Journal of Culture-Communication Studies

Journal of Culture-Communication Studies

Interethnic Communication in Multicultural Settings: A Study of Intercultural Sensitivity between the Baluch and Fars Ethnic Groups in Kerman, Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mehraveh Taghizadeh 1
Ehsan Shahghasemi 2
1 Master of communication studies, Department of Communication, faculty of social sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. (Corresponding author) Email: taghizadeh.mehr@ut.ac.ir.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Email: shahghasemi@ut.ac.ir
10.22083/jccs.2026.541244.4085
Abstract
Introduction: Iran is a nation marked by profound ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity. Throughout history, each local community-while preserving its distinctive identity-has engaged in continuous interaction with other cultures and subcultures, thereby generating a dynamic continuum of cultural similarities and differences. Effective interpersonal communication within such a pluralistic society requires respect for diverse cultural traditions, recognition of cultural differences, and behavioral adaptation in multicultural settings-practices that collectively contribute to the development of greater intercultural competence. When an ethnicity, religion, or language occupies a relatively peripheral position in society and is predominantly represented through media portrayals, the risk of stereotyping and the formation of rigid cultural preconceptions increases. Conversely, direct, unmediated encounters with other cultures can help dismantle such stereotypes and promote intercultural dialogue. In the context of Iran, Persian constitutes the dominant ethnic group, whereas Baluch is recognized as a marginalized minority. Kerman Province, owing to its geographical proximity and cultural linkages with Baluchistan in its southern region, has long served as a destination for migration and medical services for the Baluch community. There is coexistence between the two ethnic groups, Persian and Baluch. Accordingly, the central research question is: What is the scope and nature of intercultural sensitivity between the Persian and Baluch ethnic groups in Kerman?
Methods: This study employed a semi-structured interview method for data collection, followed by thematic analysis to interpret the data. The research sample consisted of 13 Baluch students and 10 Kermani (Persian) students currently studying in Kerman, all of whom had engaged in intercultural interactions with members of the other ethnic group in the city. These interactions extended beyond classroom contact with peers from a different ethnicity and included family visits, travel, and long-term residence in Kerman. Participants of Baluch ethnicity reported closer contact with the Persian group after residing in Kerman, while Persian participants similarly developed greater familiarity and interaction with the Baluch community upon entering university. Accordingly, one set of interview questions addressed participants’ intercultural perceptions of both ethnic groups prior to direct contact, in order to identify changes that occurred after such contact was established. Given Kerman’s multicultural environment and the presence of both ethnic groups within it, the city was selected as a case study for examining the scope of intercultural sensitivity between Persians and Baluch.
Findings: Prior to intercultural contact between the two ethnic groups, intercultural sensitivity was predominantly characterized by ethnocentrism, encompassing dimensions such as disregard and lack of awareness, devaluation, and reversal. Before close interaction, stereotypes of the Baluch ethnicity included notions of being deprived, uncultured, smugglers, and terrorist-like-exemplified by the personality-based generalization of Abdulmalek Rigi. Stereotypes of the Persian ethnicity included being perceived as outsiders, power-seeking, and racist. The Baluch group’s intercultural sensitivity toward Persians similarly reflected lack of awareness, reversal, and devaluation. At the denial stage, individuals experienced their own culture as more authentic than that of the other group. One prevalent perception of Persians was as “outsiders,” understood in a generalized, undifferentiated manner, which reinforced cultural distance. Following intercultural interactions, the scope of othering diminished-from perceiving “all” members of the other group through a generalized lens to restricting such views to “some.” The Persian group’s intercultural sensitivity toward the Baluch ranged from defensiveness to adaptation, whereas the Baluch group’s sensitivity toward Persians ranged from minimization to integration. After such interactions, the pattern of othering Persians-based on generalized perceptions of Persian culture-largely dissipated. However, certain perceptions persisted, particularly regarding how Persians in Kerman view the Baluch. These included negative attitudes derived from clothing as an ethnic marker, which reinforced stereotypes of prejudice and security-based suspicion. Post-contact intercultural sensitivity involved themes such as being mistaken for Afghan, security-oriented perceptions, perceived strangeness of traditional dress, ethnic-religious friction, ethnic marginalization, nationalism, essentialism, personality-based judgments, cultural functionalism, empathy, cultural appropriation, and cultural fluidity. The origins of othering and the formation of negative cultural perceptions between the two ethnicities were traced to mass media portrayals and second-hand narratives from others, which had become part of participants’ implicit knowledge. However, with increased intercultural contact, participants began framing their judgments based on personal experiences, as well as through social media and the Internet. Moreover, while stereotypes were not entirely eliminated, they became more personality-based rather than group-based.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that increased interaction with the Baluch ethnicity leads to a reduction in intercultural sensitivities. In the multicultural environment of Kerman, however, such interaction has not yet become normalized or routinized, and the Baluch community continues to experience a form of museum-like existence in relation to intercultural communication. Interactions between the two ethnic groups remain limited, primarily occurring in contexts such as hospitals and commercial exchanges. Nonetheless, coexistence with the Baluch has contributed to a decline in intercultural sensitivities. The study also found that the Baluch community demonstrated greater flexibility toward Persians, a tendency attributed to their proficiency in the Persian language. Conversely, the Persian group was less likely to adopt cultural elements from the Baluch. In other words, Persian cultural practices were predominantly intra-ethnic, with limited intercultural behaviors reflecting influence from Baluch culture. In contrast, the Baluch, due to their command of Persian, exhibited a greater capacity to adopt elements of Persian culture. Based on these findings, several recommendations are proposed:
- Diversifying media representations of both Persians and Baluch in mass media.
