Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Iranian'

La culture en général et l’art, en particulier, occupent une position unique dans la structuration d’une société. En dépit des conflits, des convulsions politiques et idéologiques qu’a connu depuis un siècle, l’Iran d’aujourd’hui n’est plus un pays sous le joug politique d’une théocratie obscurantiste. Contrairement aux discours bruyants et actions hostiles de dirigeants islamiques qui provoquent si facilement l’attention du grand public en Occident, l’expression artistique iranienne reste très peu connue du public du monde entier. C’est à partir d’une réalisation plastique personnelle qu’ont été évalués que les véritables représentants et porte-parole d’une société iranienne progressiste ne sont plus ses politiques, mais bien ses artistes. Les artistes iraniens essaient de montrer la voix d’un autre Iran, celle d’un pays à l’histoire plurimillénaire, mais toujours aussi épris de culture et avide de liberté.Très attachées à leur histoire et leur culture, les oeuvres des artistes iraniens s’élaborent entre héritage et innovation. Lesquelles font état d’univers où un langage symbolique, ostensiblement hybride, se construit entre traditions ancestrales et modernité postrévolutionnaire. Par le biais de différents types médiums contemporains, comme la photographie, la performance, l’installation, la vidéo, ces oeuvres témoignent de la recherche d'un geste et d'un langage susceptibles de reconstruire la mosaïque du réel. Le regard des artistes, construit par leurs codes culturels, ne les empêche cependant pas de prendre en considération les actuels problèmes sociaux et politiques. Par contre, les artistes iraniens détournent intelligemment la réalité de façon métaphorique et symbolique pour transmettre le contenu de leur message au monde entier. De cette manière, l’art contemporain iranien, a pu s’épanouir sur la scène internationale et a pu attirer l’attention de quelques collectionneurs du marché de l’art et de commissaires d’exposition internationaux, durant ces dernières décennies
Culture in general and art in particular, occupy a unique position in the structure of society. Despite the conflicts, political and ideological convulsions has been known for a century, Iran today is no longer a country under the political yoke of theocracy obscurantist. Unlike the noisy speech and actions hostile Islamic leaders who so easily cause the attention of the general public in the West, Iranian artistic expression is very little known to the public worldwide. This is from a personal realization plastic what evaluated as true representatives and spokespersons of Iranian society progressive are no longer policies, but its artists. Iranian artists trying to show the voice of another Iran, a country with a history thousands of years, but still as loving culture and eager for freedom. Very attached to their history and culture, the works of Iranian artists to develop between heritage and innovation which indicate universe where a symbolic language, ostensibly hybrid builds between traditions and modernity post-revolutionary. Through different mediums contemporaries, such as photography, performance, installation, video, these works reflect the research gesture and language may reconstruct the mosaic of reality. The regard of artists, built by their cultural codes, however, does not prevent to consider the current social and political problems. By against, Iranian artists intelligently divert the reality of metaphorical and symbolic way to transmit the content of their message to the world. In this way, Iranian contemporary art, has been able to flourish on the international scene and has attracted the attention of some collector’s art market and international exhibition curators, in recent decades

My PhD thesis explores Iranian urban daily life by analysing Iranian cinema. Many scholars from different perspectives have focused on Iranian society in various political, social and cultural fields, although less attention is still being paid to Iranian daily life from the perspective of critical studies of everyday life. Moreover, many scholars have investigated Iranian films from macro- and micro-perspectives. Macro-sociological approaches have focused on the social, political and historical structures of Iranian cinema. These research are done in the field of sociology of cinema. Micro-sociological methods have analysed the representation of different features of everyday life, such as gender representation or consumption, but not daily life. These research are done in the field of sociology of film. However, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of any social phenomenon we have to make a connection between micro-sociology and macro-sociology. By problematising the concept of everyday life, this research tries to keep its distance from the dualism noted above and outlines Iranian urban daily life. Therefore, the thesis constructs an applicable theoretical framework to explore Iranian everyday life by a local approach. Through a new methodological approach, the thesis connects the sociology of cinema and sociology of film in order to make a connection between everyday life and its representation in films. The theoretical framework consists of the work of various critical theorists of everyday life (for example, Lefebvre and Simmel) which enables me to recognise the outline of everyday life and analyse power relations in daily life. By a Foucauldian approach I read the theories to conceptualise Iranian daily life. Moreover, I connect the theory of everyday life to Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis. I answer the research questions by using the following fourteen key signifiers: FilmFarsi, Sacred Defense Cinema, Value-based Cinema, Big Production Films, New-wave, Social Films, Children’s films, Entertaining Movies, Festival Cinema, Poetic Cinema, Underground Cinema, Accented Cinema, Independent Cinema, and Art and Experimental Films. The first research question focuses on the discursive context of cinema and everyday life. Describing the discursive structures of Iranian cinema in different periods enables an in-depth understanding of the role of cinema both as a modern social institution and as culture industry. The second research question focuses on ‘subject positions’ and the processes of representation of everyday life in Iranian films. The third question relates to the connections between daily experiences, subject positions, and the social structures located within discourses which shape daily life. This question explains the problematic Iranian urban daily life in terms of uncertainty and precariousness. By highlighting the importance of contextuality in everyday life studies, the thesis concludes with methodological suggestions for further research on everyday life and cinema.

In a TED talk given in 2010, Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat articulated the two battles that the Iranian diaspora are engaged in—one is against their government, whose regime gives cause to flee, and the other is against the Western perceptions of Iranian identity that Iranians face after immigrating. My experience of emigrating from Iran to Australia is consistent with Neshat’s statement. I call the feeling of being a nomad or not belonging anywhere ‘double displacement’, an idea central to this Master of Visual Arts project. Through painting, I have considered the ways in which people maintain their identity and cultural vision after experiencing the disruption and displacement of immigration. I am interested in what the experience of double displacement (from the birth country and the new destination country) means and how it feels, especially from a Middle Eastern perspective. The end result of this series of works is something like a visual diary recorded by a woman with a Persian-poetic view of experience. To describe double displacement, I have used metaphoric and metonymic visual elements that refer to transience, including doorways, corridors, or light coming from one space to another sited within intimate places and interiors. The purpose of this research is to visually encapsulate the experience of doubly displaced immigrants. Through this research, I have attempted to find a more nuanced language with which to understand double displacement via the visual and material language of painting.
Thesis (Masters)
Master of Visual Arts (MVA)
Queensland College of Art
Arts, Education and Law
Full Text

