Language Barriers to Meme Contagion: The Case of Entrepreneurship as a Concept in Iran

Abstract

This paper examines the story of how the idea of entrepreneurship is spreading as a concept in Iranian society. We argue that problems associated with the translation of the concept into the Persian language may have contributed to its late introduction to Iran and the current misunderstandings about the concept that are prevalent among Iranians, both among the public and in the government. We review the story in a historical perspective through available data and facts and also interviews with leading figures in the promotion of the concept of entrepreneurship in Iran. We also use the memetics approach of studying the conceptualization of entrepreneurship to understand its contagion patterns. Our study provides insights into a paradigm shift that is occurring in the way Iranians view entrepreneurship. Once the linguistic misunderstandings are settled, we find that the Persian word karafarini presents a new, highly positive, and Islam-friendly conceptualization of entrepreneurship for Iranians that makes it widely acceptable for them.