For years, Iranian academics, writers, and scholars have equated national development and progress with the reform of men's sexual behavior.
Modern intellectuals repudiated native sexuality in Iran, just as their European counterparts in France and Germany did, arguing that transforming male identity was essential to the recovery of the nation.
De Souza offers an alternate narrative of modern Iranian masculinity as an attempt to redraw social hierarchies among men.
Moving beyond rigid portrayals of Islamic patriarchy and female oppression, she analyzes debates about manhood and maleness in early twentieth-century Iran, particularly around questions of race and sexuality.
De Souza presents the larger implications of Pahlavi hegemonic masculinity in creating racialized male subjects and productive sexualities.
In addition, she explores a cross-pollination with Europe, identifying how the East shaped visions of European male identity.
About the Author: Wendy De Souza is PARSA CF visiting lecturer in Iranian studies in the Middle East and South Asia Studies Program at University of California, Davis.
| Author | Wendy |
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Syracuse University Press Unveiling men: modern masculinities in twentieth-century iran, paperback/wendy desouza
