A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO DIRECTIONS AND PROCESSES OF IRAN'S STUDENT MOVEMENT: 1979-2009

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Abstract

After the Second World War, universities had been permanently one of the main centers for student movements. Since the Reza Pahlavi's rule in Iran, we have seen the formation of a new social movement. They have had a critical approach to political power and the structure of government. The increase in the student activities are closely related to the creation of more social cleavages and conflicts. If social movements particularly student movement possess radical nature, the ground for the emergence of radicalism will be established in social action of student groups. As a result generally power structure tries to reduce political cleavage through reproducing of nation-state relations. This could happen whenever the "(massed) condensed cleavages" turn into the "crossed cleavages".

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