Youth in Iran

Youth in Iran

Mohsen Jalali, Nariman Mostafavi

Sociologists debate the significance of the fact that Iranian youth are rapidly adopting the post-modern values of the free world, giving up religious or national traditions of previous generations. This radical change is perceived by the majority to be happening against the will of a ruling theocracy and as a result of the growing role of social media and open dialogs with the outside world. These changes in life style appear to be counter to the prescriptions of the dominant religious elite. However, may there be some benefit to the ruling elite? Might the elite see an advantage, for example, in changes that dampen youths’ interest and involvement in politics?

Jalali, Mohsen

Mohsen Jalali is a second-year PhD student in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to that he was a Fulbright Scholar at the Five College Consortium, teaching Persian and working on American pedagogy. He spent a year at Smith College doing a non-degree program in American Studies. Currently he is affiliated with Nonviolent Initiative for Democracy, an NGO based in Boston.

Mostafavi, Nariman

Nariman Mostafavi is a PhD student in Building & Construction Technology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was a member of Dafter Tahkim Vahdat (Office for Strengthening Unity) in Iran, and the deputy of the Student Association of Tehran Polytechnic (Amirkabir University). He has been interviewed by BBC, VOA, CNN, and other major news outlets on politics of Iran.