Book
Language, status and power in Iran
Indiana University Press • Bloomington • Published In 1986 • Pages: xx, 255
By: Beeman, William O..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a sociolinguistic study of Iranian interpersonal behavior. Beeman analyzes sociolinguistic behavior according to what he labels as the internal vs. external and hierarchy vs. equality. The internal vs. external dimension is a psychological, philosophical, and social space. The internal (BATEN) is the seat of family intimacy and and space of freest personal expression. It is also the seat of passion, a person's strongest feelings, which in Iran has a postive and moral connotation. The external (ZAHER) is the realm of corruption and worldly influences; the realm of controlled expression and politeness, where one wears one's public face. In detailed discussion, Beeman shows how the vocabulary, phonology and grammar of language changes according two where interlocutors situate themselves in this matrix of high and low, and inside and outside. The elaborate language of ritual courtesy (TA'AROF) mediates between outsiders and people of different status. Beeman discusses the performative use of such language to obtain favors, rewards, service, tribute, etc. The ability to manipulate this discourse in order to position oneself in a lower status while having a third party acknowledge one's superiority is a common strategy used to gain power. Such cleverness (ZERANGI) is esteemed in Iran.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Speech
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Phonology
- Sociolinguistics
- Status, role, and prestige
- Manipulative mobility
- Friendships
- Etiquette
- Ethics
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Iran
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2000
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Middle East
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Middle East
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard; 2005
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1971-1979
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1960-1980
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Iran
- NotesAdditional notes
- William O. Beeman
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-235) and indexes
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 84048490
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Iranians/Persian language--Social aspects--Iran/Persian language--Discourse analysis/Communication--Iran/Iran--Social life and customs