The relationship between ideology and political practice, with Iran as the case study
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Politics and International Relations
Abstract
This research will examine the relationship between ideology and political practice, with Iran as the case study. More specifically, it will assess Iran's international policy on political and armed conflicts in the Middle East 2005-2015, covering Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. It will investigate whether Iran's policies and actions in this period have been a challenge to the prevailing international ideology, or simply a geostrategic manoeuvre. I will aim to highlight the relevance of an ideological dimension, in particular to Iran's foreign policy on Middle Eastern conflicts, and which includes a high ideological affinity between Iran and the movements it supported.
The choice of approaches for establishing whether Iran's policy can be explained most effectively in terms of interests alone , or whether ideological considerations played a role , is crucial for this research. Two different theoretical models initially appear suitable for the task: one belonging to the realist or neorealist school, with the second combining the English school's historical approach, and the constructivist focus on ideology. In order to assess ideological affinity, the first step will be to trace the contours of Iran's official political ideology in the 21st century. For this, both official documents and intellectuals' original material can be used, as well as secondary sources. The most challenging task is to examine the ideological line of those political movements Iran either supported or opposed. Since the period considered here is recent (2005-2015), there is no lack of primary sources available, along with first-hand accounts of the aims and policies of those movements. Concerning the range of historical and empirical material, I would focus on Iran's impact on the political conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and possibly Afghanistan. This choice is dictated by geographical proximity, and thus strategic importance, as well as by the highly international dimension of these particular conflicts.
The choice of approaches for establishing whether Iran's policy can be explained most effectively in terms of interests alone , or whether ideological considerations played a role , is crucial for this research. Two different theoretical models initially appear suitable for the task: one belonging to the realist or neorealist school, with the second combining the English school's historical approach, and the constructivist focus on ideology. In order to assess ideological affinity, the first step will be to trace the contours of Iran's official political ideology in the 21st century. For this, both official documents and intellectuals' original material can be used, as well as secondary sources. The most challenging task is to examine the ideological line of those political movements Iran either supported or opposed. Since the period considered here is recent (2005-2015), there is no lack of primary sources available, along with first-hand accounts of the aims and policies of those movements. Concerning the range of historical and empirical material, I would focus on Iran's impact on the political conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and possibly Afghanistan. This choice is dictated by geographical proximity, and thus strategic importance, as well as by the highly international dimension of these particular conflicts.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Richard Caplan (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Valentina Pegolo (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P000649/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 1925865 | Studentship | ES/P000649/1 | 01/10/2017 | 02/03/2022 | Valentina Pegolo |
| Description | Through the course of my 2 years MPhil, I have looked at the way in which ideas influence Iran's foreign policy. I have concluded that the relationship is more complicated than many media and policy circles hold it to be. I demonstrated that there is no clear evidence of a correlation between the ideology and discourse of the Iranian Republic, and the policy they have implemented regionally in the Middle East between 2009-2017. This finding disproves the claim that ideology is teh key driving force of Iranian foreign policy, and provides support for the scholars that point at an evolution in Iran's approach to the world towards pragmatism. At the same time, the findings of my MPhil thesis showed that there is evidence for a correlation between Iranian ideology and their global posture towards the West and the international system as a whole. In the same time period, 2009-2017, my analysis of policies and speeches has shown that ideas that guided the creation of the Islamic identity of Iran during the 1979 are still very much at the forefront of the decision making process for policies that concern Iran's relationship with the West, US and Europe in particular. These two different pattern show that ideology does matter in Iran's foreign policy, but it does so conditionally to the issues at hand: the more vital the issues are seen for Iran's regime survival and state identity, the stronger the influence of ideology; the less vital these issues are, as in regional negotiations, the more likely it is that ideology does not play a decisive role in the shaping of policy outcomes. |
