A sociological approach to the historical and social trends of protest movements in the contemporary history of Iran until the collapse of the Pahlavi government

Based on the topics of political sociology, the emergence of revolutionary changes in a society is rooted in various protest movements in that society. This dissatisfaction is a set of internal and external factors. Some of these developments are explained based on a sociological approach and others on a historical approach. The first category, being short-term social causes and factors, develop when change movements, including revolutions, emerge. However, recognizing and explaining long-term historical causes and factors depend upon conducting research into the developments of contemporary history. The developments in Iranian society until the end of Pahlavi regime and the emergence of protest movements, including the Islamic Revolution, are rooted in dissatisfaction in contemporary history. Moreover, the accompaniment of tyranny and colonialism are two other effective factors. The characteristics of despotism include non-democratic government, lack of a civil society, lack of security, and the suppression of religious beliefs by rulers. In such conditions, colonialism is created, the consequences of which include the establishment of a hegemonic diplomatic relationship, an unfair exchange of privileges, and making decisions without public participation, and a lack of the right to vote for the people and the elite. Overall, it seems that fundamental changes in every society occur when people, in many cases, are dissatisfied with many issues. This fundamental issue calls for detailed study on the historical and social trends that develop the changes and movements in a society. These trends ultimately result in alternative systems.