Iran

With over 70 million people, Iran is one of the most populous and diverse countries in the Middle East. The primary ethnicities include Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7% and Arab 3%.

Learn more about Iran

Medical System

HealthCare

According to the Iranian Constitution, the government is required to provide every citizen of the country with access to social security that covers retirement, unemployment, old age, disability, accidents, calamities, health and medical treatment and care services. This is covered by public revenues and income derived from public contributions.

Alternative Beliefs

Because of a relatively high infant mortality rate, the mother is fearful of losing her children. This fear often takes the form of an old belief in the evil eye that still survives to some degree in the middle and upper classes. The evil eye has both supernatural and personalized aspects. It is believed that people out of envy, jealousy, and hostility may wish misfortunes upon others. The evil eye explains the occurrence of misfortunes and focuses fear on outsiders and on their envy. As a result people refrain from making comments on the health, beauty, or even intelligence of a young child for fear that they may make them vulnerable to the evil eye.

Iranian Americans

Demographics

Estimates from the 2000 census for the total population of Iranian Americans range from 500,000 to as high as 800,000 or 1,100,000. Highest concentration in California (est. 700,000)—primarily located in San Fernando Valley and Orange County; second highest in Washington D.C. area (est. 100,000). Other notable Iranian American communities are in New York, Texas, Maryland and Virginia.

Majority of Iranians who have immigrated to North America constitute the more modern and educated classes who are conscious of gender inequality, promote equal opportunities for both males and females, willingly share power in the household and have great respect for family, particularly children.

Iranian Americans are among the more educated immigrants in the United States, and most are members of the technical, professional, and entrepreneurial classes. More than 80 percent of Iranian Americans are fluent in English, and nearly half have earned college degrees. The majority are engineers, teachers, doctors, and business owners, and the median income of Iranian Americans is higher than the national average.

In spite of their success as immigrants, Iranian Americans have suffered discrimination at times because they are mistakenly associated with the actions of the government of Iran (a regime they fled) and because they are sometimes mistakenly identified as being from various countries in the Middle East.

Iranian-Americans in Oregon

While no statistics have been published regarding Iranian immigration to Portland, Oregon, the following sites may serve as resource for further information.

• Persian Studies and Persia House at Portland State University

• Momeni Foundation

Culture

It should be remembered that Iranian culture is class based and is divided between traditional and modern classes as well as upper, middle and lower classes. Different classes have different attitudes, cultural practices and while modern classes are striving to overcome patriarchy and gender inequalities, the more traditional classes may be defending and practicing such cultural ideas.

Religion

Islam

Islam is practiced by the majority of Iranians (approximately 80%) and governs their personal, political, economic and legal lives. Islam is the religious faith of Muslims, based on the words and religious system founded by the prophet Muhammad and taught by the Koran, the basic principle of which is absolute submission to a unique and personal god, Allah. Islam is the second largest religion in the world and is currently in a period of rapid growth.

Religious observances

• Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day – at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening.

• During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk and are only permitted to work six hours per day. Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing. Expatriates are not required to fast; however, they must not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum in public.

Branches of Islam

There are two major Islamic sects: Sunni and Shiite. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. Both sects emphasize the Five Pillars of Islam, read the same Quran, and consider each other Muslims. The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones. The split stems from the early days of Islam and arguments over Mohammed's successors as caliph or leader. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have spawned a number of varying practices and positions which have come to carry a spiritual significance.

Sunni

• Sunni are the largest sect

• Sunni comprise about 85 percent of all Muslims.

• Nations with Sunni majority include Egypt, Saudi Arabia and most other Arab nations, as well as non-Arab Turkey and Afghanistan.

Shiite (or Shia)

• Shiite are the second-largest sect

• Iran is the only country of all Muslim countries that is officially a Shi’ite state.

• Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain also have large Shiite communities.

Recent Shiite-Sunni Conflict

The most recent explosion of the Shiites-Sunni enmity was in the eight year long Iran-Iraq war. This was not a national war, it was a sectarian war, in which the Iraqi Shiites larger and silently sided with the Sunnis. While it is true that Saddam marketed this war as a Arab-Persian war and this did sway some Iraqi Shiites against Shiite Iran, the Iraqi Shiites were largely against Saddam anti Shiite tyranny. After the first gulf war in 1991, Saddam ruthlessly crushed their revolt by storming the Holy Shrines at Najaf and Karbala and murdering hundreds of thousands of Shiites whose remains are still being discovered in mass graves.

Family

With so many peoples, there are few general truths about Iranian families. Religion, social class and ethnic group all affect family structure. In general, however, Iranians regard the unity and honor of the family as more important than individual wishes.

• Family Values

• In Iran, the family is the basis of the social structure.

• Family traditionally comes before the individual and the young are brought up and expected to understand and respect such notions.

