On November 19th the Iran 1400 Project hosted a Spotlighting an Author event with distinguished social historian, Stephanie Cronin of Oxford University. Dr. Cronin discussed her newly-released book, Social Histories of Iran: Modernism and Marginality in the Middle East, which problematizes concepts of modernity in Iran and the broader Middle East with a global comparative perspective. The book investigates the lives of the underclasses of Iranian society in the 19th and 20th centuries and their particular relationship with both socio-economic hierarchies and modernity. A central argument of the book is that modernity was a project conducted by the elite classes of society, especially in the context of Iran. Throughout the Q&A session, Dr. Cronin answered questions on topics ranging from issues surrounding veiling to the history of slavery in Iran and the surrounding region. The event serves not only as a fitting summary of Dr. Cronin’s book but also as a fascinating discussion for anyone interested in the history of Iran in the last century.
Stephanie Cronin is Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Research Fellow at St Antony's College and is a member of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford. She is the author and editor of multiple books and journal articles on Middle Eastern and Iranian history.
