The impact of modern education in the Ouramant region of Iranian Kurdistan: a grounded study

Ouraman Takht is a rural, highly mountainous and dry region located in the southwest Kurdistan province of Iran. Traditionally, the socio-economic structure of the region was based on limited farming, herding, gardening, and manual labor. Recently, modern education has been introduced to the region. The purpose of this study was to explore, from the Ouraman perspective, the impact that modern educational practices have had on the Ouraman traditional way of life. Data were collected over a period of 6 months using ethnographic methods including observation, interview, videotaping, and photography. Data were analyzed using Grounded Theory Methodology. Enabling/Constraining was the concept constructed from data to explain the impact that modern education has on the Ouramat region. The people of Ouraman perceived modern education as increasing the economic stability and growth of the region while simultaneously threatening cultural beliefs and the traditional way of life. In addition to the “core” category of “Enabling/Constraining, 13 other major categories were derived from data. These included: job necessity, Providing Economic Prosperity, empowerment, increasing public knowledge, positive notion, concerns about religious beliefs, emphasis on children’s education, religious justifications, modernism requirements, traditional concerns, education for girls, expression of satisfaction, and public embracement. The results are presented in a paradigm model consisting of conditions, interactions and consequences around the core category and can be used to understand the impact of change from the introduction of modern education can have on a traditional society.