- Supporting the production and dissemination of media content about Baluch culture, particularly content created by local Baluch producers.
- Encouraging Baluch-produced media programming on a variety of topics.
- Broadcasting Baluchi music to promote familiarity with Baluch language and culture.
- Expanding opportunities for travel to Sistan and Baluchistan to foster cultural exchange.
- Implementing policy changes aimed at reducing centralization and recognizing ethnic groups in various dimensions.
- ncouraging ethnic groups to use the Internet and social media for mutual cultural exposure through self-representation.
Keywords
Intercultural communication
intercultural sensitivity
Baluch ethnic group
Fars ethnic group
Kerman
Subjects
آقارضایی، سعید و حسن باستانی‌راد (1403). زمینه‌های بحران‌های سیاسی و اجتماعی کرمان در روزگار زوال حکومت صفویه. مجله تاریخ ایران، 151-177.            https://doi.org/10.48308/irhj.2024.235169.1309
ایرنا (1402، 7 22). چالش‌های کرمان برای تبدیل به قطب گردشگری سلامت بررسی شد. بازیابی از 
https://irna.ir: https://irna.ir/xjNHp8
بهشتی، صمد، نراقی‌منش، مسلم و سعادت نراقی‌منش (1402). تبیین جامعه‌شناختی رابطه هوش فرهنگی و مدارای اجتماعی بین قوم بلوچ. پژوهش‌های ‌راهبردی‌ مسائل‌ اجتماعی‌، 101-122.
https://doi.org/10.22108/srspi.2024.140473.1968
توحیدی، فؤاد (1397). نگاهی به موسیقی نواحی کرمان، تهران: سوره مهر.
خاتمی، رضا (1403). بررسی تنش‌های قومی در استان سیستان و بلوچستان، مجله تخصصی علوم انسانی و اسلامی در هزاره سوم، 269-278.
رسولی، رضا، معروفی، فخرالدین و شیرزاد خوانچه‌سپهر (1392). بازنمایی هویت فرهنگی قومی در شبکه‌های تلویزیونی ماهواره‌ای. فصلنامه ‌پژوهش‌های ‌ارتباطی‌، 71-100.       https://doi.org/10.22082/cr.2013.23503
طهماسبی‌زاده، ساره، محمدی، مریم، امیرحاجلو، سعید و رضا رباحیان گرهتی (1401). پویایی اجتماعی و اقتصادی کرمان در جنوب شرق ایران؛ برپایە متون تاریخی و یافته‌های سفال دوران اسلامی در محوطه قلعه‌دختر، فصلنامه علمی پژوهش‌های باستان‌شناسی ایران، 1-23.       https://doi.org/10.22084/nb.2021.23260.2262
عاملی، سعیدرضا و حمیده مولایی (1388). دوجهانی شدن‌ها و حساسیت‌های بین‌فرهنگی؛ مطالعه موردی روابط بین‌فرهنگی اهل تسنن و تشیع در استان گلستان. فصلنامه تحقیقات فرهنگی، 1-29.
 doi: 10.7508/ijcr.2009.06.00
فیاض، ابراهیم و عبدالله بیچرانلو (1398). جغرافیای ارتباطی سینمای ملی ایران. فصلنامه جامعه، فرهنگ و رسانه.11-41.               https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.38552322.1398.8.31.1.2
کاروانی، عبدالطیف و عبدالودود سپاهی (1402). مردم‌شناسی فرهنگی قوم بلوچ؛ تأملی فرهنگی- تاریخی بر برخی از سنت‌های قوم بلوچ. نامه انسان‌شناسی، 263-286.
