Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Iran in the 21st century : politics, economics and confrontation / Homa Katouzian and Hossein Shahidi -- National identity and national interests -- Crafting a national identity amidst contentious politics in contemporary Iran / Farideh Farhi -- The dilemma of national interest in the Islamic Republic of Iran / Hamid Ahmadi -- From multilingual empire to contested modern state / Touraj Atabaki -- Dissent -- Three faces of dissent : cognitive, expressive and traditionalist discourses of discontent in contemporary Iran / Mahmood Sadri and Ahmad Sadri -- From motherhood to equal rights advocates : the weakening of patriarchal order / Azadeh Kian-Thébaut -- Foreign policy challenges -- Iran-US relations : responses to the "axis of evil" speech / Ali Ansari -- A look to the North : opportunities and challenges / Farhad Atai -- Israel-Iranian relations assessed : strategic competition from the power cycle perspective / Trita Parsi -- Nuclear policy -- Nuclear policy and international relations / Saideh Lotfian -- Nuclear energy : a case for sustainable development / Mehdi Askarieh -- Economic performance -- Oil, economic diversification and the democratic process in Iran / Massoud Karshenas and Hassan Hakimian -- Capital accumulation and economic growth in Iran : past experience and future prospects / Ahmad Jalali Naini -- Human resources in Iran : potentials and challenges / Djavad Saleh-Isfahni -- The significance of economic history, and the fundamental features of the economic history of Iran / Homa Katouzian.

Also available in print edition. CRC Press (http://www.crcpress.com)

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