ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the tangible results of the Iranian social movement of 1979 and its implications for the theory of revolution. It attempts to overcome the problems of quantification highlighted earlier. The chapter concentrates on Iran and its pre-and post-1979 political system, analysing Iranian society's potential for socio-political unrest based on the binary opposition inherent in its political system, it is the contention of this work that this model is adaptable to other societies and other potentially revolutionary scenarios. The transfer of power should be illegal, although it is accepted that legality is a subjective matter. In addition, the transfer of power should incorporate some form of violence, either from the revolutionaries or the state, who may use violence in their attempt to dissuade the revolutionaries from their demands. Binary opposition in this sense is meant as a reflection of the relationship between the state and the populace.
