The Study Of Middle Class In Modern Iran 's Social Transformation (1925-2009)

The Constitutional Revolution between 1905 and 1911 marked the beginning of Iranian political transformation. During the first transformation the middle class of Iran took shape and played an important role in the Constitutional Revolution, they were defendants of the Majles. It was difficult for constitutional government to deal with the situation because middle class was too weak to confront against conservative forces. The government finally brook down for the interference of outer forces.Three social transformations had taken place since modern Iran. After the foundation of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Iranian traditional society began to change for a modern one during which time all the economical structure and demographic structure and social structure of Iran changed a lot. Supported by the middle class, the Pahlavi Dynasty carried out several measures for modernization during which the bureaucracy system and modern education had developed rapidly. The monarchy seized the power of the parliament, and expelled the middle class. Conflict between monarchy and middle class went sharply. The monarchy and outer forces greatly harmed the middle class, so the latter got together shaping a political union.After the abdication of Reza Shan, middle class rose politically and national front got the power. Inspired by nationalism, they put forward the oil nationalization movement They got failure finally for inner differences and outer interferences. The coup of 1953 changed the course of Iranian political development.The new monarchy carried out economic developing plan and put out the white revolutionary to fasten the modernization process. Private economy greatly developed as the middle class spreading fast. But they lacked the opportunity for participating politics which caused the discontent. In the post coup period Iran was under dependence on the outer capital which proved to be convenient for penetration of international capital. Indigenous classes came to joint against the monarchy. Radical ulama became opposing faction after 1960`s. Middle class opposed against the monarchy more and more by violence during 1960`s and 1970’s. Secular intellectuals made heavy critique on western culture and defend on the integrity of Shi’ism. Middle class combined under the bond of Islam and they threw over the reign of king. Middle class founded the Islamic Republic of Iran.On the platform of politics there existed three forces liberals, left and clerics. They clashed each other heavily and clerics succeeded finally by the chance of hostage crisis and the cultural revolutionary. Iran came into the second transformation as wholly Islamization. Since then, Iran carried out three movements as nationalization, land reform and foreign trade nationalization. Under the drive of workers and peasants the social revolutionary had developed. But the clerics gave up radical policy and opposed to the revolutionary. For the resistance of merchants and lords land reform and foreign trade nationalization came to pause. Since Islamization Iran stood on the agriculture advocating self supply which hindered back the industrial economy yet traditional industry and commerce blossomed. Iranian social structure varied, petty bourgeoisie and peasants increased whereas workers and middle class decreased. Middle class concentrated on the state sectors. Middle class reshaped during the cultural revolutionary and under the control of the regime. The pragmatic faction launched liberalization reform pushing Iranian society onto a third transformation. Iran opened the door inviting international capital and implemented privatization stimulating economical growth. Iranian social structure varied once more and the structure recovered as pre-Revolutionary one. As private economy progress and middle class expanding, they required for change on the status quo. Reform faction separated from ruling class, and they called for breaking up monopoly economy and political pluralism.Iranian conservative forces were still strong, and they resisted the reform stiffly. Political force separated into two camps. Reform would be the main topic of the future, and middle class is supporting force of reform. The comparison between reformers and conservative forces would be an important influencing factor on the reform.