This thesis examines the history of Iranian cinema in its wider social and political context and establishes the link between gender, nationalist political and cultural processes in contemporary Iran. It argues that women's representation was central to the politics of state-formation and that the unveiled and veiled woman came to signify two conflicting political ideologies: modernisation and Islamisation. This volume maintains that in both the monarchy and the Islamic Republic, women and cinema were transformed into cultural symbols, representing the nation and national identity. The cooption of the women's question by nationalist politics and the regulation of cinema through censorship and propaganda was intended to consolidate the power of the successive regimes and construct a particular national identity, based on the constituent elements of a pre-Islamic past, and of Shi'i Islam, respectively. Because of the official cooption of the women's question and cinema, in monarchical times, as in the Islamic Republic, a counter discourse and culture developed, which became manifest in the work of an increasing number of filmmakers. If in the pre-revo lutionary period, the opposition coopted the symbol of the veiled woman, in the post-revolutionary period, the symbol of the unveiled woman is increasingly making inroads. More and more filmmakers reveal and unveil the "veiling" methods and practices of power upon which the Islamic Republic depends. However, despite the defiance, in both the Islamic Republic and the monarchy, the cinematic discourse remains dependent on the political and ideological constructions of power, which it can never fully defy.

ABSTRACT IRANIAN NUCLEAR CRISIS AND ITS IMPACT ON US-IRANIAN RELATIONS BETWEEN 1953-2008 Ü
zmez, Sena M.S., Department of International Relations Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ö
zlem Tü
r December 2010, 101 pages This thesis analyzes the U.S.-Iran relations in accordance with Iranian Nuclear Crisis from a historical perspective. Analyzing the U.S.-Iran relations since 1953 until 2008, it is possible to see that as the two countries&rsquo
perceptions towards each other change, their policies towards the nuclear issue change, too. While nuclear developments were not a threat for the two states that were close allies during the Shah Era, the perceptions totally changed after the Islamic Revolution. However, even if US and Iran started to perceive each other as a threat, nuclear issue lost its importance because of Khomeini&rsquo
s approach in this period. With the September 11, 2001 attacks, the American approach has changed not only regarding the Middle East, but also regarding the nuclear issue in Iran. The Nuclear Crisis that started in 2002 by the announcement of secret nuclear centrals escalated to its peak with the election of Ahmedinejad as the president. Different historical facts that were experienced at different periods shaped perceptions of two nations towards each other. As these perceptions change towards each other, their perceptions regarding the nuclear issue and their policies have changed, too. In this study, how these two nations&rsquo
perceptions towards each other were shaped and their approaches regarding the nuclear issue influenced by the historical events will be examined and analyzed.

This study is primarily concerned with answering several important questions surrounding the Anglo-Iranian Oil Dispute of 1950-1951 which have remained unanswered. What were the detailed origins of the disputes between the Iranian Government and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company? Why was such a favourable oil concession granted to a British citizen? What was the impact of the occupation of Iran on the Iranian people's way of political thinking and how did oil become an issue for public debate? Why was there an oil crisis in 1951 ? What were the motivations of the parties to the oil dispute? Was the crisis mainly over economic grievances ? What was the role of nationalism ? These are answered within a framework that highlights the salient variables such as politics, economy, international relations and diplomacy. The methodology adopted is a descriptive analysis of archival material and literature on the related subjects. The emphasis is on the Iranian view of the crisis for the reason that, although it received international attention and was in many ways an international crisis, it originated in Iran. There were features unique to it which were Iranian. Given the nature of Iranian society with its strong oral traditions, the past is important to an explanation of the crisis. It is alive in Iranian mind in a way not apparent to western society. Conceptions of the past and an awareness of the weakness of Iranian autonomy are important in the context of the 1950 crisis.Consequently, it is necessary to examine the concept of history prevalent in Iran. This takes the staring point of the thesis to the D'Arcy oil concession. In 1900, Iran was bankrupt in Western terms, the Shah needed immediate cash payment,I authorities were financially corrupt and politics was riddled with foreign intrigue. Oil had been sought in Iran since 1878 without much success. By 1900, the demand for Iranian oil was supported by the British Legation. D'Arcy, an English financier, managed to obtain, through connections with a string of individuals, an oil concession for 60 years. The Iranian authorities had every reason to believe that this oil concession, like all other oil concessions would eventually lapse. However, D' Arcy worked the concession to the point of bankruptcy and his engineer, to the point of exhaustion. As a result an oil industry was established which "was to see the Royal Navy through two world wars, and to cause Persia more trouble than all the political manoeuvrings of the great powers put together". 2The world oil rivalry, compounded with the British government's desire for oil independence, turned the Iranian oil industry into the largest oil industry of the time and an important source of income for the British Treasury. The exploitation of the oil reserves of Iran by an industrial power soon became a matter of great controversy as disputes developed between two parties which extended over several decades. Iran received some funds in revenues. However, the revenues did not improve the Iranian standard of life considerably although they affected the balance of payments, currency reserves and purchase of arms. Iranian society was in the process of transition from a traditional society to a modern one. The Constitutional Movement of 1906 had an impact on the public's political way of thinking. Reza Shah suppressed the society but the desire for a democratic system continued to exist. During the reign of Reza Shah (1925-1941), a large portion of the rural population moved to urban areas. The industrialisation of Iran helped in developing a new class of urban middle class and artisans. It was obvious that the relationship between Iran and the oil company needed readjusting. However, the oil company officiIs did not show much interest in this until it was too late. The occupation of Iran in 1941 helped several political forces appear on the political scene. The released communist prisoners quickly formed the Tudeh Party. The communists were assisted by the Soviet forces in the North to the extent that the Tudeh, a communist party, became one of the main political parties of this period in an Islamic society. However, several factors helped monarchists overcome the communists. One such factor was an increasing American involvement in Iran after Pearl Harbour which functioned as a third power to reduce the dominance of the others. The Tripartite Treaty of 1942 regularised the presence of American troops. The Tehran Declaration of 1943 provided for economic aid at the end of the war. In 1947, the ideological basis for American involvement in Iran was provided by Truman Doctrine. The final blow to the Tudeh Party was delivered in 1949. The attempt on the Shah's life gave the monarchists an excuse to outlaw the Tudeh. Contrary to their ideology, Moscow provoked discontented Iranian minorities rather than encouraging class struggle ! Moscow menaced Iran several times. At least at two occasions Moscow demanded an oil concession. They also threatened Iranian integrity and caused a great deal of public anxiety which directed public attention to Iranain problems. The Azarbaijan crisis of 1945-1946 turned Iranian problem into an international one. Moscow's pressure on Greece and Turkey threatened Western interests in the Near and Middle East and caused inter-Allied friction. In 1941, Iran appeared to have become a model for Allied cooperation. By 1944, however, the first post-war oil crisis seemed to haye turned Iran into a battleground between foreign powers ; the early stages of the cold war. On the Iranian side, at least since 1944 there was a demand for oil nationalisation. The idea developed first into a law forbidding negotiating or granting new oil concessions to foreign powers until Iran was occupied. Mosaddegh was mainly responsible for this. Then in 1947, an overwhelming majority of Majles deputies rejected a Soviet proposal for an oil concession in the North. The Majles instructed the government to negotiate with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company for better terms. This set in motion a chain of events which resulted in a proposal to supplement the 1933 oil concession which had replaced the D' Arcy concession. In 1949, a small group of nationalists fiercely fought the proposals. The press criticisms, the Majles debates and public gatherings helped ordinary people understand the oil issue. However, despite strong opposition, the monarchists were III favour of the Supplementary Agreement and attempted to resolve the issue by appointing a strong military man, General Razmara, as prime minister in June 1950. The idea, however, backfired as public desire for the removal of foreign influence was now strong. The Majles opposition, the press and the public appeared to be united. Nationalist feelings were fuelled by long-term resentment over the oil company's handling of the oil issue. By early 1951 nationalist sentiment was too strong to be curtailed. By this time Razmara had become a threat both to the Shah and to the nationalists and acted like an obstacle on the way to the oil nationalisation. His assassination, in March 1951, removed this obstacle. By this time the support for the movement, the demand for oil nationalisation and respect for Mosaddegh covered far-right to the far-left as both clergy and communists supported the nationalists. The communists were represented by the banned Tudeh Party. The political activities of the clergy was mainly associated with Kashani. His role in the movement and relationship with Mosaddegh were vital to the existence of the movement. However, Mosaddegh and Kashani were on a collision course. The Western-educated Mosaddegh was secular. Kashani, on the other hand, was in favour of an Islamic state. The same definition applied to their supporters. However, although they differed in their outlook, the unifying figure of Mosaddegh brought them together over the oil issue; a process which was reversed after 1951. Kashani and some nationalists weakened Mosaddegh and assisted in his downfall. Mosaddegh initiated the first petrodiplomacy in Iranian history. He dedicated his life to fight foreign domination and the nation trusted him. Without him it would be impossible for the nationalists to acquire a political standing strong enough to nationalise the oil. Regrettably, his downfall in 1953 brought an end to his efforts to remove foreign influence from Iran. Iran has been a centre of major political events for over 2000 years. In recent history, the development of two superpowers, Russian and British empires, on either side of Iran changed Iran's geopolitical situation to the extent that they fought within Iran for the dominance of Asia. As a result Iran's independence was weakened, its integrity was threatened, domestic feud was encouraged, corruption and intrigue were promoted, and self-interest and low morality became a feature of life.Whether a victim of international power politics, or a victim of internal strife. low political culture, and short-sightedness of Iranian politicians, the super powers could not tolerate the upset of the oil control in the Middle East. The country-by-country flare-up effect of such an achievement would be disastrous for the Western economy. In their view, the nationalist movement of Iran had to be defeated. Indeed, no other oil-producing country considered oil nationalisation for many years to come.

