Ирандық әдеп немесе жоғарғы сынып мәдениеті

Iranian form of civility or art of etiquette
Taarof or Tarof (تعارف, ) is a Persian word that refers to an Iranian form of civility or art of etiquette that emphasizes both deference and social rank. Taarof is a ritual politeness that levels the playing field and promotes equality in a hierarchical culture. Taarof between friends, or a host and guest, emphasizes the value of friendship as a priority to everything else in the world. Another understanding is that taarof is a way of managing social relations with decorous manners. It could be used as a basis for mutual goodwill (positively) or as "a social or political weapon that confuses the recipient and puts him at a disadvantage" (negatively). Those who are intimately familiar with Iranian culture seem to agree that taarof is one of the most fundamental things to understand about Iranian culture. For example, in Iranian culture, whoever walks through a doorway first gets a form of status, but the person who makes the other go through the door first also gains status by having made the other person do it through their show of grace and deference. When it comes to matters of rank, "one defers to superiors (tribute), and confers on inferiors (favor), presses honor on equals (neither tribute nor favor) or accepts the honor from a proper source, and thereby "wins". Status is relative for individuals in different interactions, according to Beeman, and rights and obligations shift constantly with changes in social environments.

Some political theorists have argued that during the period of serfdom, taarof regulated diplomatic discourse at princely courts. It involved a sharp curbing of one's behaviour, speech and action to make people, honour, and prestige calculable as instruments for political advancement. According to D. M. Rejali, for the feudal elite, the ornamentation of speech symbolises prestige. With the advent of capitalism and its scientific paradigm, communication became more precise, and the formality of taarof became a hindrance in the pursuit for rapid capital accumulation.

An example of similar behaviour that is sometimes found in Western culture is the question of who pays a restaurant bill. That can be an awkward situation in which those at the table reach for their wallets. It is often resolved by social status; the bill is paid by the diner with the highest income, the most legitimate reason, or the most power. Still, all diners make a show of insisting on paying. In Southern Italy, a custom similar to taarof exists (fare i complimenti) and that is part of table manners. Another example occurs if a Western individual is not familiar with taarof in Iranian culture. When an Iranian individual is offering taarof, it is to first view it as a sincere offer with the hope of decline up to four or five times. If the individual offers more than five times, it can be concluded that the individual is not doing taarof, and the opposite side should respectfully thank that individual and accept the offer with gratitude.