International Journal of Social Sciences (IJSS) Vol. 8, No. 2, 2018 13 Ethnic Factors and Sustainable Development in Iranian Kurdistan Adel Abdollahi 1 Population, Environment and Development, National Institute of Population Studies and Comprehensive Management, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Mokhtarpour 2 Department of Sociology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Received 7 May 2018 Revised 12 June 2018 Accepted 29 June 2018 Abstract: This paper aims to investigate interactions between the Kurds and development agents in the field of sustainable development. The theoretical approach of the research is based on modernization theories. Research methodology is qualitative, with an emphasis on grounded theory. Data was collected through depth interviews, participant observation, document and secondary analysis. In the field of political development, document findings indicate that despite significant increase in participation of Kurdish people in elections, local managers and administrators still have the minimum role in political management of Kurdistan province. With regard to cultural development, results show that promises made to Kurdish people about quantitative and qualitative development of cultural elements, such as education in mother tongue and true representation of ethnic identity in local media, have not become materialized in practice. Among consequences of this situation are ‘dissatisfaction with the national media’ and ‘formation of resistance identity’ in Kurdistan. Keywords: Kurds; modernization; development; ethnic identity; culture. Introduction In a society with noticeable ethnic and cultural diversity, participation of ethnic people in development process is a necessity and any disregard for this can expose sustainable development to multiple problems. In this regard, the views of development agents toward the role and position of ethnic groups in different dimensions of development can form the nature of ethnics’ reactions and strategies (including resistance/acceptance) about the related policies. The findings of the study ‘A survey of Iranians’ attitudes and values’ (the first and the second wave in 1991 and 1995) reveal that from the first to the second wave, the feeling of ethnic injustice has increased among minorities and opposition to the statement ‘In our country all ethnic groups are equal’ has increased even among the Farsi -speaking majority. Among the ethnic groups, the Kurds 3 feel the highest feeling of ethnic injustice; the Azeris and Farses (Persians, Persian-speaking people) follow the order with a slight difference. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the feeling of ethnic injustice is relatively common among ethnic groups (Balali, 2010). Another studies suggests the persistence of the feeling of ethnic injustice in TV programs (Tavasoli and Gholipour, 2007). According to their study, the Laks are resistant against Iranian television; regarding the state TV and the representation of Lak people they believe that: The state TV not only lacks attractive programs, it also has not represented the cultural identity of the Laks in many years even once. They think that years of the public TV’s silence toward their identity is upsetting and 1 Email: Abdolahi1980@gmail.com (Corresponding Author) 2 Email: Mehdi.Mokhtarpour@gmail.com 3 Literature on ethnic studies shows that there is no single definition of ethnicity. In this study, given the common aspects in the literature, those Kurdish people were studied who spoke different Kurdish dialects and, according to the common components of ethnicity definitions such as common language and land, believed to have a real or imagined common ancestry with each other. Since the majority of residents of the cities of Kurdistan province, including Bijar, Qorveh, Marivan, Dehgolan, Divandareh, Sarvabad, Saqez, Sanandaj, Kamyaran and Baneh, live in a common land and speak Kurdish, the expressions of ethnicity and local activists are synonymous in this article. The concept of local actors/activists is one of the common concepts in the literature of sustainable development. It can also be said that development plans in Kurdistan have relatively similar outcomes in different cities. Therefore, given their common past, local actors’ interpretation of the development condition i n Kurdistan is significantly similar.