Most previous studies of Iranian music focus on melodic systems (Farhat, Zonis, etc.) or on instrumentation and the transcription of folk songs (Massoudieh, Darvishi, etc. ). This thesis examines the so-far neglected rhythmic structure of Iranian classical music. This research has adopted a multidisciplinary perspective, employing approaches from the psychology of music, Western and Iranian music theory, historical musicology and the ethnomusicological approach of participant-observation. In order to investigate the rhythmic aspect of Iranian music and attempt to relate it to other aspects of this music, this thesis examines different issues related to the rhythmic structure of Iranian music, including the rhythmic structure of the Persian poetry, the old rhythmic cycles and the rhythmic characteristics of both improvisation and composed music. Analysis of more than fifty improvisations and composed music in this thesis shows that the rhythmic organisation of güsheh-ha and musical genres with any rhythmic profile (such as free metre, stretchable metre or fixed metre) may be influenced by the shape of Persian poetic metres. A wide exploration of music-related manuscripts from the twelfth to fifteenth centuries provides an opportunity to compare more than thirty different rhythmic cycles recorded there. Although this system of rhythmic cycles is no longer explicitly used in Iranian music, examining several examples of contemporaneous improvisation and composed music reveals that a taste of the old rhythmic cycles is still felt in this music. An adaptation of the old rhythmic cycles examined in this thesis to current techniques of tombak performance is another outcome of this thesis. Moreover, presenting a case study of contemporary performance of Iranian classical music at the end of this thesis provides an opportunity to exhibit the role in a real performance of most of the theories raised in this thesis.

This thesis aims to facilitate a broader understanding of post-revolutionary Iranian filmmaking, by way of an analysis of the New Iranian Cinema and Iranian cinema in exile and diaspora, and the various relationships between these two cinemas. Thus far no significant attempt has been made to consider these two cinemas in relation to each other. This thesis therefore represents a significant contribution to this line of research. Along the way it addresses several key concepts of long-standing importance in film studies, such as notions of art cinema, authorship and national cinema, in particular how such concepts have been used as a means of studying the New Iranian Cinema. Exilic and diasporic Iranian filmmaking represents a challenge to traditional understandings of these concepts. The first chapter therefore examines how the New Iranian Cinema has been received and constructed as an archetypal 'art cinema' in Europe and North America, in addition to how this cinema invites, at the same time as it resists, such interpretations. Thereafter follows a consideration of Iranian emigre filmmaking across Europe and North America, and how it has changed over the past thirty years, gradually shifting from an exclusively exilic to a pan-diasporic outlook. Chapters three and four are individual case studies of Iranian emigre filmmakers Amir Naderi and Sohrab Shahid Saless respectively. As two of Iran's most important and influential pre-revolutionary filmmakers, the works of Naderi and Saless represent not only interesting divergences from the evolutionary understanding of Iranian emigre cinema outlined in the second chapter, but also form two of the most compelling links between the New Iranian Cinema, and it exilic and diasporic counterpart. This thesis concludes by arguing for a more flexible and open-ended conception of national cinema more generally, as well as more comprehensive, nuanced and deterritorialised understanding of post-revolutionary Iranian filmmaking.

