Publication Date

1981

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

First Advisor

Alvino Fantini

Second Advisor

Alex Silverman

Abstract

Iran is a complex nation composed of many nationalities and languages. Through the centuries, it has been plagued by interethnic conflicts, and rapid modernization in this century has exacerbated longstanding differences, especially between the dominant, Farsi speaking group and Iran's numerous non-Farsi speaking minorities. No issue has symbolized Iran's interethnic conflicts in this century more than language problems.

Iran's history of language conflict is treated as a case study through which to explore more universal dynamics of language conflict. Emphasis is laid on the historical development of ethnic attitudes, the function of language as a symbol of ethnicity, the necessity of examining the cultural basis of a nation in order to best address the issue of national language choice, and socio-psychological attitudes which inhibit compromise. Some parallels to bilingual issues in this country are drawn.

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Communication | International and Intercultural Communication | Language Description and Documentation | Linguistics

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