In multi ethnic countries, existence of different kinds of interethnic relationships is a basic need for forming of an inclusive general society and guaranteeing of national integration. In such societies, with increase in intensity and mutuality of social interethnic relationships, sense of engagement and loyalty to the nation, national identity, among members of different ethnic groups increase. This means that borders between “we” and “they”, inside group and outside group and between insider and stranger inside national border becomes thinner. Along with this process more and more ethnic groups join to national community. Mutuality and symmetric interethnic relationships is a barrier for hegemony of a single ethnic group to the others and more or less equalize social prestige of all ethnic groups. In such situation an ethnic group is as interested to the others as they are interested to have relationship with it. Then intensity and mutuality of interethnic relationships can bind all groups and emerge a national community which is the base for national identity. Based on this idea, the authors have analyzed data from a large scale survey conducted in Iran in 2001. Results showed that first, interethnic relationships which are composed of cultural, affective and economic relationships fortify national identity and conflict interethnic relationships attenuate it. Second, among three cooperative interethnic relationships, affective relationships are more potent to support national identity than cultural and economic relationships. Third, this study shows that different ethnic groups in Iran have different potency to integrate in national community based on their communications with other ethnic groups.

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