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Iranian Women's Quest for Self-Liberation Through IRANIAN WOMEN’S QUEST FOR SELF-LIBERATION THROUGH THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA: AN EMANCIPATORY PEDAGOGY TANNAZ ZARGARIAN A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN EDUCATION YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO December 2019 © [Tannaz Zargarian, 2019] i Abstract This dissertation examines the discourse of body autonomy among Iranian women. It approaches the discourse of body autonomy by deconstructing veiling, public mobility, and sexuality, while considering the impact of society, history, religion, and culture. Although there are many important scholarly works on Iranian women and human rights that explore women’s civil rights and freedom of individuality in relation to the hijab, family law, and sexuality, the absence of work on the discourse of body autonomy—the most fundamental human right—has created a deficiency in the field. My research examines the discourse of body autonomy in the context of liberation among Iranian women while also assessing the role of the internet as informal emancipatory educational tools. To explore the discourse of body autonomy, I draw upon critical and transnational feminist theory and the theoretical frameworks of Derayeh, Foucault, Shahidian, Bayat, Mauss, and Freire. Additionally, in-depth semi-structured interviews with Iranian women aged 26 to 42 in Iran support my analysis of the practice and understanding of body autonomy personally, on the internet, and social media. The results identify and explicate some of the major factors affecting the practice and awareness of body autonomy, particularly in relation to the goal of liberation for Iranian women. Altogether, this study contributes to an underdeveloped area of scholarly analysis and will further awareness in Middle East feminist studies. ii Acknowledgments I would like to express my deep appreciation to all those people who assisted me to accomplish this dissertation. I owe my deepest gratitude to my academic and thesis supervisor, Professor Jennifer Jenson, who has provided me with tremendous support and encouragement to finish this project. Her generous intellectual insight, valuable and honest suggestions, and her time, along with her support and understanding assisted me to complete my project in a timely manner. My profound appreciation goes to Professor Minoo Derayeh for her amazing and continuous academic support. Her vigorous knowledge in the field as well as her patience and belief allowed me to discover my passion as a future educator and scholar. Her clarity of vision and constructive feedback were invaluable in negotiating the chaos that accompanied the creation of this work. I would like to sincerely thank Professor Didi Khayatt, for her keen observations and insightful comments. Her book and methodology reshaped my academic thought and comprehension. I would like to express my warmest appreciation and gratefulness to Dr. Erin McLaughlin-Jenkins for sharing her wisdom and knowledge with me and for her insightful editorial comments, friendship, and being a great educator who helped me to rediscover my passion for writing. I would like to extend my thanks to all the participants for their time and the tremendous amount of personal information they generously shared with me. They became my inspiration. My admiration and appreciation go to the selfless and unprejudiced soul, my partner, David Fish for believing in the importance of my work. He became the ear to listen to my mind, a hand to hold me still in my journey, and a heart to inspire my passion through doubtful moments. iii In memory of Pegah Roshan, a former York University student, I dedicate this work to David the greatest father, partner, and teacher, my siblings Bahman, my primary feminist educator, and Behnaz, a role model in strength and tolerance. iv Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... ii Vantage Point ................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1: Overview of Thesis .................................................................................................... 4 Statement of the Problem......................................................................................................... 4 Discourse of Body Autonomy .................................................................................................. 4 The Contribution of Islamic Views on Iranian Women Body Autonomy ........................... 6 Body Autonomy in the Discourse of Hijab .............................................................................. 7 Body Autonomy in the Discourse of Public Mobility .......................................................... 12 Body Autonomy and the Discourse of Sexuality .................................................................. 15 Research Question .................................................................................................................. 21 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................... 23 I act therefore I am. ................................................................................................................ 24 Oppositional duality. .............................................................................................................. 25 Estrangement. ......................................................................................................................... 27 Techniques of the body. ......................................................................................................... 28 Conscientization. ..................................................................................................................... 29 Social nonmovement. .............................................................................................................. 30 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 31 Chapter 2: One Hundred Years Journey in Search of Body Autonomy ................................ 36 Women in the Qajar Era (1785-1925) ................................................................................... 36 Public mobility: veiled, but visible. ....................................................................................... 37 Women’s education during Qajar era (1785-1925). ............................................................... 40 The discourse of sexuality. ..................................................................................................... 42 The discourse of hijab. ............................................................................................................ 43 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 44 Reza Shah- Pahlavi Era (1921-1943) ..................................................................................... 45 Compulsory unveiling: Absence of autonomy. ..................................................................... 46 Women thriving in education. ............................................................................................... 48 Public mobility: shifting from homosocial to heterosocial realm. ...................................... 50 Sexuality: visible forbidden bodies. ....................................................................................... 51 v Summary ................................................................................................................................. 51 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s Reign (1941- 1979) .................................................................. 52 Paradox of sexual autonomy. ................................................................................................. 53 Body autonomy- hijab. ........................................................................................................... 55 Autonomous public mobility. ................................................................................................. 56 Women’s education. ................................................................................................................ 58 Paradoxical identity and discourse of autonomy. ................................................................ 59 One Hundred Years Journey in Search of Body Autonomy: Conclusion ......................... 59 Chapter 3: Islamic Republic of Iran ......................................................................................... 62 Women and the Islamic Revolution of Iran ......................................................................... 62 Reoccurrence of the compulsory hijab. ................................................................................. 64 Public mobility: confinement in the absence of hijab. ......................................................... 66 Islamized education. ................................................................................................................ 68 Sexual autonomy and relational identity. ............................................................................
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