A Holistic Look at Iran

Although Iran is in the news on a regular basis, its portrayal is often incomplete, confusing, and opaque with a plethora of contradictory information about its structure at all levels—from its very geography to its body politic. Yet, Iran is a significant geopolitical entity with its own priorities, history, goals, and challenges in our constantly evolving world. By considering Iran holistically—its environment, ethno-religious-linguistic composition, economics, history, and politics; one can gain an understanding of the complexity of Iranian culture, society and polity. The course will give a context to better understand how Iran views itself, its geopolitical position, motives and constraints when interacting with various neighbors and world powers.