Master of Science
Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design
Kim Hiller Connell
Acculturation can be a difficult process for many immigrants, and because there is a large number of Iranian immigrants living in the United States (over one million), the focus of this study is to understand how women cope with moving from a country with conservative standards to a more liberal country and the role dress plays in their acculturation process. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to: 1) explore Iranian dress standards and the effect these standards have on Iranian-American women’s lives; 2) gain understanding of the role of dress in women’s transition from Iranians to Iranian-Americans; 3) apply Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs motivational model to the women's acculturation process; and 4) compare two distinct generations of women—women born before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and women born after the Revolution. This study utilized a qualitative approach and collected data through semi-structured interviews with 11 women. The women did not express any traumatic psychological effects caused by the conservative dress standards in Iran. The main impact of the dress standards was the physical discomfort caused by wearing the hijab in hot weather. Dress played a significant role in the women's transitions process. More freedom in dress in the United States has allowed the women to express themselves much more than when they lived in Iran, leading to higher self-esteem and confidence levels. The women expressed a desire to sustain their Iranian heritage, and both generations shared similar perceptions of American dress standards prior to immigrating to the United States. Differences included higher consumption levels by the younger generation and their higher knowledge about the fashion industry and trends. The findings can be useful for Iranian women as they transition to an Iranian-American lifestyle. Additionally, it can also be beneficial to women from other countries who share similar experiences. Furthermore, the results may assist in aiding different organizations which help Iranian women integrate into the U.S. culture. Finally, retailers with target markets similar to the women of this study can use the findings to better understand the habits, needs, motives, and overall consumer behaviors of their clientele.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs) Naval Postgraduate School, September 1999.
Thesis advisor(s): Ghoreishi, Ahmad ; Magnus, Ralph. "September 1999." Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-109). Also Available online.

This dissertation examines the influence of Islamic ideology on Iranian Marxists during the 1979 revolution. The purpose of this study is to extricate the influence of Islamic culture, ideology, and terminology on Marxist organizations and on individuals who identified themselves as Marxists in Iran. This is especially of interest since in many ways Marxism and Islam are ideologically in conflict. Were Marxists aware of the influences of Islam in their behavior and ideology? To investigate the irony publications put forth by several Marxist organizations before and after the 1979 revolution were examined. A history of such influence both ideologically and contextually is depicted to demonstrate their political and cultural significance. Through the study of Marxist political organs, theoretical publication and political flyers distributed during and after the revolution, the phenomenon of Marxists converting to an Islamic ideology became clearer. Many Marxist organizations were demonstrably utilizing Islamic political ideology to organize and mobilize masses of Iranians. This study shows a historical precedence of Marxists’ usage of Islam in the political history of Iran dating back to early twentieth-century. Primary and secondary Marxist literature showed that Islam was an inescapable social and political reality for Iranian Marxists. Not only was there a common upbringing but a common enemy fostered provisional collusion between the two. The internalizing the idea of martyrdom—of Shi’a Islam—was a shared belied that united Marxists with Muslins in their attempt to effect sociopolitical change in Iran. Studying Marxist publications shows evidence that many Iranian Marxists were not conscious of using Islamic ethics and terminology since Islamic beliefs are part of the taken-for-granted world of Iranian culture. This contextual belief system, pervasive within the culture and a change of political ideology is what created the conditions for the possibility of Marxists becoming Muslims.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
Policymakers, military leaders, and political analysts alike have been pondering whether the United States should support regime change in Iran. Iranian regime change supports U.S. national interests in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, stemming human rights abuses, promoting civil liberties, and encouraging a more Western-friendly regime. The Green Movement has risen as a social movement in Iran that could challenge the regime and force regime reform. However, the Green Movement needs external support to be successful before the current regime develops a nuclear weapons capability. Analysis of the strengths and weakness of the Iranian regime and the Green Movement is used to identify opportunities and consequences of U.S. intervention. Game theory is used to identify the best course of action for U.S. intervention in Iran. The analysis in this thesis determines that U.S. covert support of the Green Movement using elements of soft power, such as psychological operations, computer network operations, and unconventional warfare, is the best means to enhance the Green Movement's ability to affect regime reform.

Economic sanctions concerning Irans nuclear program are not having their intended political effect. Uranium enrichment continues despite sanctions. This thesis argues that international economic smart sanctions are failing because they are not altering the relative positions of power between the factional actors in the Iranian political economy, and because the actors who desire to continue enrichment remain in control of the economy and state institutions. The Iranian political economy is a clientelistic state, with differing rival autonomous patron-actors and associated client bases all competing for a larger slice of economic rents. Economic sanctions have failed because the more conservative actors and their clients have entrenched themselves in the economy and control of these rents, thereby diverting the costs of sanctions to their political competitors while simultaneously using sanctions to strengthen their own client base. Research indicates that while stronger economic sanctions could be designed, their chances of success remain unknown. Only a complete and thoroughly enforced embargo on Iranian petrochemical sales, with a simultaneous economic strengthening of reformist actors in the political economy, who are open to a nuclear enrichment policy change, will result in the political goals sanctions are designed to achieve.

Using a grounded theory approach (Lichtman, 2013) to the study of historical texts and an expert interview, this study investigates culturally embedded conceptions of giftedness as evidenced in the Iranian literary canon, The Gulistan, in order to guide the development of education and programming for gifted and talented students in Iran. Historically, The Gulistan has provided guidance to gifted and wise individuals regarding how to live life. Investigating these conceptions in The Gulistan’s stories gives us significant insight into what historically has counted as giftedness in the Iranian culture. Main themes arising from this study include: Saheb Ferasat, Shukhdideh, Dana & Aghel, Kheradmand, and Hakim. These themes are discussed in terms of their qualities, and through a detailed comparison between them. This study is an exploration of an approach to developing an Iranian conception of giftedness that is embedded in the culture. The framework and findings may be of interest to scholars, policy makers, and educators in various roles. This perspective on gifted education could be a compass for policy maker to help to distinguish a culturally appropriate definition of giftedness in Iran that is different from Western conceptions of gifted, and to design programs with an understanding of how to adapt research and programs to an Iranian context.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
For the last two decades, the United States and Iran have fostered a relationship of enmity and distrust. The United States imposes sanctions against the Islamic Republic, in an effort to isolate the regime and limit its ability to finance terrorist acti~ity or to develop nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. Since 1996, however, Iran has undertaken a diplomatic "charm offensive" aimed at opening up to regional rivals and to the international community. It has sent some signals that it seeks to distance itself from terrorism and from antagonistic relations with its neighbors. Its burgeoning relations with Europe has left America alone in its implementation of sanctions, and has put Washington at odds with its European partners. This thesis looks more closely at the nature of U.S. policy against Iran, examining key issues with regard to its conventional and unconventional security posture, the regional security environment that defines that posture, and the linkage between Iran's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and its sponsorship of extremist organizations such as Hizballah. It argues that Iran has legitimate security concerns that drive its current foreign policy. In this context, there may be room for rapprochement with Tehran.