| Exploitation Route | These outcomes show the need for a more sophisticated diplomatic and foreign policy approach to Iran. They highlight the need to differentiate between vital and secondary issues in the on-going negotiations for the survival of Iran's nuclear deal; this needs to be done not by applying the criteria of what counts as a vital issue from the experience of Western countries, but by looking at the unique intersection between necessity and ideology in the case of Iran. For instance, the way in which ideas of autonomy and independence have evolved in the ideology of Iran have connected to the symbol of possessing nuclear power: hence, the possession of nuclear technology per se has become a vital issue to the Iranian regime. On the other hand, this research shows that there is more room to negotiate than expected if one is willing to engage with Iran as a legitimate player in the Middle East and wider region: for this has shown to be the field in which Iran is more willing to adopt pragmatic solutions and compromise. By bundling together the issue of nuclear proliferation with not only sanction relief, but the prospect of the creation of some form of regional cooperation it may be possible to alleviate enough the sense of insecurity and isolation that is driving Iran's aggressive policy. |
| Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | I have written two political opinion pieces publishes on the news outlet "Jacobin". One in particular dealt with how my approach to ideology could help us make sense of the on-going crisis in May-August 2019 concerning the mutual seizure of two oil tanks on part of British and Iranian forces. This has sparked a private conversation with some professionals on the matter. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Article: "Kowtowing to Egypt's Military Regime Is Letting It Get Away With Murder" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Kowtowing to Egypt's Military Regime Is Letting It Get Away With Murder |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://jacobinmag.com/2020/12/egypt-military-regime-italy-eu-foreign-policy |
| Description | Article: Trump's "Maximum Pressure" on Iran Is Making COVID-19 Worse |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Trump's "Maximum Pressure" on Iran Is Making COVID-19 Worse |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://jacobinmag.com/2020/04/iran-sanction-regime-coronavirus-covid-crisis-trump |
| Description | Blog post: "Will the Raisi administration reinforce Iranian pragmatism in Afghanistan?" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Will the Raisi administration reinforce Iranian pragmatism in Afghanistan? |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://research.sharqforum.org/2021/07/16/will-the-raisi-administration-reinforce-iranian-pragmatis... |
| Description | Italy in the Middle East: The disconnect between geopolitics and arm diplomacy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Italy in the Middle East: The disconnect between geopolitics and arm diplomacy. Long piece (10 pages) in depth analysis. Published by outlet engaged in promoting and monitoring Turko-European relations, as well as monitoring democracy and human rights in Middle East |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://research.sharqforum.org/2021/05/04/italy-in-the-middle-east-the-disconnect-between-geopoliti... |
| Description | Produced opinion piece on Iran-British relationship, and the role of ideology therein. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I intended to raise the issue of how we think of Iran's ideology to the wider general public through this piece. I choose an on-going confrontation (the seizure of STENA IMPERO and Grace I in the summer 2019) to highlight this. My piece was reposted on two other independent media channels after its first publication on the Jacobin. A German professional contacted me through Linkedin following the publication to discuss my views on the matter. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://jacobinmag.com/2019/08/iran-united-kingdom-navy-tensions |
| Description | SPEAKER AT WEBINAR: 'IRAN'S ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AFTER THE VIENNA PROCESS' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presented on topic: 'Iran's position in between regions: current trends and future predictions' in June 2021 at a virtual seminar at CIHAN UNIVERSITY DUHOK, IRAQ in front of 200+ audience of researchers and students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | The Suez Canal Blockage activating the Iranian-forgotten International North-South Transport Corridor |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Blog post commenting on Iran's geopolitical manoeuvres in light of Suez Canal blockade. The organisation through which it was published (MEPEI) engages Middle Eastern ambassadors to Romania and other European countries to provide them with policy analysis. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://mepei.com/the-suez-canal-blockage-activating-the-iranian-forgotten-international-north-south... |
| Description | Took part as an expert guest speaker in Oxford PPE society debate on Trump's policy on Iran |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | During this debate I had a chance to present my position on the on-going development in Iranian-US relations. I thus presented my idea of the conditional influence of ideology in Iran's policymaking (derived from the results of my MPhil), and the danger that we were facing in treating the Iranian political system as a monolith. I was luck enough to share the stage with Professor Yossi Mekelberg, who is a specialist on Middle East policy at Chatham House. We took questions for the audience at the end of the debate. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/events/511131059825235/ |