The aim of this study is to examine the impact of social cleavages on the process of state-building and nation-building in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The significance of this issue lies in the fact that the persistence, intensification, and politicization of social cleavages can affect social cohesion, national identity, political legitimacy, and the capacity of political institutions to manage social diversity. Social cleavages in Iranian society can be observed across various dimensions, including ethnic, religious, generational, gender, economic, and value-based cleavages. Their effects on the process of state-building and nation-building depend on the extent and manner in which they become activated in the social and political spheres. Therefore, the mere existence of social and cultural differences does not necessarily constitute an obstacle to state-building and nation-building; rather, the transformation of these differences into group identities, social conflicts, and political demands plays a more significant role in determining their consequences. The research hypothesis is that the more social cleavages move from structural differences toward group identification, conflict, politicization, and political mobilization, the greater the challenges they pose to the process of state-building and nation-building. Conversely, their institutional, peaceful, and inclusive management can contribute to strengthening national identity, social cohesion, and political legitimacy.



The present study employs a descriptive-analytical method and draws upon library and documentary sources. In analyzing the issue, ethnic-religious, generational, gender, economic-rentier, and value-identity cleavages are examined within the study’s three-level analytical framework, consisting of social structure; group identification and conflict; and politicization and political mobilization. The findings indicate that social cleavages are not, in themselves, an obstacle to the process of state-building and nation-building. Rather, when they lead to conflict and political mobilization, they can increase social divergence and create challenges to political legitimacy and the process of state-building and nation-building. Furthermore, the overlapping of different cleavages and the transformation of social differences into group identities can increase the potential for the politicization of demands and the intensification of conflicts. Conversely, the acceptance and management of social and cultural diversity, increased political participation, reduction of the conditions underlying deprivation and inequality, and strengthening of institutional mechanisms for managing conflicts can help reduce the divisive consequences of social cleavages and strengthen national identity and social cohesion. Accordingly, the manner in which social cleavages are managed, regulated, and institutionalized is more significant than the mere existence of social differences in determining their effects on the process of state-building and nation-building.