Iran Culture Issue and History
Iran Cultural Issues and History
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown. The main language spoken is Persian and the religion is Muslim. During 1980-1988, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities.
Iranian society presents a puzzle for most standard social science analysis of social structure. Social mobility is also eminently possible in Iran such as high status is precarious. There is a symbiotic relationship between superior and inferior. Women have always had a strong role in Iranian life, but rarely a public role. Brave and often ruthlessly pragmatic, women are more than willing to take to the streets for a good public cause. Moreover, although the world focuses increasingly on the question of female dress as an indicator of progress for women in Iran, this is a superficial view. Women have served in the legislature and as government ministers since the 1950s. The difficulty for the leaders of the Islamic republic in allowing women complete equality in employment and public activity revolves around religious questions of female modesty that run head-to-head with the exigencies of public life. Islam requires that both women and men adopt modest dress that does not inflame carnal desire. For men this means eschewing tight pants, shorts, short-sleeved shirts, and open collars. Iranians view women's hair as erotic, and so covering both the hair and the female form are the basic requirements of modesty. For many centuries women in Iran have done this by wearing the chador, a semicircular piece of dark cloth that is wrapped expertly around the body and head, and gathered at the chin. Makeup of any kind is not allowed. In
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown. The main language spoken is Persian and the religion is Muslim. During 1980-1988, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities.
Iranian society presents a puzzle for most standard social science analysis of social structure. Social mobility is also eminently possible in Iran such as high status is precarious. There is a symbiotic relationship between superior and inferior. Women have always had a strong role in Iranian life, but rarely a public role. Brave and often ruthlessly pragmatic, women are more than willing to take to the streets for a good public cause. Moreover, although the world focuses increasingly on the question of female dress as an indicator of progress for women in Iran, this is a superficial view. Women have served in the legislature and as government ministers since the 1950s. The difficulty for the leaders of the Islamic republic in allowing women complete equality in employment and public activity revolves around religious questions of female modesty that run head-to-head with the exigencies of public life. Islam requires that both women and men adopt modest dress that does not inflame carnal desire. For men this means eschewing tight pants, shorts, short-sleeved shirts, and open collars. Iranians view women's hair as erotic, and so covering both the hair and the female form are the basic requirements of modesty. For many centuries women in Iran have done this by wearing the chador, a semicircular piece of dark cloth that is wrapped expertly around the body and head, and gathered at the chin. Makeup of any kind is not allowed. In
References: Advameg. (2011). Countries and the cultures. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Iran.html CIA. (2012). Retrieved from Central Intelligence Agency website: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html Gender equality for iran. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.irangenderequality.com/ Povey, E. (2006). State of nature. Retrieved from http://www.stateofnature.org/womenAndWork.html Price, M. (2006). Culture of Iran. Retrieved from http://www.cultureofiran.com/ Timeline: A modern history of Iran. (2010, February 11). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/middle_east/iran/timeline.html