Toward an understanding of Student Movement in Iran

How can one explain the emergence of student movements in Iran since 1953? In an attempt to provide an answer to this question, this paper will first classify and review five different theoretical approaches to student movements in modern world – functionalist theories, revolutionary theories, symbolic sphere theory, theories of new social movements, and theory of political culture. It will then attempt to offer an explanation of student movements in Iran according to the aforementioned theoretical approaches as the history of modern Iran has witnessed the rise of different waves of student movements and these movements have been at the forefront of at least three broader national movements: the 1953 Mosaddegh movement, the 1979 Islamic revolution and the 1997 reformist movement. The last section of the paper will address the main causes that explain the decline of student movements in Iran since 2002.