کاروانی، عبدالطیف و اسفندیار غفاری نسب (1398). فرایند حاشیه‌ای شدن هویت: موردمطالعه دانشجویان بلوچ دوره تحصیلات تکمیلی. بررسی مسائل اجتماعی ایران، 81-102.
 https://doi.org/10.22059/ijsp.2020.77483
کاظمی بیدختی، محمدابراهیم، مقصودی، مجتبی و رضا جلالی (1403). عوامل مؤثر بر تقویت امنیت ملی جمهوری اسلامی ایران در مدیریت تهدیدهای امنیتی منطقه جنوب شرق کشور. فصلنامه علمی مطالعات راهبردی، 55-69.                         https://doi.org/10.22034/srq.2024.195094
مرادی، مسعود، وزین افضل، مهدی و معصومه صاحبکاران (1392). اداره بلوچستان از طریق حاکمان کرمان از دوره ناصرى تا اوایل پهلوى. پیام بهارستان، 247-262.
محمدپور، احمد (1400). ضد روش: زمینه‌های فلسفی و رویه‌های عملی در روش‌شناسی کیفی، تهران: نشر لوگوس.
نرسیسیانس، امیلی، میراحمدی‌پور، ساجده و پویا شهریاری‌راد (1395). بررسی تطبیقی فرهنگ شمال و جنوب استان کرمان: مطالعه موردی فرهنگ زبانی. پژوهش‌های انسان‌شناسی ایران، 119-133.
 https://doi.org/10.22059/ijar.2016.60818
نوربخش، یونس (1388). فرهنگ و قومیت؛ مدلی برای ارتباطات فرهنگی در ایران، فصلنامه تحقیقات فرهنگی، 67-78.                            doi: 10.7508/ijcr.2008.04.004
همشهری (1385). جنایت خونین در جاده بم- کرمان: اشرار 12 مسافر را به گلوله بستند، تهران: روزنامه همشهری.                                      magiran.com/n1068705
یحیایی، سبحان و مرضیه کیا (1388). مطالعه انگاره‌های هویت فرهنگی و هویت ملی ملت‌های ایران و افغانستان؛ با تأکید بر نگره‌های مهاجران افغانی به ایرانیان، فصلنامه مطالعات ملی، 135-156.
یوسفی، علی و احمدرضا اصغرپور ماسوله (1388). قوم‌مداری و اثر آن بر روابط بین‌قومی در ایران، دانش‌نامه علوم اجتماعی، 125-144.
Agharezaee, S. and Bastani Rad, H. (2024). Backgrounds of Political and Social Crises in Kerman during the Decline of Safavid.‌Tārīkh-i Īrān,‌17(2), 151-177. https://doi.org/10.48308/irhj.2024.235169.1309 [In Persian]
Ahmady, K. (2022). A Peace-Oriented Investigation of the Ethnic Identity Challenge in Iran (A Study of Five Iranian Ethnic Groups with the GT Method). International Journal of Kurdish Studies, 3242 - 3270. https://doi.org/10.21600/ijoks.1039049
Ameli,S. R. and Mowlaei,H. (2009). Dual Globalizations and Intercultural Sensitivities.‌Journal of Iranian Cultural Research,‌1-29. doi: 10.7508/ijcr.2009.06.00 [In Persian]
Barriers to Intercultural Communication. (2003). Sage. https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/5245_Jandt_Final_Pages_Chapter_4.pdf
Beheshti, S., Naraghimanesh, M. and Naraghimanesh, S. (2023). Sociological Explanation of the Relationship between Cultural Intelligence and Social Tolerance among Baloch People.‌Strategic Research on Social Problems,‌12(4), 101-122. https://doi.org/10.22108/srspi.2024.140473.1968 [In Persian]
Bennett, M. (2017). Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. In K. Young Yun, The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783665.ieicc0182
Bennett, M. J. (1986). A developmental approach to training for intercultural sensitivity.‌International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10(2), 179196. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(86)90005-2
Bennett, M. J. (1993). Toward ethnorelativism: A developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. In R. M. Paige (Ed.),‌Education for the intercultural experience‌(pp. 2171). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
Bennett, M. J. (2004).‌Becoming interculturally competent‌(Report from the Intercultural Development Research Institute). Retrieved from‌https://www.idrinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Measuring-Competence-IDRI.pdf
Bennett, M. J. (2017). Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. In Y.Y. Kim (Ed.),‌International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication. John Wiley & Sons.‌https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783665.ieicc0182
Bourjolly, J., Sands, R., Solomon, P., Stanhope, V., Pernell-Arnold, A., & Finley, L. (2006). The Journey Toward Intercultural Sensitivity. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 41-62. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1300/J051v14n03_03
Boutyline, A., & Soter, L. (2021). Cultural Schemas: What They Are, How to Find Them, and What to Do Once You’ve Caught One. American Sociological Review, 728-758. doi/10.1177/00031224211024525
Cortesi, E., & Tosi, M. (2008). Cultural Relationships beyond the Iranian Plateau: The Helmand Civilization, Baluchistan and the Indus Valley in the 3rd Millennium BCE. Paléorient, 5-35. doi:10.2307/41496521
Dashti, N. (2017). The Baloch conflict with Iran and Pakistan; aspects of a national liberation struggle. Las Vegas: Black Lacquer Press.
