Debasement of culture in art forms, language, history, and ideology may arise during, and hasten the process of, ethnic disintegration; or it may constitute a decadent or sterile epoch in the course of cultural evolution. Cultural assets may be altered to suit a certain line of propaganda.
The 1990s has seen the re-emergence of the 3 million Bassijis (formed in 1980 to recruit volunteers for Iran's war with Iraq) this time to fight cultural corruption in the form of videos, makeup, pop music and other forms of cultural decadence. They have been issued with uniforms, arms and are receiving regular military training, endorsed by Islamic clerics and headed by the former chief of staff of Iran's Revolutionary guards. Parliament has guaranteed members of the movement 40% of admissions to the country's universities.