Cultural Revolution in Iran: Contemporary Popular Culture in the Islamic Republic (International Library of Iranian Studies)

The Islamic Republic of Iran has entered its fourth decade, and the values and legacy of the Revolution it was founded upon continue to have profound and contradictory consequences for Iranian life. Despite the repressive power of the current regime the immense creativity of popular cultural practices, that negotiate and resist a repressive system, is a potent and dynamic force. This book draws on the expertise and experience of Iranian and international academics and activists to address diverse areas of social and cultural innovation that are driving change and progress. While religious conservatism remains the creed of the establishment, this volume uncovers an underground world of new technology, media and entertainment that speaks to women seeking a greater public role and a restless younger generation that organizes and engages with global trends online. A Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title selection. Cultural Revolution in Iran: Contemporary Popular Culture in the Islamic Republic 4 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 1 Annabelle Sreberny: Thirty-plus years of the Iranian Revolution. Culture in Contestation 10 Creativity and digital adepts 15 This volume 17 Note 19 References 19 Part I. Social Context and Sexuality 20 2 Pardis Mahdavi: Iran’s Green Movement in Context 22 Iran’s sexual revolution 25 Youth movements in historical context 29 Youth movements in global context 30 Concluding thoughts 34 Notes 35 References 35 3 Mahmoud Arghavan: Tehrani Cultural Bricolage: Local Traditions and Global Styles of Tehran's Non-Conformist Youth 36 Global messages, local meanings: A harmonious coexistence? 37 Cultural flows in a postmodern world 39 Tehrani non-conformist youths as cultural bricoleurs 41 Research method 43 Distinctive boys and distinctive girls 44 Pretentious boys 45 Hedonistic boys 46 Ordinary girls 47 Conclusion 48 References 49 4 Azadeh Kian: Social and Cultural Change and the Women’s Rights Movement in Iran 52 Women’s rights movement: From revolutionary era to radical populist period 54 Conclusion 63 Notes 64 References 65 5 Mehri Honarbin-Holliday: Emerging Forms of Masculinity in the Islamic Republic of Iran 68 Why masculinities? 69 Educational revolution and Iranian cosmopolitanism 69 A heritage of the discourse of the masculine body 72 Young men in Tehran 73 Conclusion 83 Acknowledgements 84 Notes 85 References 85 Part II. Performing Arts and Cinema 88 6 Liliane Anjo: Contemporary Iranian Theatre: The Emergence of an Autonomous Space 90 The revival of Iranian theatre 91 A renewed dramatic repertoire 93 Plays referring to the literary and cultural heritage of Persia 93 Plays discussing the revolution or the war against Iraq 94 Plays examining the contemporary social condition 95 Foreign plays 97 An original scenic language 98 Conclusion 99 Notes 101 References 102 Other sources 103 7 Parmis Mozafari: Dance and the Borders of Public and Private Life in Post-revolution Iran 104 Introduction 104 Historical background 106 Dance after the 1979 revolution 108 (1) Dance as an illegal leisure activity 108 (2) Dance as an art form 110 Teaching/Learning dance 114 Conclusion 115 Notes 116 References 117 8 Saeed Zeydabadi-Nejad: Beyond Gender: Women Filmmakers and Sociopolitical Critique 118 Cinema before the revolution 119 The Islamic revolution and its aftermath 121 Islamisation of cinema 122 Women directors and the revolutionary transformation 124 Manijeh Hekmat 125 Women’s Prison (2002) 125 Reception of the film in Iran 128 Other women filmmakers and sociopolitical critique 133 Conclusion 134 Notes 135 References 136 Part III. Music 140 9 Bronwen Robertson: 'I am an original Iranian Man': Identity and Expression in Tehran’s Unofficial Rock Music 142 Who are Tehran’s ‘unofficial’ rock musicians? 