This thesis investigated thermal comfort for naturally ventilated housing in Iran with special reference to Ilam. An important aim was to establish the neutral temperature and the acceptable range of environmental conditions for Dam people in their houses. The methodology used for this aIm was field studies. These studies were divided into two parts- one in the hot season and the other in the cool season. The results showed a good relationship between neutral temperature and mean indoor temperature and also between outdoor temperature and neutral temperature. The indoor comfort temperature (Tn), which is dependent on outdoor temperature (Tom), could be found from the following equation: Tn = 17.3 + 0.36 Tom The findings of the study revealed that the Ilam people could achieve comfort at higher indoor air temperatures compared with the recommendations by international standards like ISO 7730. The results also showed that passive systems as a main comfort strategy could be applied to housing design in Ilam. By using the results of this study, strategies to minimise housing energy consumption, not only for Ilam but also for other regions, which have similar climates and cultures to Ilam, can be proposed.

Philosophy
Ph.D.
My project explores why it is so difficult to reconcile questions about the nature and meaning of music in philosophy with the case of Iranian classical music. This tradition is highly performative, musicians rarely use scores, and, importantly, that anyone who calls herself a musician but cannot extemporize is not really considered much of a musician in Iran at all. Yet curiously, despite the emphasis on extemporization in this tradition, there is, nonetheless, a resounding sonic familiarity among performances considered as falling in the classical genre, so much so that it seems odd to say that extemporization is the extemporization of something new. Moreover, there is very little concern with musical works, as understood in the western classical sense. My first chapter articulates the methodology I advocate. This methodology is adapted from Lydia Goehr’s The Imaginary Museum of Musical Works (1992). Goehr offers a reading of the history western classical music that looks for the concepts around which its discourses center. I argue that the application of similar analysis to what scholars in other music traditions have to say about music will reveal something about the concepts around which their practices center. The emphasis is on reading the discourses of a practice for the concepts that dictate the thinking about it. This, I suggest, helps to make sense of what musicality means in the tradition in question. My central claim is that when Iranian classical music is read this way, one concept emerges as centrally significant. This concept is not of the work, but of embodied activity: a notion of doing in musical practice that relies heavily on the idea of musical dexterity in the performing moment, without this doing being oriented to the creation of something work-like. My second, third, and fourth chapters articulate and situate this reading against discussions about the ontological significance of performance in the philosophy of music. In my second chapter, I argue that the historical attention to mentally composed sound structures in Eduard Hanslick’s 1854 book, On the Musically Beautiful—a foundational text for the contemporary philosophy of music—leaves out the performing activity in musical practice. This, I suggest, is captured in the difference of approach to the musical nightingale: a metaphor that serves to illustrate musicality in the Iranian context but stands in Hanslick’s theory, for everything that music is not. In my third chapter, I offer a detailed reading of Iranian classical music to expose more fully the conceptual shape and force of the sort of embodied activity that the trope of the nightingale captures, when scholars of Iranian classical music analogize it—as they so often do—as the metaphorical aspiration of classical musicians, because it is considered the most musical being on earth in virtue of its dexterity. This, I contextualize using Polanyi’s notion of tacit knowledge (1966). In my fourth chapter, I explore the extent to which the reading I offer of Iranian classical music may be accommodated by contemporary discussions in the ontology of performance by turning to contemporary discussions that move away from addressing performances of works, but center on the significance of performative activity itself. This happens most commonly for the case of musical improvisation, after the question is introduced by Philip Alperson in “On Musical Improvisation” (1984). My claim here is that there is a crucial difference between the two cases. This difference is that embodied activity is not product-oriented in Iranian classical music practice, but rather, dexterity or technique oriented. In my final chapter, I explore how this insight can be extended more broadly into philosophical analysis, particularly in its comparative dimensions. I suggest there are implications not only for the ontology of performance, but notions of self-expression, creativity, and aesthetic attention, when they are considered in this culturally comparative light. In doing so, I hope to raise questions about the potential for doing non-reductive comparative ontology, and what can be gained, in a broad sense, from the effort of looking at artistic practice through a culturally different lens.
Temple University--Theses

Contemporary Iranian Art has recently become a new entry in International art markets, a condition possibly derived from the current political situation. Both Christie's and Sotheby's, two of the most important auction houses in the world, have introduced specialist departments dedicated to Iranian Contemporary Art, as early as 2007, within their Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art departments. Increasing interest in contemporary Iranian art can be traced by its exponential economic growth in such markets. The aim of this thesis is to investigate and observe the changes in the reception of contemporary Iranian art, how this effects the production and reception of the art and artists themselves, mainly through the effect of the entrance of Iranian contemporary art in international art markets, ownership and exhibitions, either through personal collections or galleries, focusing on Iranian contemporary art. Specifically because of the peculiar political situation of the country itself, the problems of censorship and anti-Western sentiments, Iranian art arises as an oddity in the Middle East, where artists and galleries are, as of recent times, trying to regain their own space and create art that can reflect a new national identity, signalling a reclaiming of Iran and negative aspects associated with the country.

This thesis examines the contribution of Iranian immigrant planners and social practitioners to urban planning in Sweden. It evokes the researches that celebrate diversity in planning profession as a golden key to reach the just city. This study aims to test this claim as well as to explore the possible ways through which immigrant planners in Stockholm might be able to bring benefits to their workforce. Adopting the characteristics of an admired planning method in a “just city”, this thesis will outline the advantages and disadvantages that Iranian planners have faced with at their work. The empirical analysis is built on the basis of observation and individual interviews with 7 Iranian background planners and 2 non-Iranian in Stockholm. The applied method for such analysis is content analysis of the interviews. The findings show planning system in Sweden, at least at local level, is not very open that let planners act very much different from each other. The differences are mostly in process and not in result. The main contribution of immigrant planners’ local and cultural knowledge is in the field of language. However, it seems that diversity in planning profession, in long term, have influenced other planners’ attitude regarding minority communities.

