After watching Persepolis, I want you to consider the role of women in Iranian society, the change brought about by the Iranian Revolution and overthrow of the Shah, and alos, Iranian civil society in general. After watching Persepolis and reading/listening to this article, answer the following reflection questions.
1. What was your favorite part of the movie? Why?(funniest, most poignant, most educational, most surprising, etc.)
2. What is one thing that you learned about life in Iran or the history of Iran that you did not know before? Was there anything else you were misinformed about concerning life in Iran? Explain.
3. Do the article and the movie give you a different perspective on the role of women in
Iran? Does it modify any preconceived notions about the opportunities
afforded to Iranian women?
4. Does the less conservative President Rouhani provide a temporary
opening for women to achieve certain social and political goals, or is
this just a first step in a more permanent, long-term change?
5. What are
some obstacles that women in Iran still face in achieving their goals?
Explain your reasoning.
My favorite part of the movie was the interesting life marjane had throughout her childhood. I found it rather interesting the many different ideologies and beliefs she dealt with throughout her adolescence and early adult years (nihilism, marxism, Islam, etc.). The one thing i learned about life in Iran is the interesting capacity for women to receive an education,however, they are still unlikely to receive a job while in Iran; despite the fact that more women are going to college than men. Moreover, the article and movie give me the same perspective of the role of women in Iran, except there now seems to be some progress under the new president Hassan Rouhani. However, i do believe this could be a temporary opening for women, because it is possible that someone more conservative gains power after Rouhani. Futhermore, although president Rouhani is less conservative it seems that a large majority of men still find distaste in the idea of competing with women for jobs. Therefore, the fight for equal rights in Iran still remains a difficult challenge that might take quite some time to be resolved.
ReplyDelete1. My favorite part of the movie was the most memorable part of the movie. It was when Marjane and her mother went to the supermarket and a guy verbally abused her mom, degrading her. It was memorable since it was surprising to see how badly the men treated the women in Iranian society at that time.
ReplyDelete2. I learned how restrictive Iranian society is. An example of this was when Marjane and her boyfriend were caught holding hands in the car, her father had to pay a fine to prevent them being lashed. It shows how conservative the Iranian government has made the society, restricting common human rights.
3. The movie and article did give another perspective of women in Iran since the movie was told in the perspective of Marjane, an Iranian woman. Together they showed how women perceived themselves in society, and how they wanted to change their role from having limited options to getting more opportunities, especially in the workplace. The article gave some additional insight on the role of women in society since it described how women have a better education than men overall.
4. I think the less conservative President Rouhani is a step toward a long term movement. In this day in age, many countries already have close to equal opportunities and rights for women. With this in mind, women are going to try to get to that level, and with a less conservative President, executive measures can be done to help the movement. Since every movement takes time, a less conservative President is just one step toward other presidents or measures that will contribute to the women’s’ movement.
5. Some obstacles for women in Iran include the men in general, since Iran is a male-dominated society, and the government. The males are reluctant to give more jobs to women if it means losing potential male jobs. The government is also an obstacle, since from the movie it showed that the government can easily arrest people, making social and political reform harder to be achieved.
1. My favorite part of the movie was the most surprising when Uncle Anoush was rearrested and executed for his political beliefs that challenged the government views in Iran.
ReplyDelete2. I learned that Marjane was restricted from doing all the things the men in the society could do, and she rebels because she wants more rights for women. One part of the movie shows Marjane buying western pieces of interest on the black market.
3. The role of women, according to both the article and the movie, is to be a mother and wife to her male relatives because Iran is a patriarchal family. No, because all Iranian women were prevented from doing anything that went against their male relatives wishes and the wishes of the government.
4. I think it provides a temporary opening because the presidential term is only for 8 years and after the elections at that time, the winner might not be conservative, but the total opposite, so it is a waiting game, in hope that Iran does stay on a conservative path.
5. The women in Iran still face many issues because none of the men want women to be equal to them, and the women are rebelling with more and more arrests and fines being paid for going against the doctrine of the Iranian constitution.
