Iran 1400 Podcast

Iran 1400 Project •iran1400.org

Welcome to the Iran 1400 Project podcast, where we explore the past, present, and possible futures of Iran through informed dialogue, independent thought, and diverse voices. From historical insight to emerging narratives, we connect ideas to action to pursue a more just, inclusive, and forward-looking society. Join us as we rethink Iran’s trajectory — one conversation at a time. 🔗 Learn more at iran1400.org

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Episodes

Perspectives on Iran's Social History: Labor, Economy, and Life Before Oil

This is the third episode of the Iran 1400 Project’s series on labor in Iran and the first of a three-part conversation with Dr. Kaveh Ehsani about the social history of labor and oil. Dr. Ehsani, an associate professor at DePaul University, defines social history and highlights its importance for Iran and the broader world. He provides insights into what labor relations and Iran’s economy looked like before the discovery of oil in the country, going into detail about the composition of Iran's p...

Jun 22, 2023•20 min

Exploring the Convergence of Labor Protests and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement

This is the second episode of the Iran 1400 Podcast’s series on labor in Iran. It is part two of a two-part conversation between our host Sydney Martin and doctoral student Ida Nikou about the labor movement in Iran since the Islamic revolution. Ida underscores the importance of comprehending labor protests as a prerequisite for understanding any protest movement in Iran and delves into the interconnectedness between labor protests and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. They also explore the dev...

May 23, 2023•34 min

Unraveling Iran's Labor Movement: From the Islamic Revolution to Today

This is the first episode of the Iran 1400 Podcast’s series on labor in Iran. It is part one of a two-part conversation between our host Sydney Martin and doctoral student Ida Nikou about the labor movement in Iran since the Islamic revolution. Ida provides insights into the movement's history in each decade following the revolution, highlighting its adaptation to the evolving political landscape and changing leadership. Throughout the conversation, a wide range of topics are covered, from the i...

May 16, 2023•28 min

Exploring the Historical Foundations of Nationalism in Iran

In the second installment of the Iran 1400 Project's series on nationalism in Iran, researcher Sydney Martin engages in a captivating conversation with Dr. Ali Ansari on the intricate interplay between Iranian history, nationalism, and identity. Their wide-ranging discussion covers themes such as the significance of Kaveh the Blacksmith, the fusion of religion and state, and the exploitation of nationalism by various leaders in Iran over the past century to consolidate their authority. Furthermo...

Apr 26, 2023•28 min

Religious Nationalism in Iran: Shi'ism, the State, and Iranian Identity

This is the first episode of the Iran 1400 Project's series on nationalism in Iran. Researchers Alexandra Braverman and Sydney Martin spoke with Dr. Meir Litvak about the role of religion in Iranian nationalism and Iranian identity. Dr. Litvak explained in detail how the Iranian state uses religion in order to promote a form of nationalism in line with its ideals. Examining the reaction of Iranians to this effort, he analyzed the many facets of Iranian identity, from Persian ethnolinguistic iden...

Oct 18, 2022•29 min

Iran-China Relations: Geopolitics and Diplomacy

This episode is the second part of a two-part conversation with Dr. William Figueroa about his article for the Iran 1400 Project entitled “Constitutionalism Across Asia: Iran and China.” Sydney Martin and Dr. Figueroa discuss Iran-China relations today and the geopolitical implications of the Iranian and Chinese constitutional revolutions discussed in the previous episode. Dr. Figueroa analyzes Iran and China’s often disproportionate relationship, providing his thoughts on a variety of aspects a...

Sep 12, 2022•26 min

Iran-China Relations: The Imagined Community of Asian Constitutional States

This episode is part one of a two-part conversation with Dr. William Figueroa about his article for the Iran 1400 Project entitled “ Constitutionalism Across Asia: Iran and China. ” Sydney Martin and Dr. Figueroa discuss the influence of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution on Chinese elites and the impact of pan-Asian and anti-colonial sentiment on Iran, China, and greater Asia. Dr. Figueroa provides background on the Chinese constitutional revolution, pointing out the similarities between it ...