All cultures celebrate that which makes them unique and admirable in their own eyes. Commonly, every society periodically sets aside the concerns of everyday life and turns to celebration. Noriiz, the Iranian New Year, is a celebration which gives an ordered structure to the life of Iranians. In shaping this thesis a multidisciplinary approach has been used in which anthropological, historical, musicological and ethnomusicological disciplines came alongside each other. An anthropology study of Noriiz led to the fact that Noriiz is a festival in which Iranians celebrate the resurrection of nature in spring after a cold winter. Finding signs of Noriiz- related tunes, old Iranian music and poetic sources were examined. This enquiry led to uncovering several cases of Noriizf modes and tunes belonging to both pre-Islamic and Islamic periods. One of the significant results of this study was decoding and analysis of one of the oldest Noriizf songs, Tarfqeh min Noriiz ji ?Orb ai-Ramal, from the thirteenth century, now reconstructed in modem notation. Examining Noriiz with relation to the contemporary raaifof Iranian classical music showed that the names of three Noriizf shu 'beh-ha of adwlirf era match those of three gusheh-ha in the contemporary raaif of Iranian classical music, namely Noriiz-i 'arab, Noriiz-i khlirli and Norfiz-i saba. In an ethnomusicological field-based apPt-oach the performances of hlijfjiriiz in urban areas and noriizkhlin in remote places of the Elburz region were examined. Studying and comparing the contemporaneous performances of noriizkhlin-ha and hlijf jiriiz-ha revealed connections with anthropological and historical issues such as the ancient belief of returning of farvahar-ha to the earth. Drawing such connections can be seen as one of the main contributions of the multidisciplinary approach selected for this thesis, allowing a link to be made between mythological investigations and ethnographic studies.

Since the 1990s, the number of intensive dairy farms in Iran has rapidly increased to supply milk to the growing cities. As a result, total production of milk has increased, but scarcities still exist in some regions of the country. Since resources such as feedstuffs are limited, and considerable investment will be required to establish these new farms, the question of production efficiency in Iranian dairy farming seems an important one. Measuring the level of production efficiency, determining the sources of inefficiency, and proposing possible ways of improving the efficiency of the intensive dairy farms are the main aims of this study. In addition to simple measures of partial productivities and profitabilities, a stochastic transcendental frontier production function was estimated, using a single-stage approach to measure overall technical efficiency and its components, and a frontier profit function was used to measure the economic efficiency of individual intensive dairy farms. The latter function was evaluated first with the current distorted prices of milk and concentrates as well as the market prices of other dairy inputs and outputs. However, this frontier led to overestimation of economic efficiency due to ignoring input-price and output-price inefficiencies. To deal with this problem, the frontier was re-evaluated with expected prices defined as fractions of the observed prices of inputs and outputs. In order to investigate the way in which farmers combine dairy inputs, an index of allocative efficiency was also calculated and discussed. All the indices were then compared between the farms specified by factors such as herd size, proportion of pure cattle, etc. The results showed that production efficiency of the intensive dairy farms in Iran can be improved by expanding the proportion of purebred animals, particularly in large farms, and by using as much of the existing capacity of farms as possible.

The removal of Saddam Hussein in 2003 enabled Iraqi Shia groups, once banned from political participation, to once again have a voice. Iran, has also taken advantage of the post-Saddam political opportunities by attempting to influence religiously similar groups within Iraq, namely the Shia community. With approximately 60 percent of Iraqi population, the Iraqi Shia community has enormous voting power during any democratically elected process that could sway Iraq into Iranian hands. U.S. officials are apprehensive of the relationship between Iran and Iraqi Shia militant groups believing it could lead Iraq down a path towards a puppet state, subservient to Iranian regional ambitions. This thesis explores whether Iran is responsible for influencing every Shia militant groups within Iraq. Specifically, this thesis addresses the scope of Iranian influence within Iraqi Shia militant groups operating within Iraq today to determine the overall level of influence Iran has in Iraq.

Thesis advisor: Robert Ross
In recent years, economic and political cooperation between China and Iran has deepened to levels never before reached. This thesis discusses the potentially far reaching implications the development in relations between China and Iran poses for controlling nuclear proliferation, international energy security, and the role the US plays in Middle Eastern and East Asian power politics. Monitoring the Chinese-Iranian relationship is thus important to the US, as its own influence across the globe could potentially be reduced as a result of cooperation between these two nations. With China newly confident following the global financial crisis of 2008, it appears that despite US pressure to stop, China is continuing to deepen its cooperation with Iran in pursuit of its own national interests
Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2010
Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Political Science Honors Program
Discipline: Political Science

This work presents a synchronic description of the Taleshi language spoken in northwest Iran. Its purpose is to provide a comparative study of the basic phonological, morphological and syntactic structure of three dialects spoken in Iran: Anbarani (northern), Asalemi (central) and Masali (southern). In addition, the sociolinguistic situation of the dialects is explored, along with some key elements of narrative discourse structure.To date only individual dialects of Iranian Taleshi have been described, mostly at the level of a grammatical sketch. This study, by comparing key representative speech varieties of each main dialect area, provides an overview of the whole dialect continuum, and is thereby able to show how the language changes from north to south. This variation has arisen partly as a result of language contact: the Taleshi language area is surrounded by other languages, including South Azerbaijani (Turkic), and Tati, Gilaki and Persian (all Western Iranian). Language shift to Persian is also occurring, and many Talesh no longer transmit their mother tongue to the next generation.The data for the study is drawn from fieldwork carried out in Iran during 2006 and 2007. This fieldwork included the elicitation of word and sentence lists, and the recording, transcription and translation of narrative texts in each dialect area. Further to these, a short film (The Pear Film) was used to elicit spontaneous narrative texts in nine locations along the dialect continuum; we therefore include some wider comment on other dialects of Iranian Taleshi.

This thesis assesses the role of Turkey in the diplomatic process towards resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue within the context of its improving bilateral relations with Iran and analyzes the motives behind increasing Turkish involvement in this issue. Firstly, this thesis will present a historical overview of Iran

Fashion can be both material and immaterial subject, immaterial part of it can relate fashion goods as a material object to the thoughts of fashion. Immateriality lets the fashion be easily diffused by stream of information. The relation between fashion goods and thoughts about fashion is mutual since they can develop each other. In the case of Iran, struggles exist among individuals and the government about appearance. How fashion as a global phenomenon can influences youth in Iran and spread in such a condition is the case of investigation from theories in "diffusion of Fashion" to consideration of "fashion adoption model" in an empirical work on such a society. The impact of veil on people and their reaction to change it from covering garment to a trendy fashion is the centre of attention to find out more about personal interactions of young individuals and their impact on the rest of the society. Fashion needs a system of institutions and also individuals to work on that and develop new trends. Then these trends need the system to spread them among different people in different social groups, such a system is different and interesting in the case of Iran.

