John Foran (born 1955) is an American sociologist with research interests in global climate justice; radical social movements, revolutions, and radical social change; Third World cultural studies; and Latin American and Middle Eastern studies. He has a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley and is a professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Selected publications
On the Edges of Development: Cultural Interventions (coeditor, Routledge, 2009)
Revolution in the Making of the Modern World: Social Identities, Globalization, and Modernity (coeditor, Routledge, 2008)
Taking Power: On the Origins of Third World Revolutions (Cambridge University Press, 2005)
Feminist Futures: Re-imagining Women, Culture and Development (coeditor, Zed Press, 2003);
The Future of Revolutions: Re-thinking Radical Change in the Age of Globalization (ed., Zed Press, 2003);
Theorizing Revolutions (ed., Routledge, 1997);
Fragile Resistance: Social Transformation in Iran From 1500 to the Revolution (Westview Press, 1993).
Dr. Foran鈥檚 book, unlike many others on this subject, contains a scientifically-developed analysis of sociopolitical changes in Iran. The recent historical changes have been described adequately using delicately-chosen literature, such as the 鈥渇ragile popular coalition鈥� phrase by which the author explains the nature and source of social movements of Iran over the past centuries. Moreover, regarding world systemic relations, political culture, and modes of production within the society, Dr. Foran has succeeded in establishing a comprehensive framework for future studies. Although the study鈥檚 quality subsides significantly in the 1979-revolution era, I believe this book is one of the best resources for understanding the dynamics of Iranian social movements.
In this study, John Foran tried to manifest the transformation of Iran鈥檚 social structure form the rise of the Safavid dynasty in 1501 to the dramatic social movements of 20th century. The book has used five basic approaches to understand the social dynamics of Iran through this period鈥攖he dependency paradigm, world-system theory, modes of production analysis, the nature of the state, and political cultures of opposition and legitimation.
By employing these analytical tools then, Foran concludes that Iranian social structure is the historical product of both internal and external dynamics and that commercial, political, and military relations with the West shaped social arrangements in ways that activated a series of "populist" movements of resistance. He maintains that these movements have been only partially successful because they rested on fragile social bases and because foreign powers have continued to intervene in the country's affairs. In other word, Iranian history has been described as a sequence or series of fragile attempts at social change repeated mass movements which have ended either in foreign intervention, or, in the case of the 1978 revolution, in foreign war and internal repression.
Since the book has been established on a through scientific foundations, the critical analysis of its content requires enough sociological background which is beyond my knowledge. However, only to make some brainstorming, I have to mention that the concept of 鈥渄epended development鈥� was not clear enough. Especially, if you read the book from the perspective of modern economic development theories, you feel the ambiguity of the writer鈥檚 reference to role Iran鈥檚 trade with the West in the development process and despite his account of the existence of monopoly and the absolutist governance, it鈥檚 hard to find the illuminating mechanism through which these factors contribute to Iran鈥檚 underdevelopment. To sum it up, as a student of economics I was personally skeptic regarding the dependency paradigm and World-System Theory by Wallerstein which has been used by Foran in order to explain Iran鈥檚 development process and its relation with the West between 1500 till 1988.
Notwithstanding, I should praise the writer for his attempt to conduct a formal research with great historical information on societal structure of Iran. Surely, reading the 鈥淔ragile Resistance鈥� would deepen one鈥檚 knowledge about Iran鈥檚 history and also, provide profound insights regarding the social factors that shape the history of this great country.
it was great for me as a person who didn't know anything about modern history of Iran. actually Mrs.naghshband ,our social sience's teacher in 9th grade refered this book to me. i get bored at the end of it and i didn't read the last 50 pages of it.i think they were most important ones:))) i learned that relagion is one thing for power and money not anything else and also i learned that our relagious's leaders were normal people and a little more than a little cruel and dumb and ... now i know that in my country's history was many modern and good events.i mean we didn't have just backward for example Mashroote revolution was great our women's exercises.