Endicott, L., Bock, T., & Narvaez, D. (2003). Moral reasoning, intercultural development, and multicultural experiences: relations and cognitive underpinnings. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 403-419. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00030-0
Fayaz,E. and Bicharanlou,A. (2019). Communicative Geography of Iranian National Cinema.‌Society Culture Media, 11-40. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.38552322.1398.8.31.1.2 [In Persian]
Fuller, T. (2007). Study Abroad Experiences and Intercultural Sensitivity Among Graduate Theological Students: A Preliminary and Exploratory Investigation. Christian Higher Education, 321-332. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/15363750701268319
Gudykunst, W., & Kim, Y. (2003). Communicating with Strangers; An approach to intercultural communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Habibi Doroh, H. (2024). From permissive to tense: Sunni Baluchs and their relation with Tehran. https://www.clingendael.org/. Retrieved from https://www.clingendael.org/.
Hammer, M. R. (2011). Additional crosscultural validity testing of the Intercultural Development Inventory.‌International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(4), 474487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.02.014
Hammer, M., Bennett, M., & Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The intercultural development inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 421-443. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00032-4
Hamshahri. (2006). Bloody crime on the Bam-Kerman Road: Thugs shot 12 passengers. Tehran: Hamshahri Newspaper. magiran.com/n1068705 [In Persian]
IRNA. (1402, 7 22). Kerman’s challenges to becoming a health tourism hub were examined. Retrieved from https://irna.ir: https://irna.ir/xjNHp8 [In Persian]
Kamran, T. (2024). Geopolitics and grievances: the struggle for Balochistan. BNU center for policy research.
Karevani, A. and Ghafarinasab, E. (2020). The process of marginalizing the identity of the Baloch people: Case Study of Graduate Students of Baloch.‌Journal of Social Problems of Iran,‌10(2), 81-102. doi: 10.22059/ijsp.2020.77483 [In Persian]
Karevani,A. and Sepahi, A. (2024). Cultural Anthropology of Balouch Ethnic: A Cultural-Historical Reflection on Some Traditions of Balouch Ethnic.‌Iranian Journal of Anthropology,‌20(37), 263-286. [In Persian]
Kazemi Bidokhti,M. E., Maghsoodi,M. and jalali,R. (2024). Key Factors in Strengthening the National Security of the I.R. of Iran in the Face of Security Threats in the Southeast Region of the Country.‌Strategic Studies Quarterly,‌27(1), 53-69. https://doi.org/10.22034/srq.2024.195094 [In Persian]
Khan, S., & Laoutides, C. (2024). rapped between religion and ethnicity: identity politics against the Baloch in Iran and Pakistan. Dynamics of Asymmetric conflict, 164-184. https://doi.org/10.1080/17467586.2024.2356508
Khatami, R. (1403). Study of ethnic tensions in Sistan and Baluchistan. Specialized Journal of Humanities and Islamic Sciences in the Third Millennium, 269-278. [In Persian]
Kim, M.-S., & Hubbard, A. (2007). Intercultural Communication in the Global Village: How to Understand “The Other”. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 223-235. doi/10.1080/17475750701737165
Manghebati, G. (2015). Almost Iranians: the Forgotten people of Iranian Baluchistan Exploring Armed Ethnic Conflict and Terrorism in Iranian Baluchistan after the 1979 Islamic Revolution (Master dissertation). The University of Manitoba.
