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Transcript

dr nazanin shahrokniIS315, week FOUR lecture, 2024

gender frontiers and queer lives

song of the week

song of the week. thank you abi hanson

class activity

Citizens

RELIGIOUS LEADERS

STATE OFFICIALS

As of recent reforms under Mohammed bin Salman, expatriate women are no longer required to wear an abaya or veil. Saudi women, however, are expected to adhere to veiling in public.

SAudi Arabia

In 1980, after a military coup, to enforce secularism, the state implemented a ban on veiled women entering public institutions.

Turkey

In 1980, after a popular revolution, to Islamize the society, the state imposes Islamic dress code on its citizens

IRan

Last Week's Class Activity

gendering the middle east

gender shapes policies and also their implications

gender analysis

reveals how gender shapes, and is shaped by, historical, political, and religious forces, underscoring its central role in the governance and identity of middle eastern societies.

islam has historically shaped gender roles, but these roles are not fixed. Instead, they are constantly politicized & reshaped.

the state plays a critical role in shaping gender dynamics.

islam & societal norms

the state & political economy

to understand gender dynamics in the Middle East, it’s essential to grasp the impact of colonialism on societal structures and gender roles.

history and the colonial legacy

women's agency and resistance

everyday encounters with the state

in some cases, women's movements actively resist and challenge state authority when they perceive it as an oppressor of their rights

women & the state

confront the state

in contexts where states have been slow or unwilling to address gender inequalities, women's rights groups in the middle east often bypass state institutions by partnering with international organizations or seeking support from transnational networks.

bypass the state

women in many middle wastern countries have strategically engaged with the state to advance gender equality, leveraging legal and institutional frameworks to secure rights.

work with(in) the state

the ten commandments

10. Resist Simplistic Binaries
9. Engage with Intersectionality
7. Acknowledge Agency
6. Challenge Colonial Legacies
5. Contextualize Power
4. Decenter the West
3. Focus Beyond Islam
2. Interrogate Modernity
8. Diversify Perspectives
1. Avoid Singular Narratives

how not to study gender in the middle east

apply to the 3 cases we discussed in class activity: iran, saudi arabia, and turkeywhat meanings could be assigned to wearing a hijab in each of these contexts?

"avoid broad generalizations. sometimes a hijab is just a hijab, and sometimes it is not."

gender segregation

chapter summary

islamization: an experiment

"It’s not like there was a manual about Islamization of the bus space. We did what we thought was right, what we were told was right. Did we make mistakes along the way? Yes, we did. It was all an experiment. We were creating the manual as we went." * Valiollah Chahpoor, Former director of the Bus Company of Tehran, 2009

case study:women & music

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women musicians in Iran faced severe restrictions, including a ban on solo performances for mixed audiences. Many female musicians either went "underground" or emigrated to continue their work, forming expatriate communities like Tehrangeles in southern California, which became a hub for Iranian pop music. In 1989, with the election of "pragmatic conservative" President Hashemi Rafsanjani, restrictions on music were somewhat loosened, sparking renewed interest in traditional Iranian music. However, women were still prohibited from solo singing. By the time reformist President Mohammad Khatami was elected in 1997, music concerts and broadcasts were restored, though women continued to face restrictions, particularly on national television. Some female performers devised ways to circumvent these bans, like "co-singing" or using choral singing as a cover for solo performances. Googoosh, one of Iran's most popular singers, rose to immense fame in the 1970s, and became a cultural icon. After the revolution, she was forbidden to perform. While singers in exile recorded new music and made it available to Iranians via cassettes or videotapes, the “Queen of Iranian Pop” remained silent. It wasn't until 2000, during Khatami’s presidency, that she was able to leave Iran and resume performing internationally. She has resided in California ever since.

googoosh ended her 21-year silence

last words...

to beirut (by fairuz)listen as you leave the classroom...let the meaning stay with you, even if the lyrics fade