Islamization and Politicization of Social Sciences in Iranian Schools

Abstract Shortly after the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the religio‐political leaders of Iran sought to Islamize and politicize the content of education, especially in the humanities and social sciences. The Islamization “project,” aimed at the de‐secularization of education and revival of Islamic identity, has been an indivisible part of politicization—the rule of state ideology in schools. This study examines the Islamization and politicization of education through a content analysis of official documents as well as Social Studies school textbooks used during the 2023‐2024 academic year. The results illustrate attempts made to create an “Ideal Islamic Person”—a pious and politicized Shi'i who is proud of his/her Islamic heritage, firmly believes in Islamic rule, and loyally follows the rule of the religious jurisprudent. He/she is a revolutionary Muslim who believes in the inseparability of religion and politics and solidarity with the oppressed and downtrodden. His/her role models are Shi'i Imams and religious scholars as well as political figures fighting against the enemy and struggling against foreign domination. At the same time, Iranian‐ness is a significant component of curricular content, and the ideal citizen is also a patriotic Iranian who is proud of his/her pre‐Islamic heritage and remains true to the homeland.