диссертация (Трансформация культурной идентичности иранской женщины), страница 3

The empirical and information foundation of the research rests onthe findings of Iranian, British, American and Russian scholars in the fields ofphilosophy, cultural studies, sociology and history, the data obtained from officialgovernmental and non-governmental sites.The research involved systemic,multidisciplinary, cultural, axiological approaches in studying the concept ofidentity as well as the principles of social systems functioning.The research aim and objectives necessitated the use of the followingresearch methods: the method of theoretical analysis was used in studying theapproaches to the concept of identity in various aspects (philosophical,psychological, sociological, cultural); the method of comparative analysis wasapplied to studying various theories and concepts (A.

Giddens, J. Nye, J. Butler);descriptive, comparative and historical methods were applied to studies of thetraditional Iranian society and the role of women in it; the method of participantobservation was used in exploring the role of women in modern Iranian society.Chronological scope of the study. The research embraces the span of timefrom the pre-Qajar era (the early 18th century) up to the present day.Theoretical value of the research.The present study establishes an overlapping association between J. Butler'sperformativity theory and A.

Giddens' structuration theory where they insist onperformances of actors: it identifies a dialectic relationship of structures and agentsand defines the role and place of women in Iranian society. The originalapplication of these theories in Iranian context has produced a huge body of11knowledge in the field of Iranian women's cultural identity constructionthroughout a vast chronological scope, spanning the period from the preconstitutional revolution to the present time.Practical value of the research.The regularization of female sex by traditional and modern discourses andwomen's agency through performances has been examined to manifest thetraditional and modern cultural identity of Iranian women. The study of women'slifestyle through ages, considering the nuance performances of women contributesto understanding the materialization and signification of female sex in each era.The research has explored and brought to the fore the role of globalization,information technologies, social and cultural processes in society as the majorfactors influencing the changes in traditional Iranian society and transformations inwomen's cultural identity in the aspects of lifestyle performances (bodymaintenance, veiling, work and leisure).Research novelty.

The thesis contributes to science-clarifying the multi-faceted concept of “Iranian women’s cultural identity”through the prism of changes in lifestyle performances: body maintenance,veiling, work and leisure activities;-defining specific features of Iranian society and the role of women in it sincepre-constitutionalist era to the current age;-identifying the factors influencing transformation of cultural identity ofIranian women.Research validity is supported by the solid theoretical foundation,consistent methodology and choice of complimentary research methodscorresponding to the research object and subject, its aim and objectives; by therepresentativity and authenticity of materials involved.Presentation and validation of research results.

Research results werepresented to the academic community at the 10th and 11th RISA (RussianInternational Studies Association) Conventions (December 2016 – “Iranian12women’s traditional and modern gender identity”; September 2017 – “Culturalidentity of Iranian women: tradition and modernity”) and at the Round Tablesession “Business Woman” of the 3rd MGIMO Student Conference “Youth andSociety” (April 2018 – “Iranian women in the modern society”). Four articles werepublished in Russian refereed scientific journals.Statements to be defended:1.Cultures are subject to change, and therefore the cultural identity of themembers is open to change.

The roots of Iranian women’s traditional culturalidentity, which have developed in socio-historical contexts shatter in the meetingpoint of cultures. Since the encounter of Iranian traditional culture with Westernmodernized culture, the Iranian women's traditional identity has undergone variouschanges.2.The structuration theory of A. Giddens overlaps with the performative theorywith an emphasis on actions of the actors in reproduction of norms.

The actorsusing the available resources of the structure and within the framework of rules actreinforcing or reproducing the norms, thereby they reflexively considerconstruction of their identity.3.ApplyingButler's performative theory that believes in decentrality andchallenges heteronormativity on Islamic society where Islam as a center givesmeaning to sexes based on heteronormativity seems strange. However, theperformative theory proves to be true as applied to Iranian society, considering thechanges that have occurred in gender norms. At the same time, since these changesdepend on the scope of agency that the subject enjoys within the country's Islamicdiscourse, they have not been beyond heteronormativity.4.Construction and reconstruction of Iranian women's cultural identity isstudiedwithinthechronologicalscopeofpre-constitutionalism,postconstitutionalism and the current age. Throughout ages, traditional religiousdiscourses and modern Westernized discourses have been competing to regularizeIranian female sex in each era.135.In Iran, religion has played a central role throughout history in constructingwomen's cultural identity.

