Globalization and State in Islamic Revolution of Iran (Nature and Function)

Globalization, as a multifaceted and highly influential phenomenon, has both become a centerpiece issue in world studies and drawn theoretical and political reactions as well. Similarly, during the recent years, the issue of globalization has deeply affected Iranian society and politics from various cultural, political, social and economic perspectives. To that end, globalization has turned into one of the important subjects for study and has sparked heated discussions among the researchers as well as political observers and activists. In this paper, we have tried to design and present a model for analyzing the impacts of political globalization on state through reviewing the nature and functions of the state to work on this question: How has the Islamic Republic of Iran, as an ideological state, reacted and still reacts to the globalization process? Based on the theoretical model of this paper, the findings show that the nature of state in Iran has shifted from Westphalian and Weberian form to post-Westphalian form. This is because in view of the nature of governance today, we are witnessing a type of government that is a combined form of governance by transnational and infra-national forces, while in view of function, the state insists on enforcement of Westphalian measures. Such non-conformity creates tensions and challenges in policymaking and decision-making procedures of the state.