ABSTRACT
While intimacy may be a universal human psychological phenomenon, its syntax and vocabulary are varied and determined by the particulars of the many different cultures around the world. The aim of this chapter is to place the concept of intimacy within the context of Iranian culture. The author explores differences between cultures with traditional gender-role differentiation, individualistic cultures and collectivistic cultures in terms of the need for intimacy or its pattern of expression through a psychoanalytic lens. Data from clinical encounters and sociological research is presented to illustrate the differences as compared to Western cultures. Dimensions of emotional, sexual and social intimacy are examined within the Iranian cultural framework.