1. My favorite part of the movie is when Marjane’s parents send her to Vienna so she can express her views and ideas due to her extreme outspokenness that could otherwise put her behind bars. This was my favorite part because I thought it was a great thing that her parents did for her and it shows how beneficial her parents were in her life.
ReplyDelete2. I was aware of many of the ideals and aspects of Iran that was shown in the movie but I did not know holding hands in a non-public place, the car, was ‘forbidden’. The fact that Marjane and the guy were to get lashed for that shocked me because I always thought affection could be shown once not in public.
3. The movie and article do not give me a different perspective of the role of women in Iran because I was raised learning about these female roles and I have been aware of them for a while. My perspective of them is plenty different from the view I have on other women because, besides other Middle Eastern and a few other countries, Iranian women truly get the shorter end of the stick when it comes to rights and control. They literally have nothing and mean very little. It has always been a sad ideal for me and probably many other people to witness.
4. Even though the president is less conservative, I do not think this opens a door for women to achieve more goals because the men that they are surrounded by day in and day out are still stuck on the idea that males are superior to females. If the president is effective enough to change the views of many guys in Iran then maybe this could be a step in a new direction but until then it is just a continuation of what women already go through in Iran.
5. Almost everything in Iran is an obstacle for women to face when achieving their goals. Men hinder their ability to do what they desire, work where they want, and wear what they want. Men do not want them to be equal and since it is a male dominant society, they sadly have to succumb to those standards. The household is another obstacle. Women are constantly required to take care of children, clean the house, do all the work the men refuse to do and with this they lose the opportunity to pursue their dreams. The government prevents women from being an equal sex to males that is another obstacle. Women have plenty less rights and control than men do.
1. My favorite part of the movie was seeing Marjane dancing to very loud Western, rock music as a child. It was funny to see and it showed her rebellious side.
ReplyDelete2. I was not aware on the Islamic fundamentalist overthrow of the Shahs in Iran. The movie showed that after the takeover, some aspects of Iranian life had actually become even more restricted than before. Also, it was interesting to learn from the article that Iranian women actually outnumber men in the universities. I would not have expected that in this traditional society.
3. I definitely saw a restriction on women in Iranian society from the movie and the article. It is difficult for them to find work and many of their rights are restricted in the public sphere as well. As mentioned before, I did find it interesting to learn that the opportunities for women in education has greatly expanded. This increase in education, however, has not helped them significantly in finding jobs.
4. With Iran's unstable political situation, I think it is difficult to assume that this is definitively a step in the long term. As the article states, just a few years ago the previous president had very repressive policies that outlawed these steps for female progress. Now there are some encouraging steps being taken with a new president in power, but with the constant threat of political instabilities, the situation can quickly reverse.
5. Some difficulties involve the inability for women to find work after they graduate from college. This leads to many of the women emigrating resulting in a great "brain drain". Also until recently the government was a massive obstacle to the progress of Iranian women and their rights. Another obstacle would be the traditional society in which they live. Fundamentalists, along with many other men, do not believe that women should be in the workforce and do not want women taking jobs from men.
1. I most enjoyed seeing the culture clash between Marjane and her anarchist friends in Vienna. It really highlights the effect that the revolution had on Marjane, and delves into her deep-seated loneliness. It was also very ironic and humorous to see the warped perceptions her friends had of Marjane and her situation.
ReplyDelete2. I feel that before seeing this movie, I was completely uninformed about Iran's history. Even though in AP World and a little bit of APUSH, we covered the Iranian revolution and US involvement, we didn't really go in depth. The movie really explained this well, in addition to giving a nuanced portrayal of the effects of the revolution on Iranians themselves.
3. I was somewhat aware of the limited role women are allowed in Iranian society, but the movie definitely helped to clarify my understanding. It showed just how much their freedom has been diminished, to the point where they can't even hold hands in private. This is supported by the article, which states that currently, Iranian women have very few opportunities, but they are fighting back. However, it seems their fight is futile, according to both this article and other more recent ones. Iran is still a deeply conservative society, and it will be a long time before real change can take place.
