Iranian Reaction to Western Cultural Products

The industrial revolution was accompanied by great social changes in Western societies. Italso produced changes in non-Western societies. Since industrialization was a Western phenomenon، the reactions of non-Western societies to these changes were different from thoseofWesternsocieties. While some Western products were welcomed، others were rejected by these societies. The process of introduction of Western cultural elements into traditional societies that came about as a result of cultural diffusion decided the quantity as well as the quality of the future social changes. Therefore، in the present research، the reactions of Iranians to Western cultural products are examined. Ample data were collected using qualitative research method and employing documentary sources and deep interviews regarding reactions to Western cultural elements. The findings indicated positive and negative reactions to Western cultural products in Iran. The positive reactions consistedof amazement، infatuation، and acceptance. The negative reactions consisted of initial confusion، ridicule، spreading rumors، pretending acceptance، forbidding and declaring unlawful، open protest and employment of violence، and calling for revolution. The researchers believe that acceptance and rejection depended upon whether the alien element was material or nonmaterial، imposed or freely chosen، was introduced gradually or rapidly، and opposed the cultural values or not.