Middle East Report N°250. (2025). Grievance and Flawed Governance in Iran’s Baluchistan. Brussels: International Crisis Group. https://www.crisisgroup.org/rpt/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iran/250-grievance-and-flawed-governance-irans-baluchestan
Mohammadpour, A. (2021). Counter-method: The philosophical underpinnings and practical procedures of qualitive methodology. Tehran: Logos publications [In Persian]
Moradi, M., Wazin Afzal, M., and Sahebkaran, M. (2013). Administration of Baluchistan through the rulers of Kerman from the Safavi period to the early Pahlavi period. Payam Baharestan, 247-262. [In Persian]
Nersisians, E., Mirahmadipour, S. and Shahriari_Rad, P. (2016). A Comparative Study on the Culture of North and South Kerman Province.‌Iranian Journal of Anthropological Research,‌6(1), 119-133. doi: 10.22059/ijar.2016.60818 [In Persian]
Nishida, H. (1999). A cognitive approach to intercultural communication based on schema theory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 753-777. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(99)00019-X
Nourbakhsh,Y. (2009). Culture and Ethnicity: A Model for Cultural Communications in Iran.‌Journal of Iranian Cultural Research,‌67-90. doi: 10.7508/ijcr.2008.04.004 [In Persian]
Paige, R., Jacobs-Cassuto, M., Yershova, Y., & DeJaeghere, J. (2003). Assessing intercultural sensitivity: an empirical analysis of the Hammer and Bennett Intercultural Development Inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 467-486. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00034-8
Pastena, A., Sesé, A., & Trenchs-Parera, M. (2024). Impact of plurilingualism and previous intercultural experience on undergraduates’ intercultural sensitivity at the start of university studies. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1662-1674. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.2013854
Rasuli, R., M’arufi, F. A. and Khancheh Sepehr, S. (2013). Representation of Ethnic Culture Identity in Satellite TV.‌Communication Research,‌20(74), 71-100. https://doi.org/10.22082/cr.2013.23503 [In Persian]
Shahghasemi, E. (2017). Cultural Schema Theory. The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783665.IEICC0019
Shahghasemi, E. (2017). Iranians in the Minds of Americans. New York: Nova Publishing. 
Shahghasemi, E., & Heisey, D. R. (January 01, 2009). The Cross-Cultural Schemata of Iranian-American People Toward Each Other: A Qualitative Approach. Intercultural Communication Studies, 18, 1, 143-160. 
Shahvar, S. (2006). Communications, Qajar Irredentism, and the Strategies of British India: The Makran Coast Telegraph and British Policy of Containing Persia in the East (Baluchistan)-Part I. Iranian Studies, 329-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/00210860600808151
Sharifian, F. (2014). Cultural schemas as common ground. In K. Burridge, & R. Benczes, Wrestling with Words and Meanings (pp. 219-235). Melbourne: Monash University.
Sperber, D. (1996). Explaining Culture: A Naturalistic approach. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Stier, J. (2006). Intercultural communication and intercultural competence. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 1-12.
Taheri, A. (2013). The Sociopolitical Culture of Iranian Baloch Elites. Iranian Studies, 973-994. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00210862.2013.810079
Tahmasbi Zade, S., Mohammadi, M., Amirhajloo, S. and Riahian-Gaharti, R. (2022). The Role and Position of Kerman in the Economic and Social Dynamics of Southeastern Iran; Based on the Historical Texts, Study and Analysis of Islamic Period Pottery Findings in the Area of Qal’eh Dokhtar.‌Archaeological Research of Iran,‌12(32), 299-321. https://doi.org/10.22084/nb.2021.23260.2262 [In Persian]
Tohidi, F. (2018). A look at the music of Kerman regions. Tehran: Soureh Mehr. [In Persian]
Yahyaei, S. and Kia. M. (2008). A study of the cultural and national identity schema of the Iranian and Afghan nations (with emphasis on the perceptions of Afghan immigrants towards Iranians). Quarterly Journal of National Studies, 135-156. [In Persian]
Yousefi. and Asgharpoor Masole, A. (2009). Ethnocentrism and its effect on interethnic relationships in Iran A secondary analysis.‌historical sociology,‌1(1), 125-144. [In Persian]