This article delves into the discourse of “youth” in Iran during the 1960s. A confluence of population growth, a younger demographic profile, and expanding urbanization elevated youth from a mere demographic fact to a prominent “social issue.” This development occurred alongside similar international trends post-World War II, shaping the policies of the second Pahlavi government and eliciting varied societal responses.

Utilizing Michel Foucault’s discourse analysis and based on primary historical documents, the article identifies three core discourses surrounding youth at this time. The first, a legal-disciplinary discourse, characterized “rebellious youth” as susceptible to delinquency, recommending crime prevention strategies and institutions like the Special Youth Court, in line with UN guidance. The second, a sociological discourse, emanating from the Institute for Social Studies and Research, framed “maladjusted youth” within the context of societal transition and generational gaps. It advocated for institutional interventions, educational reform, stronger intergenerational dialogue, and organized leisure. The third, a religious discourse, saw youth as a critical, morally vulnerable period, caused by weakened religious faith and secularization. This discourse stressed moral guidance through religious leaders and intellectual engagement.

Despite their differences, all three discourses viewed youth as a potential threat to order and tradition, thus calling for their control and supervision. The article concludes that while the "youth issue" was widely discussed in the 1960s, the necessary historical conditions for a different perception of youth, leading to the emergence of the "combatant youth" discourse of the 1970s and the Islamic Revolution, were not yet in place.