A socio-historical study of the emergence of celebrity culture in Iran: causes and roots

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research provides a socio-historical analysis of the emergence of celebrity culture in Iran, covering the period from 1817 to 1961. The historical period is divided into four periods: During the first period (1817–1925), communication technologies were introduced to the country mainly through the Qajar kings’ intermediation. In the second period (1925–1941), Reza Shah improved the infrastructure of the country and initiated institutionalisation and legislation processes. In the third period (1941–1951), which coincided with Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s reign, the first Iranian celebrities emerged. The fourth period (1951–1961) witnessed a significant increase in cultural intermediaries and certain social changes, leading to the emergence of Iranian celebrity culture in the mid-1950s. While Iranian celebrity culture was influenced by global trends such as population growth, urbanisation, economic growth, inequality, commodification, and consumerism, the impact of local patterns and perceptions cannot be ignored. In contrast to Western societies, the rise of celebrity culture in Iran was facilitated by an anti-democratic coup in 1953, and the secularisation process in this country was not the result of gradual changes in societal values, beliefs, or attitudes. Rather, it was a political project imposed from the top down by a military ruler.