Dissent and Cultural Context

Jahan Navidi’s article, ‘The Technological Revolution: Freedom, Change and Democracy in Iran’, constitutes a thoughtful reminder of the troubled and unresolved history of Iran, as well as an insightful glimpse into the forces currently shaping its trajectory. And it is always unnerving to be reminded of how the West’s meddling of yesteryear has yielded today’s intractable geopolitical issues. The role that social networking technology is playing has become a hot topic amongst political scientists and social commentators, and for good reasons, it would appear. It is argued that the channels of communication that carry our social, political and cultural interactions are being re-structured. But to what extent is this power illusory, and are we overstating its importance? Spaces for dissent are undoubtedly significant, but unless dissent finds influence in government action, its effect will be hindered.

It is also arguable that the conversation surrounding political transformation processes in developing nations suffers from a universal lack of differentiation in its terms. Terms like ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom’ need to be coloured by cultural context through a consideration of more than just political history. One of the great tasks ahead for policy makers in the international sphere will be to negotiate the tensions between values that are culturally specific and the unimpeachable universal basis of human rights. An awareness of how language works in this context is vital to moving the debate forward.

Stuart Cottle is in his final year of a Bachelor of Laws.