By: Dr. Hossein Imani Jajarmi

With the ratification of the "Law for the Establishment of a University in Tehran" by the National Consultative Assembly on May 29, 1934, a comprehensive institution was founded to pursue educational and research activities. The foundation of social sciences at this first Iranian university began with a single course, and as an academic discipline, it was a twin born alongside the University of Tehran. (Torabi, 1977: 14). In 1934, for the first time, the German scholar W. Hass offered a course titled 'ʿIlm al-Ijtimāʿ' (Science of Society) at the Faculty of Literature and the Higher Teachers' College of the University of Tehran. After him, his assistant, Dr. Asadollah Bijan, continued teaching the course (Naraqi, 2000: 199). Upon earning a PhD in sociology from the Sorbonne and returning to Iran in 1940, Dr. Gholamhossein Sediqi began teaching the subject. However, at that time, the term and title "sociology" were not yet commonly used in Iran (Sediqi, 1993: 43).

Dr. Sediqi chose the title "sociology" for the course—a name that has remained associated with him to this day. "Dr. Sediqi was both the originator of the term ‘sociology’ in Iran and the founder of this academic discipline in the country." (Abdollahi, 1991: 11). The development of social sciences in Iran, which at first was limited to the teaching of one or two courses for a few hours a week, took several years before it evolved into a structured and independent body: The Institute of Social Study and Research.

Structure and Objectives of the Institute of Social Study and Research

In its 551st session, held on April 14, 1958, the University Council approved the Faculty of Literature's proposal concerning the statute of the Institute of Social Sciences, thus marking the institutionalization of academic social sciences in Iran (University of Tehran, 1958). According to Article 1 of the approved statute, an institute named the “Institute of Study and Research on Social Sciences” was to be established within the Faculty of Literature, with its budget provided by the University of Tehran. Based on Article 2, the Institute was to be managed under the supervision of its Director, through an Executive Board and an Administrative Officer. Article 4 defined the composition of the Institute's Council as follows:

  1. The Dean of the Faculty of Literature

  1. A Professor or Associate Professor of Sociology

  1. A Professor or Associate Professor of Statistics

  1. A Professor or Associate Professor of Anthropology

  1. A Professor or Associate Professor of Demography

  1. A Professor or Associate Professor of Social Psychology

  1. A Professor or Associate Professor of Human Geography

According to the note appended to this article, the Dean of the Faculty of Literature served as Chair of the Council, the Director of the Institute served as Vice Chair, and the Administrative Officer of the Institute served as Secretary of the Council.
Article 7 stipulated that the Director of the Institute would be appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Literature upon the recommendation of the Institute’s Council and selected from among the professors of social sciences. Article 8 provided that the Administrative Officer of the Institute would be appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Literature—upon the recommendation of the Director of the Institute—for a term of two years, and selected from among the professors or associate professors of one of the social science branches.

The objectives of the Institute of Social Study and Research were as follows:

a. To integrate theoretical aspects of the social sciences with practical research;
b. To provide social research services for governmental, non-governmental, or international institutions and organizations; 
c. To conduct continuous social research related to Iranian society based on the expertise of the relevant departments;     
d. To train interns to meet the staffing needs of the Institute itself as well as those of external organizations, upon the request of relevant stakeholder institutions.

The Institute was officially inaugurated in November 1958 at the Faculty of Literature, University of Tehran. During the academic year 1958–1959, more than 400 students enrolled in its specialized program, and 19 students registered in the advanced program. The following year, this number rose to 750, and by the academic year 1960–1961, the number of students at the Institute had surpassed 1,200. As noted in Dr. Sediqi’s report titled Two-Year Activity Report of the Institute, 1958–1960, this rapid increase reflects the fact that the Institute “from the very first day attracted the attention and interest of those with a passion for culture and a keen interest in the social sciences.”

Early Research Groups of the Institute were as follows:

 

  • Social Stratification: Focused on analyzing economic behaviors in Iran and identifying key obstacles to economic development.
  • Research Methodology: Explored lifestyle patterns and the emergence of new social classes across Iranian society.
  • Sociology of the Family: Concentrated on the study of marriage and family during Iran’s transitional period, including family roles, structure, and inter-family relations.
  • Anthropology: Investigated the cultural characteristics of Iran’s tribal and rural populations.
  • Industrial Sociology: Focused on the study of the economic and social conditions underlying industrial dynamism in Iran.
  • Urban Sociology: Analyzed causes of urban expansion, Forms of urban class development, and behavioral shifts during the urban development process.

