Intra-ethnic social cleavages and their political consequences in Iran: a case study of Baloch

In the process of politicization of ethnic groups in Iran, Baloch is one of the main political ethnic groups in Iran. Balochs, like any other society, have some internal social cleavages that affects the political behavior of this ethnicity. Knowing these distinctions and their political consequences is the purpose of this article. This research was carried out with the approach of political sociology and thematic analysis method, along with the use of library studies and the technique of interviewing ethnic researchers. Results of this research show that among the Baloch in the pre-modern era, divisions related to traditional construction such as "tribal conflicts" and "regional differences" exist. In addition, in the Pahlavi era political divisions caused by the period of transition such as "elite conflict" and "ideological and organizational conflicts" took place. Finally, after the revolution new divisions such as the "gender gap" and "generational gap" along with other factors have influenced the political behavior of the Baloch people. Providing grounds for foreign interference and the presence of the central government, creating obstacles for pursuing ethnic demands, preventing ethnic identity from becoming extreme and fluid, and plural political identity are the political consequences of the social cleavages among the Baloch.