The Contemporary Society and the State In Iran: A Theoretical Consideration in Nation-State Formation

This paper is an attempt to evaluate the progress of "nation-state" formation in Iran. Contrary to the scholars argue that the process of "nation-state" building in Iran has not progressed during the last century,this paper illustrates how contemporary Iran's souety has successfully cultivated most of the key features and elements of modern nation-states. This paper, also will focus on the main weaknesses of nation-state in Iran which are generally to do with the failure to develop a modern democracy. After a review of the theoretical literature on the features of modern-nation states, it will argued that the increasing institutional differentiation and division of labor, growth of middle class, growth of service and industry sectors as opposed to agriculture sector, improved civil awareness, increasing involvement of women in public sphere, expansion of communications and media, rise of NGOs, and dominance of democratic discourse which are all among the features of contemporary Iranian society and politics, have set a suitable stage for the compensate of the democratic weaknesses of nation-state in Iran.