In the “Department of Social Sciences,” which operated from 1957 to 1972 within the Faculty of Literature and Humanities at the University of Tehran, courses such as Introduction to Sociology, General Sociology, Demography, Anthropology, Social Psychology, Statistical Methods, and Research Methods in the Social Sciences were taught. Under the leadership of Dr. Gholamhossein Sediqi, this department brought together figures such as Ehsan Naraghi, Shapour Rassekh, Jamshid Behnam, Abbasgholi Khajeh-Noori, and Alimohammad Kardan. These individuals laid the intellectual foundations of academic social sciences in Iran (Makhtarpour, 2018: 30). In parallel with this department, a master’s program in social sciences was also held at the Institute, which operated semi-independently, combining teaching with research activities (Tavassoli, 1974: 61).

The Institute was housed in a distinguished and historic building that lent it a unique character. It was located in the premises of the Higher Teachers’ College (Dānesh-sarā-ye ‘Āli), situated within the Negarestan Garden. Negarestan Garden was built in 1804 CE (1222 AH) outside the walls of Tehran by order of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, as a royal summer residence. In 1905 (1284 SH), the garden was transferred to the Ministry of Education, and in 1928 (1307 SH), the renowned Russian architect Markov carried out extensive renovations and constructions there to establish the Higher Institute for Teacher Training (Dārl-al-Moʿallemīn-e ʿĀli) of Iran. At that time, the Higher Teachers’ College functioned as Iran’s first university and was composed of three faculties: Literature, Science, and Medicine (Faculty of Social Sciences, 2002: 7). This historic building came to be known as the “cradle of higher education in Iran,” and it served as the home of the Institute of Social Study and Research—and later, the Faculty of Social Sciences—from their establishment until the early 1990s, when they were relocated to their current site in northern Amirabad.

The establishment of the Institute requires particular attention to the role of Dr. Gholamhossein Sediqi. As a newly founded center for social research, the Institute needed to gain acceptance both within academic circles and the broader public sphere. It appears that the selection of Dr. Sediqi as the Institute’s Director was a deliberate and strategic decision. Naraghi considered Sediqi’s mere presence at the Institute to be worth more than any budget, financial resources, or facilities, believing that it was Sediqi’s presence that gave the Institute its character and credibility (Tabaraian, 2013: 216). According to Naraghi, Dr. Sediqi’s reputation and stature inspired confidence in the Institute’s social research endeavors and granted the newly established center both scientific and moral legitimacy (Nabavi, 1999: 142). Alongside Sediqi, Ehsan Naraghi also played a fundamental role in shaping and advancing the Institute. “At that time (1958), the presence of both of them was essential to the foundation of this research institute. Sediqi was a highly respected and influential professor at the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, and a close friend and associate of Dr. Siyasi, the powerful Dean of the Faculty. Without Sediqi, the establishment of a social science research body that also offered a master’s program would have been nearly impossible.” (Ashraf, 1997: 536)

Research and Studies at the Institute

Two of the Institute’s founding objectives explicitly emphasized the provision of “social research services” for various organizations—ranging from governmental and non-governmental bodies to international institutions—as well as the pursuit of “continuous social research” related to Iranian society, based on the expertise of the Institute’s specialized departments. In other words, the Institute was expected to either conduct applied research commissioned by external organizations outside the University, or to carry out fundamental research initiated and developed within its internal departments. Accordingly, conducting both applied and fundamental research became one of the Institute’s central areas of activity and performance.

A review of the Institute’s performance between 1958 and 1978 shows that a total of 349 research projects were conducted. As shown in Figure 1, the highest number of these projects—27 percent—were in the field of rural sociology, followed by 23 percent in urban sociology, and 16 percent in nomadic studies.


Figure 1. Distribution of Research Projects Conducted by the Institute of Social Study and Research, 1958–1978
Source: The Evolution of Social Sciences in Iran, 2002, p. 9

A comparison between the number of research projects conducted over the 20-year period from 1958 to 1978 and those implemented or in progress during the subsequent 20-year period from 1979 to 1999 indicates a significant decline in the Institute’s research activity following the Islamic Revolution. As shown in Figure 2, among the 143 research projects conducted or underway during this latter period, 50 percent were in the field of urban sociology, 15 percent in anthropology and nomadic studies, and 12 percent in rural sociology. In the years following the Revolution, the Institute appears to have faced numerous “financial constraints and limitations,” and despite having “developed many research proposals... only a few of them reached the implementation stage” (Social Science Letter, 1988: 255).