The vowel systems of five selected Iranian Balochi dialects are investigated in this study, which is the first work to apply empirical acoustic analysis to a large body of recorded data on the vowel inventories of different Balochi dialects spoken in Iran. The selected dialects are spoken in the five regions of Sistan (SI), Saravan (SA), Khash (KH), Iranshahr (IR), and Chabahar (CH) located in the province Sistan and Baluchestan in southeast Iran. The aim of the present fieldwork-based survey is to study how similar the vowel systems of these dialects are to the Common Balochi vowel system (i, iː, u, uː, a, aː, eː, oː), which is represented as the vowel inventory for the Balochi dialects in general, as well as how similar these dialects are to one another.  The investigation shows that length is contrastive in these dialects, although the durational dif-ferences between the long and short counterparts are quite small in some dialects. The study also reveals that there are some differences between the vowel systems of these dialects and the Com-mon Balochi sound inventory. The Common Balochi short /i/ vowel is modified to short /e/ in these dialects, and a strong tendency for the long /eː/ and /oː/ to become the diphthongs ie and ue, respec-tively, is observed in some of the investigated dialects, specifically in KH, which shows heavier diphthongization than the other dialects. It is also observed, especially in SI, SA, and CH, that the short /u/ shows strong tendencies to shift towards a lower position of an [o] vowel. In SI and SA, this shift seems to be a correlate of syllable structure, with lowering occurring mostly in closed syllables. It is possible that Persian, as the dominant language in the area, has had an influence on these dialects and caused a lowering tendency among the higher vowels.  The vowel systems in these dialects differ slightly from each other. Phonemically, the pairs e/eː, a/aː, u/uː, and the long vowels /iː/ and /oː/ are suggested for IR; the pairs a/aː, u/uː, the short /e/ and the long /iː/ as well as the diphthongs /ie/ and /ue/ substituted for the long /eː/ and /oː/, respectively, are suggested for KH; and finally the pairs e/eː, a/aː, o/oː, and the long vowels /iː/ and /uː/, which make a more symmetrical inventory, are suggested for the SI, SA, and CH dialects. In general, the vowels in these dialects show a range of phonetic variations. In addition, processes of fronting, which is most common in coronal contexts, and nasalization, which mostly occurs in nasal envi-ronments, are observed in the data researched.

This study examined the prospects, challenges, and practicalities of an ethnic and demographic and subgroup in the attainment and exercise of leadership, specifically Iranian-American women based in the Greater Los Angeles area of California. A qualitative phenomenological study was designed in which 15 participants, selected through purposive sampling, were engaged in a semi-structured interview format, with a focus on eliciting answers pertinent to 4 research questions germane to the topic of interest. These 4 questions concerned the success strategies of Iranian-American women leaders, their specific challenges, the metrics of their success, and their lessons for aspiring leaders. Eleven specific interview questions were conceived to address these issues, with the responses recorded, transcribed, and coded to uncover common themes and categories among the answers. The findings indicated a common agreement on the importance of education, mentorship, motivation, a sense of self-belief and purpose, optimism, considerations of culture, and integrity as core elements of attaining success. Broadly speaking, participants’ responses independently converged on the central importance of a leadership character best identified with what has become known as transformation leadership. This style is associated with leading by example and motivating a team to act independently yet in alignment with broader goals, in contrast to the traditional command-and-obey structure of transactional leadership. As indicated by a substantial body of literature, the transformational style is more commonly associated with women leaders and with the empathy-related component of emotional intelligence. Moreover, research has indicated that it is an especially effective style. Together, the results of this research and the associated literature lend themselves to a number of specific recommendations for aspiring Iranian women leaders, while also providing encouragement for them in their attainment and practice of such leadership.

The main aim of this thesis is to examine and evaluate the role of the press in the process of modernization of Iran during the Qajar period in 19th century, which contributed to the triumph of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in the early 20th century. Examining this process in its historical context reveals the many stages through which Iran passed and which brought about a range of positive and negative consequences. The significance of the consequences of what took place in the nineteenth century can be seen in the modern history of Iran. This century saw the consolidation of Western hegemony and the beginning of the classical age of imperialism. Many non-Western countries found themselves coming under the control of one or another of the European powers. At the same time, a great deal of the social, political, and economic transformation and modernization within these countries was taking place under the system of European colonialism. The specific effects and consequences of this transformation differed from one country to another. While direct contact with Western powers was facilitating the process of change in some countries, in others, such as Iran, this process was facilitated by different types of contact. Iran was not subjected to any direct Western military colonialism in its history, but rather it was, in many respects, under the influences of Western ideological and political hegemony. During this period the Iranian press played a crucial role in the introduction of Western ideas which contributed to the political development and modernization of Iran. The Constitutional Revolution was indeed affected by these ideologies. Without the introduction of modern ideologies by the Iranian press, published inside or outside the country, the modern political structure of Iran could not have developed during the early 20th century. Through a rigorous and detailed analysis of three influential newspapers, published at different times within this period, this research, firstly, reveals that the foundation of the Iranian press in 19th century was implicitly part of the very process of change itself and, secondly, identifies and evaluates the various forms of contribution that these newspapers make to the process of modernization and political development of Iran.

In this study I draw on ethnographic research conducted from May 2009 to March 2010 to examine how diasporic and second-generation Iranians in Atlanta produce culture through their dinner parties. It is through these parties, I suggest, that representations of what it means to be Iranian and live in the United States are collectively negotiated as well as handed down to younger generations.

This study examines gender inequity in three Iranian middle school textbooks, and explores the efforts that Iranian women make to adopt, negotiate and resist the sexist indoctrinations of the textbooks. This thesis consists of two phases. The first phase contains a content analysis of the grade 6 Farsi Language Arts, grade 7 English as a Foreign Language, and grade 8 Natural Sciences textbooks taught in the academic year 2011-2012 in Iran. The second phase of the thesis analyzes the oral history interviews conducted with three female engineers regarding their K-12 and university education in Iran. The findings of the content analysis reveal that sexist indications permeate Iranian textbooks. Compared to men, women have a pale presence in the books. Women and girls are depicted, for the most part, in the domestic sphere, and their role as mothers and nurturers are stressed in stories, poems, and illustrations. An analysis of the women’s interviews and archival documents; however, indicate that despite the sexist instructions of the textbooks, Iranian women are endeavouring to destabilise the cultural and political structures that curtail their rights. Today Iranian women are actively present in the public sphere; some of them are stepping into territories that have been long regarded as male-only grounds. By so doing, these women are gradually dismantling patriarchal systems of power.