142 The social, political and historical context of Tehran’s ‘unofficial’ rock music 145 Underground v unofficial: a call for the renaming of the scene 147 Who are the ‘original’ Iranian men? 149 Yellow Dogs 150 127 152 Conclusion 155 Notes 156 References 157 10 Nahid Siamdoust: Neither 'Islamic' nor a 'Republic': Discourses in Music 160 Conclusion 173 Notes 173 References 175 Part IV. Representation 178 11 Vit Šisler:: Digital Heroes: Indentity Construction in Iranian Video Games 180 Procedural rhetoric: Video games as media 182 Iranian and Islamic values: Video games as official communications policy 184 Iranian mythology and culture: Video games as private enterprise 187 Conclusion 195 Acknowledgements 198 Notes 198 References 198 12 Katja Föllmer: Satire in the Iranian Media: Development and Diversity 202 Introduction 202 Satire’s development in post-revolutionary Iran 203 First steps towards defining Iranian satire in an academic context 204 The success of Do Kalame Harf-e Hesab 205 Other examples of satire in the press 207 The development of caricatures and cartoons and the stifling of satirical press 208 Iranian satire on the internet 210 Satire’s appearance on television 211 Satire in Iranian cinema 212 Conclusion 214 References 215 13 Naghmeh Samini: Gendered Taboos in Iran's Text message jokes 218 Jokes that rely on the format of SMS to impart their humour 222 Standard jokes that have been condensed due to format restrictions 223 Omission of the traditional roles of speaker and audience 223 References 224 14 Alice Bombardier: Iranian Mural Painting: New Trends 226 The origins of mural painting in Iran: Between revolution and war 226 The movement of mural painting today 229 The development of new genres 233 Notes 237 References 237 15 Anna Vanzan: From the Pen to the Rotary Press: Women Book Publishers in Post-Revolutionary Iran 240 What women publishers publish 244 Beyond the books 246 Some final considerations 248 What’s for the future? 249 Notes 250 References 251 Websites 252 Part V. Beyond Borders 254 16 Amin Moghadam: The Other Shore: Iranians in the United Arab Emirates Between Visibility and Invisibility 256 A reversal of migratory flows linked to geo-political conditions 257 Iran’s past influence on Dubai visible in Dubai today 262 The veiled or unveiled importance of a new generation of Iranians 263 A new scene: The Iranian presence in Dubai marked by art activities 268 Conclusion: A bittersweet dream 270 Notes 271 References 272 List of contributors 276 Index 282 The Islamic Republic of Iran is several decades into its existence and the values and legacy of the Revolution upon which it was founded continue to have profound and contradictory consequences for everyday Iranian life. Despite a powerful system of surveillance and control, an extremely lively cultural milieu exists in the country, utilising many different forms of expression, including film, theatre, music and dance. Cultural Revolution in Iran examines the diverse areas of social andcultural innovation that are driving change and progress, both negotiating and resisting government policies and censorship. While religious conservatism remains the creed of the establishment, this volume uncovers a hidden world of new technologies, social media and entertainment that speaks both to women seeking a greater public role and to a restlessyounger generation that organises and engages with global trends online. In this volume, Annabelle Sreberny and Massoumeh Torfeh highlight the huge range of cultural activities which allow Iranians to express themselves, voice their coded opinions in between the'red lines'of censorship and even engage in social and civil disobedience. From film to rockmusic and from painting to video games, there is a vast array of cultural expression and dissent that often eludes the international observer. For example, film production in Iran is highThe Islamic Republic of Iran is several decades into its existence and the values and legacy of the Revolution upon which it was founded continue to have profound and contradictory consequences for everyday Iranian life. Despite a powerful system of surveillance and control, an extremely lively cultural milieu exists in the country, utilising many different forms of expression, including film, theatre, music and dance. Cultural Revolution in Iran examines the diverse areas of social and cultural innovation that are driving change and progress, both negotiating and resisting government policies and censorship. While religious conservatism remains the creed of the establishment, this volume uncovers a hidden world of new technologies, social media and entertainment that speaks both to women seeking a greater public role and to a restless younger generation that organises and engageswith global trends online. In this volume, Annabelle Sreberny and Massoumeh Torfeh highlight the huge range ofcultural activities