Iran: Cultural Values, Self images and Negotiation Behavior

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Iran: Cultural Values, Self-images and Negotiating Behaviorfrom expatriate Iranians. Popular Iranian humor also provides insight into a variety ofsocial patterns and stereotypes.• The sources of the research include:• General literature on national character based on various academicdisciplines.• Specific sociological, socio-linguistic and anthropological studies onIran.• Diplomatic documents from the British National Archives (PRO), theIsraeli State Archive, and the U.S. National Archive.• Biographical accounts of Iranians and Westerners.• Modern Iranian literature and cinema.• Interviews with Iranians and Western academics, journalists, formerofficials, businessmen, and others who have had extensive experiencewith Iran.• Websites of Iranians, chat forums, and newsgroup discussions ofIranian affairs.This study is part of a larger study dealing with the Iranian national and religiousworldview, decision-making processes, and defense doctrine, previously published bythe Institute for Policy and Strategy. 7 Some of the issues treated in this study in aconcise fashion are dealt with at length in the previous o7 Shmuel Bar, Iranian Defense Doctrine and Decision Making, Institute for Policy and Strategy,Herzliya:October 20044
Self-Images and StereotypesNational Self-ImageThe prevalent Iranian self-image is a contradictory mixture of positive andnegative motifs and a constant tension between Persian and Islamic identities. On onehand, it reflects pride of belonging to an ancient noble and imperial nation whichcontrolled most of the Middle East and which gave the world artistic, scientific, andarchitectural treasures centuries before Islam came on the scene, maintained itsnational language and culture after the Islamic conquest, and even succeeded in“cultural colonization” of the new empire in the realms of arts, sciences, economy,and language. 8 For Iranians, all that was great in what is commonly referred to asIslamic or Arab culture was actually Persian. This self-image even holds certain racialovertones: it links Iran to a primordial Aryan (read noble) world of settled civilization,far superior to the "primitive" nomadic Arabian culture. It is well expressed in thecontinued use of classic Persian names with pre-Islamic and even pagan symbolism. 9Another expression is the indefatigable quest for original Persian words to replace theArabized Persian that took root in the Persian language generations ago. 10 Iraniansensitivity to national identity is evident as well in interactions with Westerners:Iranians bristle at references to Western technological or cultural superiority (i.e., theWest being the cradle of world culture, democracy, science, etc.) or to any debt thatthe Iranians hold towards the West.On the other hand, the same Iranian self-image also embodies the Shiite Islamicnarrative, characterized by a strong sense of inferiority regarding power, self-imagesof being oppressed, conquered, and humiliated by outside forces, and identificationwith the downtrodden and with self-sacrifice. This facet of the Iranian self-image isepitomized by identification with the Imam Ali, who was usurped as Caliph, and hissons, Hussein and Hassan, who were tricked, defeated, and killed by the treacherousand usurping Umayyad Caliph Yazid. 11Iranian cultural studies place much emphasis on the traditional Iranian and Shiitedifferentiation between the purity of the baten (internal) and the corruption of thezaher (external). The former is the seat of humility, compassion, generosity, and trustin God. The latter is both the source of suspicion, cynicism, pessimism, and defeatism– all of which are indicative of a lack of trust in God – and of negative or materialisticpersonal traits which are frequently attributed to Persian culture, such as shrewdness,opportunism, hypocrisy, sycophancy, and insincerity. Ideally, one should combat thelatter traits as they appear both in the outside world and in one's self, and be a person8 This is also the judgment of many great Western scholars. See D.G. Hogarth, A History of Arabia(Oxford, 1922): “Never, has captor more swiftly and subtly been captured by his captive than Arabiaby Persia.” See also Philip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs (London: Macmillan St. Martin’s Press, 1970)308: “The esthetic temperament of [Iran’s] population was a sorely needed element in the cultural lifeof the Semitic Arabs”; Carl Brockelmann, History of the Islamic Peoples (New York: CapricornBooks, 1960) 163–166.9 Such as Hormoz, a contraction of Ahura Mazda; Jamshid, after the great King Houshang; Leila, frommythology; or Ardeshir and Mandana from ancient Persian history.10 See William Forbis, Fall of the Peacock Throne (New York: Harper & Row).11 Yazid is still an epitaph in Persian for an evil-minded person.5
Page 1: The Interdisciplinary Center Herzli
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Page 9 and 10: TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION .....
Page 11 and 12: IntroductionIran holds a unique pla
Page 13: IntroductionCharacter,” “Minds,
Page 17 and 18: Self-Images and StereotypesPriests,
Page 19 and 20: Self-Images and Stereotypesmythical
Page 21 and 22: Self-Images and Stereotypespersonal
Page 23 and 24: Self-Images and Stereotypescoalitio
Page 25 and 26: Self-Images and Stereotypeswhen he
Page 27 and 28: Self-Images and StereotypesChivalry
Page 29 and 30: Self-Images and StereotypesBaqara w
Page 31 and 32: Self-Images and StereotypesThe Shah
Page 33 and 34: Self-Images and Stereotypesorder to
Page 35 and 36: Self-Images and Stereotypes(connect
Page 37 and 38: Communication and NegotiationOvervi
Page 39 and 40: Communication and Negotiationor del
Page 41 and 42: Speaking up, down and across status
Page 43 and 44: Communication and Negotiationorigin
Page 45 and 46: Communication and NegotiationAmbigu
Page 47 and 48: Negotiating BehaviorThe Role of the
Page 49 and 50: Communication and NegotiationPre-Ne
Page 51 and 52: Communication and NegotiationIt was
Page 53 and 54: Communication and NegotiationImplau
Page 55 and 56: SummaryIranian negotiating culture
Page 57 and 58: Reference ListCurzon, George N. Per
Page 59 and 60: Reference ListWestwood, Andrew. “
Page 61: post-negotiations, 44procrastinatio

Iran: Cultural Values, Self images and Negotiation Behavior

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