Many researchers have contributed to the field of international purchasing; but there are no consistent findings to illustrate particular connections within the field. This particular research studies the ways that two Iranian producers of polymer piping systems handle international purchasing in current complex Iranian economic circumstances. By going beyond macroeconomic theories of international trade and using three-factor model of international industrial purchasing this particular study aims to reveal how international industrial purchasing is handled by Iranian producers of polymer piping systems under current Iranian economic and politic circumstances. A case study approach employing face-to-face semi-structured interview method is designed. A set of interview questionnaires was designed to gather empirical qualitative and quantitative data. A narrative analysis was then conducted to lead the discussions and to draw conclusions. The results of the study show that international purchasing in both firms is influenced by internal factors including attitudes and competence as well as external factors including market conditions and regulations. The levels to which the first three mentioned factors influence international purchasing varies between the studied firms; but regulations have similar effects on the ways the studied firms handle international purchasing. Also, the modified three-factor model is perfectly applicable to the studied cases under current circumstances of Iranian economy.

This dissertation is the first overview of the history and present state of archaeology in Iran. Its aim is to consider the relevance of recent developments in Western archaeology, and their relevance to a Near Eastern Islamic State. The Palaeolithic of Iran is taken as a case study. The first concern of chapters (1) and (2), in this thesis is to evaluate the distinctively national characteristics of archaeology in Iran. Specifically the chapters consider the development of archaeology in Iran in the 1960s and 1970s in relation to the `New Archaeology' in the USA. It is clear that these external influences had only a minimal impact on archaeology in Iran; the `New Archaeology' which first developed in American circles more than thirty years ago, made a somewhat belated impact on Iranian archaeology in the seventies. Not all of its agenda has been adopted, and because it was pioneered by anthropologists on relatively recent and simple New World sites, it is not totally applicable to the long historical sequence of complex Iranian mounds. I argue that Iranian archaeology was simply left behind, "out of date" and generally atheoretical. I also stress that its traditional authority structure prevented discussion of new ideas. Chapter (3), emphasises that, despite a wide range of archaeological work in Iran, the blanks on the archaeological maps are far greater in extent than the small regions that have to some extent been filled in. On the other hand the unparalleled expansion of archaeology particularly the complexity and costs of fieldwork, will force us to determine priorities much more clearly. Thus in the future we will probably see fewer of the enormous ten-year excavations at Tell- sites such as characterised the 1960s and 1970s. We have to move to smaller projects deliberately designed to answer specific problems (i. e., excavation at one period sites; surface survey, and regional studies). Because the concept of surface surveying as a reliable method of data recovery has not been introduced into the archaeology of Iran, and archaeologists there are still not familiar with its methods and techniques, this chapter aims to emphasise the importance and productivity of this strategy and provides a general model of archaeological survey methodology for the future. The present thesis goes radically beyond the traditional cultural-historical paradigms of Iranian research orientation, and suggests, for instance that the study of Palaeolithic Archaeology (in new perspectives) is a fundamental period of human cultural progress, but one that has long been completely neglected in Iranian archaeology. The current issues of Palaeolithic Archaeology, the importance of environmental data, and the range of our understanding of Iranian Palaeolithic Archaeology are the subjects of Chapters (4) and (5). The political and ideological problems of the archaeology of Iran are discussed in chapter (6) where I argue that the concept of Archaeological Heritage Management is a matter of top priority for Iranian archaeology. This chapter discusses major disasters in Iranian cultural heritage (i. e., looting of sites due to a lack of legal protection, an adequate management system, as well as economic and social problems). I conclude in this thesis that there are major challenges for archaeology in Iran in the future; the older generation is almost gone, the new generation coming to the fore must face many tasks, among them the transition from a monolithic national school to a more subtle, many-sided approach to archaeological problems. It must salvage what it can of sites rapidly being destroyed by various factors. At the same time we will have to challenge the political and ideological constraints affecting archaeology in society. The new generation must envision a master-plan for the future archaeological development in this region, where economic development and prosperity still allows good opportunities and support for systematic archaeological research.

Urban regeneration has been a key urban policy focus in the UK and other western economies over the past four decades. In developing economies, there have been different drivers but rapid industrialisation, demographic change and economic growth have created urban problems of a different nature, which require innovative policy solutions. In case of Iran, the urgency to address these problems has seen the adoption of urban regeneration as a major instrument of planning policy for the economic and physical transformation of deprived inner city areas over the last ten years. This research applies institutional theory within an Iranian context, examining the role of newly established and existing institutions involved in policy-making, financing and implementation of urban regeneration. This is achieved through examination of urban governance, public private partnerships and financing arrangements from an international perspective. This knowledge base is then transferred and evaluated within an Iranian context. The empirical study employs a triangulated research design involving comprehensive interviews with senior stakeholders in the public, private and financing sectors, the utilisation of ten case study projects, a focus group of key decision makers and appropriate datasets dealing with projects. The study highlights the diminishing capacity of central government in Iran in tackling urban decline in major cities. This intensified the requirement for alternative delivery mechanisms, thus, encouraging private sector involvement and attracting substantive levels of investment.

There are countless books, articles and journals written about leadership, whether the discussion centers on traits, characteristics, beliefs, values or the development of said leadership. All in all, the proliferation of information on the subject matter is vast (Northouse, 2013). This is afforded due to the nature of the cultural and political climate of the United States. As a democratic capitalist society, it is afforded the protections of the first amendment therefore, you are able to write about and conjecture on what leadership is. Leadership is cultivated in a variety of ways, through action, education, or as some might argue, through birth.

Success of Iranian Americans in the US can be attributed to the level of importance that education has for the Iranian community. Iranian Americans hold leadership roles in a variety of fields. Because of their standing when first immigrating to this country, Iranians have added advantages that other immigrant groups do not. It stands to reason that the success of these leaders is based on a variety of factors; it is thought that their success is based on socio-economic and demographic status as well as to their leadership style and decision making approach (Miramontes, 2008).

Iranian Americans are doing more business in Iran as the opportunities develop due to globalization. To be adequately prepared, an understanding of Iranian American leadership and decision making is needed. A better understanding of Iranian leadership can be developed by looking at the characteristics and assumptions associated with Iranian American leaders. This study focused on successful Iranians in the US and was meant to identify characteristics and assumptions that inform decision-making and leadership practices and how the demographic characteristics correlate.

Survey responses were used to identify characteristics and assumptions that inform decision­making and leadership practices. The most common decision making preferences were soloist and conductor while the most common leadership styles were coaching and democratic. Most of the correlations (95 of 108 correlations, 88.0%) were not significant at the p < .10 level that compared either the decision making preferences with the demographics or the leadership styles with the demographics.