which allow Iranians to express themselves, voice their coded opinions in between the'red lines'of censorship and even engage in social and civil disobedience. From film to rock music and from painting to video games, there is a vast array of cultural expression and dissent that often eludes the international observer. For example, film production in Iran is high and women directors, such as Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Samira Makhmalbaf and Manijeh Hekmat, have come to the fore, making both popular but also prize-winning films. In addition to this, there is a vibrant music scene in Iran where many performances occur literally'underground', in private basements, as illegal activity. Sometimes an audience has to wait patiently in the auditorium for the start of a public performance – for example, to hear Morteza Shafiei conducting the Isfahan Symphony Orchestra – whilst the organisers debate with the authorities as to whether the performancecan go ahead or not. It is these activities and modes of communication and expression that are centralto this volume, making Cultural Revolution in Iran essential for those researching the modern Iranian state as well as those looking at everyday life and popular culture under authoritarian governments and women directors, such as Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Samira Makhmalbaf and Manijeh Hekmat, have come to the fore, making both popular but alsoprize-winning films. In addition to this, there is a vibrant music scene in Iran where many performances occur literally'underground', in private basemen The Islamic Republic Of Iran Has Entered Its Fourth Decade, And The Legacy Of The Revolution It Was Founded Upon Continue To Have A Profound Consequence On Iranian Life. This Book Draws On The Expertise Of Iranian And International Academics To Address Diverse Areas Of Social And Cultural Innovation That Are Driving Change And Progress. Thirty-plus Years Of The Iranian Revolution: Culture And Contestation / Annabelle Sreberny -- Part 1. Social Context And Sexuality -- Iran's Green Movement In Context / Pardis Mahdavi -- Tehrani Cultural Bricolage: Local Traditions And Global Styles Of Tehran's Non-conformist Youth / Mahmoud Arghavan -- Social And Cultural Change And The Women's Rights Movement In Iran / Az̜adeh Kian -- Emerging Forms Of Masculinity In The Islamic Republic Of Iran / Mehri Honarbin-holliday -- Part 2. Performing Arts And Cinema -- Contemporary Iranian Theatre: The Emergence Of An Autonomous Space / Liliane Anjo -- Dance And The Borders Of Public And Private Life In Post-revolution Iran / Parmis Maz̜afari -- Beyond Gender: Women Filmmakers And Sociopolitical Critique / Saeed Zeydabadi-nejad -- Part 3. Music -- 'i Am An Original Iranian Man': Identity And Expression In Tehran's Unofficial Rock Music / Bronwen Robertson -- Neither 'islamic' Nor A 'republic': Discourses In Music / Nahid Siamdoust -- Part 4. Representation -- Digital Heroes: Identity Construction In Iranian Video Games / Vit Šisler -- Satire In The Iranian Media: Development And Diversity / Katja Föllmer -- Gendered Taboos In Iran's Text Message Jokes / Naghmeh Samini -- Iranian Mural Painting: New Trends / Alice Bombardier -- From The Pen To The Rotary Press: Women Book Publishers In Post-revolutionary Iran / Anna Vanz̨an -- Part 5. Beyond Borders -- The Other Shore: Iranians In The United Arab Emirates Between Visibility And Invisibility / Amin Moghadam. Edited By Annabelle Sreberny & Massoumeh Torfeh. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has entered its fourth decade, and the values and legacy of the Revolution it was founded upon continue to have profound and contradictory consequences for Iranian life. Despite the repressive power of the current regime the immense creativity of popular cultural practices, that negotiate and resist a repressive system, is a potent and dynamic force. This book draws on the expertise and experience of Iranian and international academics and activists to address diverse areas of social and cultural innovation that are driving change and progress. While religious conservatism remains the creed of the establishment, this volume uncovers an underground world of new technology, media and entertainment that speaks to women seeking a greater public role and a restless younger generation that organises and engages with global trends online."--Publisher's description