Figure 2. Distribution of Research Projects Conducted or in Progress at the Institute of Social Study and Research, 1979–1999
Source: The Evolution of Social Sciences in Iran, 2002, p. 10

Publication of Books and Social Science Journals

Scholarly resources are a vital element in sustaining academic activity. According to existing records, the Institute began publishing specialized books in the field of social sciences in collaboration with the University of Tehran Press in 1961. The first book in this publication series was Underdeveloped Countries by Yves Lacoste, translated into Persian by Houshang Nahavandi, which was designated as Publication No. 1 of the Institute. Interestingly, the Institute’s first publication was focused on development studies—a field that, at the time, was of great interest to intellectuals, policymakers, and political activists worldwide. Subsequent books were assigned consecutive numbers, up to what appears to be the final publication in 1980: Traditional Irrigation Systems in Iran, listed as No. 88 in the series. In 1972, coinciding with the establishment of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Cooperatives and the incorporation of the Institute into this new faculty—as well as the retirement of Dr. Gholamhossein Sediqi—there appears to have been a notable shift in the Institute’s publishing activities. That year, only one book was published: A Bibliography of Research, Writings, and Articles on Children and Adolescents, which was a compiled list of scholarly works. In 1973, four titles were published under the Institute’s name, now operating under the supervision of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Cooperatives. All four were translations, covering topics in history, development studies, and sociology. In 1974 and 1975, the Institute did not release any new publications. This lack of activity warrants further investigation, as it may reflect major administrative restructuring and personnel changes within the Faculty and the Institute.

In 1976, of the three published titles, one—Talebabad by Safinejad—was a second edition. That year, three books were published. One was a bibliography of anthropological articles; another focused on documents related to boneh (tribal or communal agricultural units), compiled by Javad Safinejad, a researcher at the Institute’s rural and nomadic studies division. The third was a demographic historical calendar of Iran, authored by researchers from the demography department.

The year 1979 coincided with the Islamic Revolution and the closure of universities. It appears that the events unfolding within the Faculty, along with the gradual weakening of the Institute and the broader political turmoil, led to a decline in the Institute’s publishing activities. Other publishers—such as Amir Kabir and Payam—also emerged as alternative outlets, willing to publish the works of faculty members from the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The year 1980 passed without new publications from the Institute, and it is likely that the final book released by the Institute’s press was Traditional Irrigation Systems in Iran, published in 1981. In general terms, the subject areas covered by the Institute’s publications can be categorized as follows:

  • Development Studies, including planning and economic growth
  • Anthropological Studies
  • Demographic Studies
  • Historical Studies
  • Urban Studies
  • Political Studies
  • Research Methodologies
  • Studies on Social Classes
  • Communication Studies
  • Monographs

The Institute’s publishing activity lacked continuity, and as the following chart illustrates, after a period of growth during its early years, it gradually declined from the late 1960s onward, with the final publication appearing in 1981.
Although researchers at the Institute and faculty members of the Faculty of Social Sciences continued to publish their works through other publishers, the Institute’s own publishing program—an essential component of any research institution—lasted only about two decades and never became fully institutionalized.

Figure 3. Books Published by the Institute of Social Study and Research, 1961–1980

Although the Department of Urban Sociology was among the Institute’s earliest research divisions—and despite the fact that urban issues were gradually emerging in Iran during the 1960s—the Institute published no major work in the field of urban studies, apart from the Report on the Seminar on the Social Problems of Tehran, which consisted of a collection of presentations delivered during the multi-day event.

Social Science Journal

In the fall of 1968, the Institute succeeded in publishing the first academic journal in the field of social sciences in Iran, titled Nāmeh-ye ʿOlūm-e Ejtemāʿi (Social Science Letter). The first three issues of the journal were published by the Institute itself. After the establishment of the Faculty of Social Sciences in 1972, five additional issues were released between that year and 1977. The editor-in-chief of the early issues was Dariush Ashouri.

Decline of the Institute

In the years preceding the Islamic Revolution—particularly during the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s—the Institute played a significant role in conducting social research and shaping national policy in various domains, including social, urban, rural, and nomadic affairs. During this period, it not only trained a considerable number of graduates in the social sciences, but also carried out numerous research projects and published a wide range of scholarly books.

The Institute’s persistent efforts in teaching and researching the social sciences led, in 1972, to the transformation of the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Tehran into the Faculty of Social Sciences and Cooperatives, comprising four independent academic departments: Sociology, Anthropology, Demography, and Cooperatives. Alongside these departments, two research institutes were also established under its umbrella: The Institute of Social Study and Research and the Institute for Cooperative Research.

