The Making of the Modern Iranian Woman: Gender, State Policy, and Popular Culture, 1865-1946

by Camron Michael Amin

The Women's Awakening Project in late 1930s Iran under Reza Shah Pahlavi is the focus of this historical look at the emergence of the modern concept of womanhood in Iran. Amin's extensive research confirms that Reza Shah's controversial attempt to forcibly westernize Iranian women, and not the pre-revolutionary 1970's, marked the turning point for "the woman question" in Iran. Drawing on a combination of archival data, oral history, diplomatic sources, and contemporary press reports, Amin's is the first book to explore the Women's Awakening Project in such detail. By illustrating Reza Shah's efforts both to emancipate and to control Iranian women, the book raises new questions about the relationship between the Iranian state and its female citizens. Amin breaks new ground in the study of Iranian history by examining the links between state policy, popular culture, and individual memory. This highly readable book also provides crucial background for understanding the current debate between "hardliners" and "reformers" in Iran.

Genres: Gender

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Brian Griffith]

Amin gives a fascinating examination of the evolving visions and strategies developed by women in early modern Iran, as the "woman question" took center stage in political debate. He explores how the goals to be achieved and the dangers to be avoided shifted over time, till the old segregation of male and female spaces clearly had to go. By the end of WWII, Amin argues that there was no going back to the pre-modern pattern of society. Even the most conservative leaders of the Islamic revolution would not seriously consider revoking women's right to vote, hold office, and work alongside men in almost every profession.