Aug 16, 2022•27 min

Eric Lob: How the Progression of Construction Jihad Parallels the Evolution of the Islamic Republic

In this episode, Sydney Martin interviews Dr. Eric Lob about his recent article for the Iran 1400 Project “Institutional Continuities and Changes in the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Case of Construction Jihad.” Using Construction Jihad as their focal point, they discuss a wide range of events and ideas, such as development, the Islamic Republican Party, the Iran-Iraq War, and the consolidation of power in Iran since the revolution. The article is available on our website, please check it out he...

Jun 09, 2022•57 min

Spotlighting an Author - Ali Alfoneh: Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran

What will happen after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's passing? During this event hosted by the Iran 1400 Project, Ali Alfoneh, an author and political scientist, answered this question and presented his book “Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Demise of the Clergy and the Rise of the Revolutionary Guard Corps”. His book imagines what leadership will look like in the Islamic Republic after the passing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. It looks back at the p...

Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 8 min

Spotlighting an Author - Stephanie Cronin - Social Histories of Iran

On November 19th the Iran 1400 Project hosted a Spotlighting an Author event with distinguished social historian, Stephanie Cronin of Oxford University. Dr. Cronin discussed her newly-released book, Social Histories of Iran: Modernism and Marginality in the Middle East, which problematizes concepts of modernity in Iran and the broader Middle East with a global comparative perspective. The book investigates the lives of the underclasses of Iranian society in the 19th and 20th centuries and their ...

Nov 23, 2021•1 hr 21 min

Spotlighting an Author - Fatemeh Shams: A Revolution in Rhyme: Poetic Co-option under the Islamic Republic

In this Spotlighting an Author event, Dr. Fatemeh Shams discussed her latest book “A Revolution in Rhyme: Poetic Co-option under the Islamic Republic”. During the extensive Q&A section of the event, Shams answered a series of questions with topics from lack of academic attention to Persian poetry, to the cause and result relationship between the revolution and poetry in Iran. About Fatemeh Shams: Dr. Fatemeh Shams is Assistant Professor of Modern Persian literature at the University of Penns...

Oct 19, 2021•1 hr 18 min

Spotlighting an Author: Annie Tracy Samuel: The Unfinished History of the Iran-Iraq War

In this Spotlighting an Author event, Dr. Annie Tracy Samuel discussed the IRGC’s roles and power in contemporary Iran and demonstrates how the history of the Iran–Iraq War has an immense bearing on the Islamic Republic’s present and future. During the extensive Q&A section of the event, Tracy Samuel answered a series of questions with topics from the most important lessons learned by the IRGC to similarities between the acceptance of Security Council Resolution 598 and the acceptance of the...

Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 20 min

Spotlighting an Author - John Ghazvinian: America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present

This episode is the audio version of the Spotlighting an Author event with John Ghazvinian who presented his new book "America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present". Ghazvinian provided a captivating account of the U.S.-Iran relationship within the last 300 years and discussed the history that is rarely explored, from Christian missionaries in Iran, to the American fascination with Persia in the early 1900s. He further argued that a better understanding of the two countries’ rich history cou...

Sep 03, 2021•55 min•Ep. 3

Spotlighting an Author - Ervand Abrahamian: Oil Crisis in Iran: From Nationalism to Coup d'Etat

This episode is an audio version of an event in which Dr. Ervand Abrahamian, a renowned historian discussed his latest book "Oil Crisis in Iran: From Nationalism to Coup D'Etat". Abrahamian provided analysis on recently declassified CIA and US State Department documents from the Mossadeq administration. He told the story of the Iranian oil crisis, which would eventually culminate in the coup of August 1953. During the extensive Q&A section of the event, Abrahamian answered questions with top...

Aug 17, 2021•1 hr 14 min

The Fickle History of the Women's Movement in Iran

In the first episode, Christian and Sydney summarize the main points discussed in a previous Iran 1400 Project event in Farsi about the women's movement in Iran. They review the analyses of four panelists: Homa Hoodfar, Mahboobeh Abasghlizadeh, Mehrangiz Kar, and Aram Hessami as they examine the complex history of women's rights in the past century in Iran. Website: https://iran1400.org/en/ https://twitter.com/iran1400project https://www.instagram.com/iran1400project/ https://www.facebook.com/Ir...

Apr 23, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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