Class+Structures+in+Iran-Britta+Roe

The class structure in Iran differs greatly from that in the United States. Iran is a country that is unfamiliar to most of the United States population. In //Persepolis//: //a story of a childhood// by Marjane Satrapi, Marjane helps change our view of the people of Iran, helps the reader understand the complex class structures that govern social activities and made this story no longer just a story of Iran. There are certain things about Iran that Americans aren't particularly familiar about. One specific example that I'll be exploring are the strict rules of class structures and how they influence modern day society. = = =** How did class structures change following the Islamic Revolution and how does that influence modern day I****ranian culture?**=

Iran has four different classes;

 * 1) Upper Class
 * 2) Middle Class
 * 3) Working Class
 * 4) Lower Class

The Upper Class was defined by those with access to political power. Prior to the Islamic Revolution, the Upper Class is consists of high financiers, landowners and industrialists who are all very privileged and usually live in big fancy and elaborate houses and can afford anything they desire and were referred to as the social elite. Following the revolution, a new political elite group began to form as islamic clergy in the middle class began to move into the upper class.

Middle classes aren't as privileged as the upper class but still live a comfortable life. Not much changed to the middle class from before to after the revolution. This group still consisted of social groups, including entrepreneurs, bazaar merchants, professionals, teachers, and several more alike those listed. One primary difference was the value of a western education. Following the revolution, the government became very suspicious of western education and its threat to the Islamic religion.

The Working class consisted of people who work in manufacturing, construction, and transportation industries, or as factory worker. Not much change following the revolution except workers were unable to strike and demand better working conditionsanday.

Finally, there is the Lower class who may have regular work as a domestic servants, bath attendants, porters, street cleaners, peddlers, street vendors, gardeners. They also included gamblers, begging, drug dealing or stealing just to make any type of income. Since the revolution, strict penalties for moral crimes have increased. Most of the lower class live in poverty and not much has changed since the Islamic revolution.

In 1979, the Islamic revolution started to overthrow the rule of the Shah. Marjane and her family were middle class, they had a stable welfare and nice cars. They also had a maid who played a big role to Marjane's childhood, her name was Mehri. Mehri was from a family of fifteen children including her, and because of that they had to leave her when she was eight because they couldn't car for her. Mehri became like a big sister to Marjane, they would play and goof off all the time. And when Mehri fell in love with they're neighbor Marjane would write for her "Like most peasants, she didn't know how to read or write.." (Satrapi 35) soon word of this affair was spread and Marjane's father had to put an end to it. Later her father had to explain to her the class differences.

In the United States, there are class structures, but the strict social rules aren't enforced; you can rise above if you were born in a lower class and work your way to the top, and you can also marry people of different social classes. In Iran, citizens are born in to their class and can never move up or down. Even after the Islamic revolution the rules for class structures haven't changed. In Persepolis, Marjane wishes the rules could change and that her maid to be equal to her.

In Persepolis, Marjane dreams to be a Profit, she feels that she has a strong connection with god and she has things that she wants to change with in the Islamic religion "I wanted to be a Profit because our maid did not eat with us. Because my father had a cadillac. And, above all, because my grandmother's knee's always ached." (Satrapi 6) Marjane might not be able to some day end her grandmothers knees from aching by being a profit, but she could change the facts that make Iran a society that promotes inequality.



Rick Steves' documentary of Iran portrays a softer side to Iran not many United States citizens are familiar with. every time people asked him where he was from and he answered 'America' they would respond 'Oh! We love Americans!' without hesitation. It also helps the viewer further understand the social class differences and how they govern social activities and interactions among citizens of Iran.

As a country we could benefit from a more clear understanding of what the Iranian people struggle with every day. We seem to have a very narrow and biased picture of them. When many people when think of Iran or muslims they think of terrorists who plot major acts of terrorism on our country. What we fail to consider when developing a opinion of Iran are the people who live in Iran everyday, lead normal lives, live in houses, and have a family. The truth may be something we are very familiar with. The majority of the people of Iran are very much like us with similar hopes and dreams an are victims a a very strict government that does not represent them.

WORKS CITED:
> > A Country Study, Website > > >
 * Saparti, Marjane. //Persepolis//: //a story of a childhood//. New York: Random House Inc., 2003. Print.
 * Helen Chapin Metz, ed. //Iran: A Country Study//. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1987.