4. I do not think Rouhani will lead to greater change for women in Iran. A related Al Jazeera article (http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/03/rouhani-promises-human-rights-150314074910613.html) reveals that few human rights improvements were implemented in Iran under his regime so far. This could be due to apparently more pressing international issues such as nuclear talks, or it could be because of the deeply ingrained gender gap in Iran. Either way, Rouhani has yet to improve women's rights in Iran.
5. Women in Iran face the huge obstacle of changing their society's views, on both an individual and an institutional level. Not only are individuals prejudiced against women, but also the government enacts laws that constantly limit their freedom. This will clearly be a very long battle, as even international pressure has not led to significant changes within Iran.
1. My favorite part of the movie was seeing Marjane go to Vienna where she saw the exact opposite of what was going on in Iran. In Vienna she saw the numerous liberties that people enjoyed compared to the oppression that she witnessed in Iran.
ReplyDelete2. Before watching the film, I did not know that the people of Iran had the Shah overthrown and replaced with fundamentalist Muslims. Before the overthrow of the shah, Iran seemed more liberal and open compared to the theocracy in place today. This surprised me that people actually had a more restrictive life after the revolution.
3. Present in the film is the clear restrictions on the rights and liberties of women in Iran. This perspective of women does not differ significantly from what I've learned in school and what I've seen on the news. What really surprised me is that women actually had more liberties in the time of the shah compared to the fundamentalist government.
4. Just because the president is less conservative, I do not think this opens up a door for women. A new president, just as repressive as the previous one could come into power and create legislature that takes away the little rights women have. Unless there is a president that clearly states that they are for increased rights for women and have a more progressive agenda, then there will be no major changes.
5. A significant challenge women face in Iran is being taken seriously. In the male dominated society, they are often looked down upon and their ideas are disregarded. Women are often seen as second class when it comes to finding jobs.
1. From what i do remember from the movie it was a really good one. The scene that I found most funny was when little Marjane and her friends chased another little boy because his father killed communists. I just thought it was hilarious cause they were so tiny yet so violent...
ReplyDelete2. I learned that Iran was extremely anti-west. They did anything they could to prevent "Western" culture from infiltrating Iran, such as banning their music. This is seen when Marjane had to buy rock and roll music from shady people in overcoats. She was then caught by the nuns who were shocked by her music taste but luckily marjane was able to play it off.
3. Iranian women are definitely restricted in doing things they want. Due tot the patriarchal society in Iran, women are not valued as much as they should be. They are expected to be wives and mothers for the most part. However, a comment in the article does point out that "If the young women feel free enough to start complaining about inequality, then something has loosened a bit. In the past they were kept quiet out of fear." so perhaps Iran has given some slack and aren't as violent with protesters anymore.
4. It is hard to predict whether or not Iran will become less conservative. The introduction of a less conservative president is a good first step, but I can't say if the change is permanent or temporary. Hopefully it is a permanent change that we are seeing as it does show the Iranians that maybe having a less conservative president is not that bad. I guess if I had to say if it is temporary or permanent, I would have to go with permanent as it usually takes one small step towards change to snowball to an even larger change.
5. Women have a lot of difficulties in Iran. Equality being an important one. Society is heavily biased towards men and would favor men in a job opportunity over a women. That being said, it is difficult for iranian women to find a job even if they have a good education.
1. I probably couldn't describe it as my favorite part of the movie, but rather the most outstanding scene was when Marjane and her clique was chasing down the kid on the bike because his father was a Communist. I saw it as the darkest part of the film because the sentiment against Communists went so far into society so as to become engrained into children’s minds and cause them to blindly follow their elders.
ReplyDelete2. I was not aware that Iran was so suppressive of Western culture. I understood that they wore the hijabs in order to “cover up” and not show too much skin, in contrast to Americanized society, but going to the extent of prohibiting forms of music and other unobtrusive forms of media surprised me. To be honest, I didn’t even know there was going to be an Iranian Revolution until I took this class. I don’t know if that’s just me being uncultured or…
3. I have a better understanding of the perspective of how repressed Iranian women are and why they would want to emigrate from Iran in order to find better opportunity. It is understandable at how one who cannot find opportunity to grow in their own country would move out of it in order to pursue a more independent lifestyle.
