Nostalgia Against Modernity: The Synergy Between Fardid's Discourse and the Rural-Oriented Movement in Iran During the 1960s and 1970s

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Tehran, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Tehran,

Abstract

Introduction: Modernity in the Iranian cultural context is a phenomenon that requires a multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach for its profound understanding. The 1960s and 1970s (40s and 50s in the Iranian solar calendar) represent a critical period in contemporary Iranian history, during which the Pahlavi modernization project, with unprecedented rapidity, transformed traditional social, economic, and cultural structures. During this era, two distinct yet interconnected intellectual-cultural movements emerged: first, Fardid's critical discourse with a philosophical approach to Westoxification (Gharbzadegi), and second, the nostalgic rural movement that manifested in art, literature, and cinema. The main research question is: how did these two different yet aligned discourses, through their interaction, present a critical reading of modernity in Iran's cultural sphere? The central hypothesis posits that rural nostalgia and philosophical critique of modernity, in interaction with each other, provided a strategy for cultural resistance and redefinition of social identity.

Methods: Employing an interdisciplinary approach, this research utilizes Marshall Berman's theoretical framework on "the experience of modernity" and Raymond Williams' concept of "pastoral modernity." Through a combination of critical discourse analysis and cultural studies, it conducts an intertextual reading of cultural products from the 1960s and 1970s. The research data encompasses four main areas: literature (works by Al-Ahmad, Saedi, Dowlatabadi, and Darvishian), cinema (Iranian New Wave films), music (songs by Dariush, Mehrad, and Ebi), and poetry (works by Shamloo, Kasraei, Farrokhzad, and Behbahani). In the analysis, the method of textual analysis and the technique of case study examination of works have been employed

Results and Discussion: Results demonstrate that the cultural products studied functioned beyond mere aesthetic purposes, serving as mediators between elite critical theory and people's lived experiences. These works translated abstract concepts from Fardid's philosophy into tangible language, creating an "intertextual space of resistance." Unlike Williams' model, in Iran, the rural became a metaphor for resistance and authenticity. The findings revealed the formation of a "coherent semantic network" in the culture of this period that highlighted values of "loyalty," "chivalry," and "self-sacrifice" against modern values. Analysis of heroic figures shows that in Iran, these characters represented resistance against identity dissolution rather than serving as mediators. When encountering cultural products of this period, Iranian audiences faced a unified paradigm conveying a similar message: imposed modernity had led to an identity crisis.

Conclusion: The research demonstrates that the convergence of Fardid's discourse with rural nostalgia had an internal necessity. Fardid's thought provided the theoretical foundation for rural nostalgia, while rural nostalgia, by embodying this critique in artistic forms, gave social depth to Fardid's discourse. This synergy can be explained on two levels: epistemologically, this movement engaged in "critical indigenization" of modernity; ontologically, by reviving "the sacred" through rural nostalgia, it addressed the gap between "Iranian Dasein" and the modern world. What made this movement influential was its ability to "translate collective sentiment"—an ability achieved through creating a multilayered language accessible to the general public. This shared language laid the groundwork for political action that manifested in the Islamic Revolution—a revolution that can be understood as a metaphor for the confrontation between "resistance nostalgia" and "the experience of modernity." This research invites heirs of this intellectual legacy to reflect on a crucial question: Can nostalgia alone serve as a roadmap for the future?

Keywords

References

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