Moskva, Moscow, Russian Federation
The paper investigates the effects of cultural globalization and interaction on Iranian women’s identity construction. It aims to illuminate the possible sustaining of traditions in the construction of modern identities. The views are grounded on Giddens’ definition of the concept of “reflexivity” as the agents’ capacity in making revisions on their practices to construct new identities in light of new information. Iranian women within the global network are subject to new information and therefore are able to reflexively construct new identities. Amid various influential factors on identity construction, here, the function of “religion” and “gender roles” are examined to see the place of these traditionally significant elements in the identity of modern women. The items of “hijab” and “consumerism” are considered to address the issue of religion. Moreover, the concept of “motherhood” is traced in identity of modern women to reveal the probability of representation of traditional gender roles in their modern identities. It is found that Iranian women are not passive users of globalized culture, rather they make a balance between their traditional and modern identity.
globalization, interaction, identity, tradition, modernity, Iranian women, gender roles.
Introduction
Want it or not we are all within the global network. Just with a click, we are in a remotest place where we even could not imagine before. Are we burying our traditions and acquiring everything that the flow of globalization carries to us?
1. Ahmadi M. Abedi, J. Azarbarzin M. (2014) Statement of Employed Women’s Motherhood Experience: a phenomenological study. Qualitative Research in Health Sciences, I. 3 (2), P. 137-148.
2. Ahmadi S. Agili, V. Mahdizadeh, M. Mozafari. A. (2015) Media and Construction of Gender Identity, Case Study: Gender Identities in TV Shows of “Relying on Wind” (Tekye bar Bad), and “Zamaneh”. Communication Research, I. 22 (1), P. 35-56.
3. Akbari H. (2017) Prevalence of Consumerism among Religious Famillies: Alarm for the Realm of Religion. Irannewsonline, 07.03 2017. Available at: http://irannewsonline.ir/1395/12/17/46865/
4. Asghar T. (2015) Good Hijabi, Bad Hijabi: The Politics of Women’s Clothing in Iran. Journal of Georgetown University-Qatar Middle Eastern Studies Student Association: Vol., Narrowing the gap: conversations between governing and the governed, 10. Published online: 18 Mar 2015. Available at: http://www.qscience.com/doi/abs/10.5339/messa.2015.10/
5. Babayefard A. (2006) Impact of Internet as a Medium of Globalization on Cultural Identity of Tehran University Students. Social Science Journal of Ferdosi University, I. 27, P. 73-108.
6. Browne K. (2005). An Introduction to Sociology. UK. Polity.
7. Boas T. (2000) Anthony Giddens Discusses the Globalization Debate. Carnegie Endowment for Internatonal Peace Carnegie, 05.07.2000. Available at: http://carnegieendowment.org/2000/07/05/anthony-giddens-discusses-globalization- debate-pub-8655/
8. Gauntlett D. (2002) Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction: London and New York. Routledge.
9. Giddens A. (1991) Runaway World: How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives. Taylor & Francis.
10. Giddens A. (1986) The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration: California. University of California Press.
11. Giddens A. (1990) The Consequences of Modernity. Stanford, Stanford University Press. Available at: http://carnegieendowment.org/2000/07/05/anthony-giddens- discusses-globalizationdebate-pub-8655/
12. Giddens A. (2006) Sociology. UK. Polity Press.
13. Giddens A. (1991) Modernity and Self-identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age: Stanford University Press.
14. Gotbi F. (2008) Comparison of Breastfeeding between Employed and Unemployed Mothers. Faculty of Medical Science, Shahid Beheshti. Tehran. I. 159, P. 159-164.
15. Hejazi A. (2016) What Percent of University Students are Women. Mashreg News Online, 11.12.2016. Available at: http:// www.mashreghnews.ir/news/664968/
16. Hovsepian-Bearce Y. (2015) The Political Ideology of Ayatollah Khamenei: Out of the Mouth of the Supreme Leader of Iran. London. Routledge; 1 edition.
17. Levin I. (2011) The Stepford Wives: Introduction by Chuck Palanhiuk. Hachette UK.
18. Khanimogadm, M. (2016). Motherhood in Islam. Socio-Islamic Studies, I. 22 (4), P. 127-156.
19. Klein M. (1998). He Shops, She Shops, American Demographics, Vol. 20.
20. Khajenooeri B. (2013) Globalization, Materialism and Women. Global Media Joural, Persian Edition, I. 8(1), P. 21-47.
21. Mogimi F. (2014) Iranian Women’s Employment and the Process of its Improvement. Tehran Business Women Association, 28.10.2014. Available at: www.tccim.ir/bw/newsfullstory.aspx?nid=1487/
22. Nazemzadeh F. (2013) Transformation of Women’s Role. Mehrkhaneh Online, 23. 04. 2013. Available at: http://mehrkhane.com/fa/news/6420/
23. Nayebi H., Golshani M. (2013). The Impact of Available Resources on Women’s Decision - making in Family. Journal of Woman in Development and Politics, 11 (1), P. 135-152.
24. Ooka Pang Valerie. (2017) Diversity and Equity in the Classroom. Boston. Cengage Learning.
25. Quoquab F., Abdullan N., Ahmad M. (2015) Epicureanism and Global Consumerism in Shaping Muslim Buyers’ Consumption Pattern: An Islamic Perspective. International Journal of Innovation and Business Strategy, Vol. 03, Onlin: Available at: http://www.ibs.utm.my/ijibs/attachments/article/49/IJIBS_03_05.pdf/
26. Sabet F., Safshekan R. (2013) Soft War: A new episode in the old conflict between Iran and the United States. Annenberg School for Communication University of Pennsylvania.
27. Safiri Kh., Nematollahi Z. (2012) Globalization and Religious Identity with emphasis on Gender Differences. Social psychological studies. I. 3, P. 39-66.