In this two part conversation, Dr. Yaghoobi, a professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, explores the shifting dynamics of sexuality in Iran across a span of nearly two centuries.
In the first episode, Dr. Yaghoobi examines the intersectionality of gender and sexuality, discussing how gender rights have fared better than sexual rights. She discusses sexual mores in iran and the non-linear trajectory of iran towards modernization. Furthermore, she delves into the notion of “acceptable” sexuality and draws comparisons between Iranian and Western sexual norms. See her chapter “Iranian women and shifting sexual ideologies, 1850-2010” here.
In the second episode, Dr. Yaghoobi discusses the Family Protection Law, dispels common misconceptions within Iran, such as the assumption that all women share identical viewpoints, and examines the perceptions of veiling during the Pahlavi era. Furthermore, she assesses the progress made by women during the Pahlavi era, emphasizing the significant role played by women themselves, not just the government. The conversation ends with a discussion of the Islamic Republic’s views on “morality” and women’s rights in present-day Iran.
Listen:
Claudia Yaghoobi is Roshan Distinguished Professor of Persian Studies and Director of the Center for the Middle East and Islamic Studies at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research subjects include Persian literature, Iranian "woman question," minorities in Iran, contemporary Middle Eastern literature, diasporic literature, literary theory, and gender and sexuality studies.