4. I believe that what President Rouhani is doing is actually a step to a more permanent shift to a pre-dominant matriarchal society. Radical, yes, but then again we are talking MAJOR long-term change. With the growing feminism throughout the world and the strong push for women to land more jobs than Iranian men, there is already momentum towards this shift to where the female is dominant. What Rouhani is doing is just a little push in the already prevalent movement towards gender equality in society and eventual feminine superiority.
5. There is still the underlying negativity from the males to not have the women take their jobs. They still see their wives as keepers of the hearth and subsequently want to keep them there.
1. My favorite part of the movie was when Marjane decided to come back home to Iran from the West after her college days. Her departure from Iran was suppose to be a relief for her from the oppression by the Iranian government but the Western culture was even more limiting on her. The cultural differences became too much for her to handle and she needed to go back to where she belongs.
ReplyDelete2. Before the movie, I lacked any awareness for Iranian history. I always assumed that the country was theocratic since its inception after the end of Western colonialism. I did not know the drastic flips in regimes that plagued the stability and satisfaction of the country. Everyone hated the Shah, yet when he was overthrown, the fundamentalist that took over were still harsh and oppressive.
3. From the article and the movie, women in Iran are restricted to lives where they are inferior to men. They are not given the opportunities in the work force to improve their individual financial situation, as they might become too much competition for men. Additionally, in Iranian society, the woman's role is as a mother and wife, thus she should only be concern with domestic duties and let the men handle the external affairs. Though, I must mention that according to the article women do get a better education then men, hence why activists are anxious to have women stay in the country to find work instead of moving out.
4. I believe this is just a temporary change in the right direction for woman. There is an overall lack of stability for countries in the Middle East and there is no telling whether or not there will be another rise in the fundamentalists in Iran. There is already still a large group of traditionalist against women's rights in Iran that have an heavy influence in the country's politics.
5. The biggest challenge today for women is the prevailing traditionalist attitude in the country. This conservative thought has been ingrained into culture of Iran, thus an common expectation among all that women are below men. It has yet to be challenged by powerful opposition that could significantly change things in the country. Instead the are just small and isolated groups participating in protests but that is about it.
1) My favorite part was Marjane's interactions with her Austrian friends. Iran as Brenden mentioned was supposed to serve as an escape but with her new found friends Marjane seems to be immersed in even more turmoil.
ReplyDelete2) One thing I didn't know prior to was the extent to which the women of Iran were oppressed and openly disrespected.
3) According to what was presented in both the film and article the role of women is what would be considered outdated from a western perspective in that it is to take care of the home and serve the male due to Iran's patriarchal social construction. No, I understood the predicament of women prior to, however it was eye opening to receive a perspective not developed from westerners.
4) I do believe the less conservative president is a step towards the right direction as it pertains to more freedoms being acquired for women. However for this to actually occur it will take time.
5) one of the greatest conflicts for women in Iran is the social ideas due to it being so patriarchal and such practices being considered the norm. It will take great reforms from a social and political perspective to change this.
1. My favorite part of the movie was Marjane's conversations with her grandmother. Especially in such an oppressive environment, the grandmother's humor and candidness was a nice break.
ReplyDelete2. Although I knew before the movie that Iranian women had fewer rights, this film painted a much clearer image. I didn't know that women were discouraged from western dress and make up but men were. The extent and harshness of the police was also surprising, especially when the police chased the man off of the roof and when Marjane and her boyfriend were arrested for holding hands.
3. Both the movie and the article gave the impression that women in Iran have severely limited rights and opportunities, but I didn't know that so many women receive an education, just not a job. It gave me a somewhat better view of Iranian society because, even though Marjane attended college, I didn't understand that the reason why women are denied jobs isn't because they aren't qualified. Women can't work because of the patriarchal society's opinions.
4. I believe that the less conservative president is a step in the right direction for the rights of women, but that it will certainly take a long time for any real progress. Hopefully enough progress is made that it won't be undone by the next president.
5. Iranian women still face the enormous obstacle of societal prejudice and expectations. The patriarchal and traditional attitude in Iran define a woman's role to taking care of the home, not holding a job. It would take a serious shift in people's attitudes over many generations in Iran and/or a shift in the application of Shari'a law before women have similar rights as men.