Iran: Cultural Values, Self images and Negotiation Behavior

Iran: Cultural Values, Self-images and Negotiating Behaviorhistory to devious Machiavellian-type machinations of coalitions of enemies andforeign powers (primarily Great Britain, the USA, Israel and the Jews) by use ofubiquitous secret associations and intelligence organizations. The belief inconspiracies also renders Iranians receptive to implicit threats even over and abovethe actual credibility of the threat.Iranian societal norms reflect a multitude of contradictions. Individualism is, byfar, the most prominent trait usually associated with Iranians, both by Iraniansthemselves and by foreigners. Some observers of Iranian culture have described theIranian proclivity towards individualism as the result of geographic conditions,modalities of family life, or the despotic structure of all the political regimes that havebeen in power in Iran, forcing the individual to fend for himself and his family andnot to trust anyone outside of his intimate circle. Individualism, however, does notimply social atomism. The Iranian Nomenklatura is composed of close knit “old boysclubs” made up of comrades in arms, extended families of the bazaar and the clergywith extensive access to the leadership. The extended family with a network ofpersonal ties provides the mechanism for social mobility, business success, politicalacceptance, and protection from the arbitrariness of the regime. Iranian social-politicalcircles external to the family are embodied in the institution of dovreh (circle), thepractice of party-baazi (protectionism), and ravaabet (connections).Individualism has been seen as the source of another major trait frequentlyattributed to the Iranian – suspicion and mistrust of anyone outside one’s immediateinner circle, and especially of anyone in power, of governments, and of foreignpowers. Common Persian adages prepare the Iranian to expect the worse of fate, andeven worse of people who have achieved high office and to regard chance asparamount, with the skill of the player necessary in order to maximize the advantagefrom good throws of the dice, and to minimize the damage and future risk resultingfrom bad throws.Iran is exceptional as well in that it is one of the few Muslim societies which haveundergone popular revolutions. Indeed, intellectual and military rebellions againstthe Arab domination emerged in Iran from the beginning of the Muslim conquest andin the 20 th century alone, Iran went through a series of revolutionary upheavals.Again, in an apparent contradiction, strict hierarchy, acceptance of authority (as longas it lasts) and subservience have also been seen as characteristics of Iranian society.One possible deciphering of the “code” of revolutionarism vs. acceptance of authorityin Iranian society is that Iran has through the ages been a “short term society” caughtin a cyclical pattern of arbitrary and despotic rule: social uncertainty→growingdiscontent→chaos→willingness to accept any new regime in order to put an end tothe chaos→new despotic and arbitrary rule. This cycle seems to be behind thetendency towards subservience to the incumbent ruler, the ease with which theopportunity to overthrow him may be seized, and the willingness to accept a newdespot as long as he provides respite from the period of anarchy.Iranians pride themselves on traditions of science, rationalism and pragmatism.Iranian national ethos takes pride in the image of a hard working and methodicalnational character. In this regard, Iranians frequently cite the contrast between Iranian“scientific” mentality and Arab “emotionalism”. Positive “rational” traits that Iranianstend to ascribe to their own “national character” include “cleverness”, patience innegotiation, sophistication, bargaining skills, dissimulative abilities and pragmaticii