis, social abnormalities, and generational value gaps. Nowadays, with the expansion of various satellite channels and advancements in communication technology, we witness the emergence of new reference groups in Iran, replacing traditional religious and national reference groups. These new groups have even devolved from being reference groups to escape groups.
Parents, who used to be the most traditional reference groups for young people in the past, have lost this role and have been replaced by new reference groups. In fact, the new generation, with its autonomous and individualistic approach, seeks to emulate reference groups that have more accepted values, which leads to greater conformity with this generation. Nowadays, traditional reference groups in Iranian society are undergoing a process of depersonalization and are experiencing a noticeable crisis of acceptance, legitimacy, and authority.
On the other hand, if we divide reference groups into two types, positive reference groups and negative reference groups, we must say that positive reference groups in Iranian society are undergoing a transformation and change into negative reference groups. This phenomenon has created a new need and demand for attaining different and unfamiliar reference groups.
In a more refined expression, this process can proceed to the extent that a significant number of members of society, especially young people, become disillusioned with their own society and become attracted to other countries. The new generation in Iran is emulating reference groups that often do not align with the social, cultural, and particularly political structures in Iran, and this has led to the formation of different political tendencies among the new generation.
Strengthening individualism and independence
Strengthening individualism and the desire for independence are among the factors that can lead to new tendencies and different worldviews among the new generations compared to the past generations. This can reduce the harmony that is a characteristic of traditional families. The decrease in harmony and the increase in individualism and the desire for independence have caused the new generations to not accept the collective values of the family and society like in the past, especially considering that the new generations are exposed to various values and different attractive worldviews for various reasons, which play an important role in shaping their identity.
Expansion of rationality and reasoning
The expansion of rationality among the new generations has led them to have different perspectives on the world and emphasize the relativity of rationality and diversity in reasoning methods. The concept of generational rationality is based on the assumption that only one type of rationality does not shape the mechanism of reasoning in humans. Generations, by employing their biological characteristics and their own life experiences, perceive the surrounding world in a different way from neighboring and older generations.
On the one hand, it should be noted that if there is a generation gap, but the channels of expressing and manifesting this gap are not multi-dimensional and limited to a specific channel, young people express other things they want through this channel because in our country there are channels through which young people can demonstrate various manifestations of the generation gap.
However, they are forced to use a few channels to do so. For example, participating in mourning ceremonies in a specific and non-traditional way that is outside the conventional definitions of such ceremonies is an example of this, or the way they dress in many cases is one of the channels through which young people display the gap between their values and official values.
In fact, due to the rigidity and closed nature of most channels through which young people could express their different desires and perspectives compared to the previous generation on various issues, they take advantage of the existing platforms and redefine them to express their values and even resist against defined and official values in society.
Persian
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