In 1973, when Dr. Gholamhossein Sediqi was elevated to the rank of Distinguished Professor of the University of Tehran by the University Council, the field of social sciences had developed to such an extent that, in his commemorative speech delivered in February of that year, he stated:

“Courses in the social sciences, which at the time of the University of Tehran’s founding were limited to just a few hours a week across the entire country, have now, thanks to the growing interest of students, expanded significantly. At present, these courses are taught for approximately 150 hours per week in the undergraduate programs and in the master’s program of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Cooperatives alone. The number of instructors teaching in these fields has reached fifty. Moreover, the scientific, research, and consultative dimensions of these sciences are progressing in a fruitful and innovative manner through sustained efforts at the Institute of Social Study and Research.” (Sediqi, 1974: 5)

Prior to the Islamic Revolution, researchers in the social sciences were active in 22 cultural and social research centers across Iran. The officially recorded number of individuals working in these centers—both within and outside the university system—stood at 1,089. Of these, 300 researchers (27.5%) were employed either full-time or part-time at the Institute of Social Study and Research (Tabaraian, 2013: 234).

The Institute’s activities were not without difficulties. Conducting research under an authoritarian and repressive regime came with its own costs. Although Ehsan Naraghi was known for his closeness to the Pahlavi court and government, he himself acknowledged such challenges. For instance, he attributed the Shah’s reluctance to meet with him, at least in part, to SAVAK’s (the Iranian secret police and intelligence service under the Pahlavi regime) reports on the Institute of Social Study and Research during the 1960s (Naraghi, 2010: 17).

Other persistent issues included budget shortages and the lack of cooperation from government agencies. As Naraghi noted:

“The institutions were not truly interested in rigorous scientific work. They wanted to project an image that everything was functioning perfectly, without flaws. As a result, they did not welcome serious and precise research—especially when its findings might contradict their assumptions… That is why, after the Institute passed through its initial stages, our disagreements with the institutions began.” (Naraghi, 2000: 139)

Even segments of the Iranian intellectual community held skeptical or negative views toward these research efforts. The character and vision of the Institute’s founding director were inseparable from the identity and momentum of the institution itself. The character and efforts of the Institute’s founding director cannot be separated from the identity of the institution itself; the two were deeply intertwined in the Institute’s pre-revolutionary activities.

It appears that, following the establishment of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Cooperatives in 1972, and the challenges faced by several former directors and researchers of the Institute in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution, the Institute gradually lost its dynamism, and its performance indicators began to show a downward trend. With the founding of the Faculty, educational responsibilities were separated from the Institute and centralized within the new academic structure. The Institute’s library and documentation center were also transferred to the Faculty, and a significant number of its academic staff were reassigned to the newly formed departments. This was a major transformation in the structure of the Institute that affected the course of its activities and performance. It is likely that the retirement of Dr. Sediqi—the Institute’s esteemed founding director—and the departure of Dr. Naraghi to work at UNESCO headquarters abroad were two key leadership changes that significantly affected the Institute.

Following the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the appointment of a new generation of faculty members, along with the gradual departure or retirement of the Institute’s remaining senior researchers and significant changes to its charter and organizational structure, gradually, both in terms of human resources and the scope of its activities, the Institute lost much of its capacity and effectiveness, eventually becoming an ordinary research center.  Given the fact that effective education in the social sciences requires access to research data and the active involvement of faculty and students in research activities, the neglect and marginalization of research institutions such as the Institute of Social Study and Research is a serious and thought-provoking concern.

Bibliography

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  • Tabaraian, Safaeddin. 2013. Soft Like a Sponge: A Reassessment of Dr. Ehsan Naraghi’s Role in the Second Pahlavi Era. Tehran: Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies.
  • Torabi, Ali-Akbar. 1977. “Sociology in Contemporary Iran: Theoretical Roots and Practical Patterns.” Negin, September, No. 148: 11–14.
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  • Sediqi, Gholamhossein. 1974. Speech published in Social Science Letter, No. 4, titled “In Honor of the Founder of Sociology in Iran.” Social Science Letter, July, Vol. 1, No. 4: 3–6.
  • Sediqi, Gholamhossein. 1993. “Biography,” in Commemorative Volume for Dr. Gholamhossein Sediqi, edited by Parviz Varjavand. Tehran: Chap va Pakhsh Publishing Company.
  • Abdollahi, Mohammad. 1991. “Professor Dr. Gholamhossein Sediqi and Sociology in Iran.” Social Sciences Quarterly, Vol. 1, Fall and Winter, Nos. 1–2: 11–29.
  • Makhtarpour, Rajabali. 2018. The Institute of Social Study and Research at the University of Tehran (A Historical Review). Includes interviews with Gholamabbas Tavassoli, Habibollah Zanjani, Morteza Kotobi, Mansour Vosoughi, and Houshang Dadar. Tehran: Institute for Cultural and Social Studies.
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  • Nabavi, Seyed Ebrahim. 1999. In the Raw Brick: A Conversation with Ehsan Naraghi. Tehran: Iranian Society Press.
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  • Naraghi, Ehsan. 2010. From the Shah’s Palace to Evin Prison. Translated by Saeed Azari. Tehran: Rasa Cultural Services Institute.