• Iranians take their responsibilities to their family quite seriously.

• Families tend to be small, only 1 or 2 children, but the extended family is quite close.

• Family problems in general and children's problems in particular are kept inside the family. In such cases most people prefer to try and solve them on their own rather than seeking help from outside.

• The individual derives a social network and assistance in times of need from the family.

• Loyalty to the family comes before other social relationship, even business.

• Iranians see themselves as having two distinct identities: “zaher” (public) and “batin” (private).

• When they are in public, they must conform to accepted modes of behaviour. It is only within their homes among their inner circle that they feel free to be themselves. Family members are always part of the inner circle.

• The inner circle forms the basis of a person’s social and business network.

Male/Father

• Traditionally Iranian culture has been patriarchal with the father or the husband as the head of the family/household. Most families are headed by the oldest male, with formal authority descending through other males by age.

• The male head of the family makes most major domestic and financial decisions and quite often with consultation with other male relatives but not female members of the household.

• Since the revolution patriarchy has been promoted and strengthened by reverting to ancient Islamic codes and with enforced patriarchal practices such as controlling female appearance and mobility.

• This has changed with modern Iranians and wives and grown up children participate in such decision-makings extensively.

Female/Mother

• It is believed that female relatives must be protected from outside influences and are taken care of at all times. It is inappropriate to ask questions about an Iranian’s wife or other female relatives.

• Generally, the woman goes to live among her husband's relatives; however, she maintains close ties with her family.

• The mother receives guidance and advice in rearing children from her mother, her mother-in-law, and her other relatives.

• Before Khomeini's rise to power, women from upper-class families had moved into the labour force for the first time, and many achieved high positions.

• Since the revolution, all women, particularly urban ones, have faced numerous restrictions, and sexual segregation has become more important in society. Segregation is enforced in various aspects of life, such as seating on public buses and dress codes.

• By law, women over age nine must wear the hejab or Islamic dress. This can include wearing either a chador, a cloak-like garment (usually black) that completely covers the body, or a head scarf accompanied by trousers and a long, loose coat.

Children

• For Iranians, family is the most important social institution and children are the focal point of this institution, they are loved, adorned and sometimes spoiled.

• For many families the relationship parents have with their children is more important than the marital bound between the husband and wife. Many Iranian parents simply live for their children.

• Children are praised, looked after and are raised to be dependent on their families and follow family traditions and rules.

• Families stay together and are expected to be the priority for all members even long after they have left the nest. The roles are well defined in terms of gender and expectations are clear.

• Sons are regarded as economic assets.

• With poor families in Iran children are expected to be involved with every aspect of family life including working at paid jobs and taking care of younger siblings. However with the affluent, children do not get involve in such matters, they are paid for and looked after long past adolescence. It is a common practice for the rich to buy properties, expensive cars, designer cloths and pricey jewelry for their children.

• Parents are involved in making major decisions for their children such as whom they should marry and what profession they should have.

• Though there is much parental control in Iranian families, the warmth, affection and immense love that most Iranians have for their children eases the tensions and most children willingly feel obliged to trust, obey the rules and comply with their parent's guidance and advices.

Extended Family

• Families are normally extended families and grandparents, uncles and aunts are very involved with each other and younger members of the family both emotionally and financially.

• Family members are expected to spend lots of time with each other and socializing with relatives is a very important part of Iranian life. Many people prefer to live near their relatives.

• Elderly relatives are kept at home, not placed in a nursing home.

Education

Education of children is a major issue for most Iranians and the affluent families spent a fortune to make sure their children will have the best education possible. Both daughters and sons are expected to have the best education available. Even in the Islamic republic itself the number of females attending universities is much higher than boys, close to 63 % for girls. Most decisions about what to study and what path to follow will be taken by consulting with parents and other elders in the family.

The schooling system of Iran is working moderately well, but many kids are not attending school. This has often to do with priorities made by the parents, as schools are easy to attend, and found in even small villages. Iran has around 100 institutions on university level, of which some are of very high standards. Despite the Islamization process, most secular subjects still have a secular approach. Iranian universities churn out almost 750,000 skilled graduates annually.

Literacy

According to the CIA World Factbook, from information collected in 2003, 85.6% of males and 73% of females over the age of 15 are literate, Thus 79.4% of the population is literate.

Implications for the SLP

• Some Iranians may have different views regarding the etiology of diseases and disorders.

• Religious practices, such as Ramadan and daily prayer times, should be considered when scheduling appointments.

• Since Iranian families generally try to solve problems within the family, they may feel hesitant about seeking outside assistance.

• The male is head of the family and makes most major domestic and financial decisions. Therefore, be sure his viewpoint is taken into consideration.

Original Contributor: Amy Wahlstrom, Winter term 2007