Emphasizing the polarized creation of sky and earth,Islam states the binary creation of sexes: essential differences between men andwomen lead to different ways of identity construction between men and women;the binary of male and female sex naturally leads to heteronormative genderstereotypes. As long as the centrality of Islam holds the relationship between thesignifier and the signified, the signification and regularization of sexes do notescape heteronormativity.6.Three aspects of Iranian women's lifestyle including body maintenance,veiling, work and leisure are regarded as performances reiterating the normsimposed by regulatory discourses.

Women's performances in these realms havetransformed giving them a modernized identity; however, this modernizedsignification of female identity remains within the heteronormative genderstereotypes.7.Under the influence of modern resources of knowledge and globalized mediaIranian women consider the construction of their cultural identity reflexively incontrast to objectives of Islamic state that emphasizes religion. The soft powerenjoyed by the West through depiction of gender inequality, and women'ssuppression in Iran is regarded as a “soft war” by the Islamic state of Iran.Structure of the thesis. The thesis consists of an Introduction, two chapters,Conclusion and Bibliography.14CHAPTER 1THE INFLUENTIAL FACTORS IN CONSTRUCTING IRANIANWOMEN'S CULTURAL IDENTITYThe present thesis takes the chance to discuss Iranian women's transformationof identity in modern social structure.

Thereby, in this section the author sets outby presenting a brief introduction to widely used term of "identity", describingdifferent types of identity and different perspectives toward identity. Here, culturalidentity is the main theme and among different aspects of cultural identity, genderidentity plays the central role. Gender identity will be defined from differentfeminist perspectives; predominantly the poststructuralist feminist views of JudithButler will be discussed. The structuration theory of Giddens will also be appealedto manifest the interaction of Iranian women as agents and the social structure.

Theanalysis of the construction and transformation of Iranian women's identity basedon Performative theory of Butler demands exploration of social and culturaldiscourses that subjected Iranian women throughout the history. The followingchapter presents an overview of concept of identity, theories of performativity andstructuration, as well as the examination of Iranian social and cultural discoursesthroughout a century.1.1. The concept of cultural identity in the cultural and philosophical aspects"Identity is one of those false friends.

We all think we know what the wordmeans and go on trusting it, even when it's slyly starting to say the opposite". 26Identity, though a common term used pervasively by everyone, is an ambiguousand complex concept. Many different contexts use the concept of identity fordifferent purposes. The diversity of meanings that the term bears, all share in one26Maalouf A.

On Identity. London: The Harvill Press, 2011. p.1.15aspect of identity referring to the word's original Latin root meaning "sameness" or"being the same"27. English dictionary defines identity as "the state or fact ofremaining the same, one or ones as under varying aspects or conditions"28.Identity matters not only as a main issue in academic discourse, but also insocial, cultural and political concerns of the contemporary world.

It "gives us alocation in the world and presents the link between us and the society in which welive"29. It concerns the idea of who somebody is; nevertheless, the concept isdifferent from personality that refers to our personal features and behaviors."Identity makes the way in which we are the same as others who share thatposition, and the ways in which we are different from those who do not"30.Our identity is also associated with visual images. According to Alcoff, "thereality of identity comes from the fact that they are visibly marked on the bodyitself, guiding if not determining the way we perceive and judge others and areperceived and judged by them"31.Along with visible features, the behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, positions,…that are unique to an individual or group of people identify people as similar toeach other and differentiate them from exterior others.While our identity is composed of unlimited list of components influencingeach other, it cannot be divided up to separate segments.