Iran Debates

Carmen Pérez González's book,  Local Portraiture: Through the Lens of the 19th Century Iranian Photographers , examines the distinct photographic styles of Iranian photographers in contrast to those of foreign photographers who documented Iran during the 19th century. González argues that the Iranian photographers' aesthetic choices reflected their unique cultural and artistic sensibilitie...

Staci Gem Scheiwiller's book  Liminalities of Gender and Sexuality in Nineteenth-Century Iranian Photography: Desirous Bodies  examines how photographs in Qajar, Iran, negotiated and coded gender, sexuality, and desire. The book argues that photography became a strategy for empowerment and domination, serving as a tool for expression and being seen and exploring how it operated within pre-exis...

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, commemorating the University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.

Emily Blout authors this book about media and power in modern Iran. Blout examines the history of mass communication in Iran, focusing on how successive regimes have grappled with the challenges of emerging technologies, such as radio, television, satellite TV and the internet. Blout argues that these technologies have challenged the state's monopoly on communication and its ability to control...

"Mass Protests in Iran - From Resistance to Overthrow" examines the various periods of mass protest in Iran since the 1979 revolution.  The author, Masoud Kazemzadeh, analyzes the repressive nature of the Islamic fundamentalist regime, highlighting its totalitarian tendencies, economic mismanagement, and the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in suppressing dissent. Kaz...

The book explores the history of Marxist thought and practice in Europe and Iran, focusing on the evolution of Marxist theory from its classical origins to the contemporary era. They examine how Marxist concepts, such as democracy, the state, and class struggle, have been interpreted and applied in different historical contexts. The texts delve into the complexities of revolutionary movements, the...

A detailed account of the Carter administration’s involvement in the events leading up to the Iranian Revolution and the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty. The text examines the key players in the crisis, including President Carter, National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, and Ambassador William Sullivan. It focuses on the situation's complexities, highlighting...

"The Life and Times of the Shah" is a book chronicling the life of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, from his childhood to his exile. The book covers critical historical events such as the 1919 Anglo-Persian Agreement, the 1953 coup against Mohammad Mossadegh, the White Revolution, the Iranian Revolution, and the Shah's subsequent exile. It also explores his personal life...

"The Shah and the Ayatollah" analyses the 1979 Iranian Revolution, highlighting the clash between traditionalism and modernisation in Iranian society. The author argues that deep-seated historical and mythological beliefs, particularly the decisive role of the father figure in Iranian culture, contributed to the revolution's outcome. He explores ancient Iranian myths and the Islamic...

This book provides a comprehensive history of the Iranian oil crisis of 1951 54, examining the complex interplay of international politics, economic interests and internal Iranian power struggles. The authors draw upon newly declassified documents, archival research and interviews with key figures to unravel the events that led to the nationalisation of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and the subseq...

The book examines the various interpretations of Shari'a throughout Islamic history, highlighting how it has adapted to modern contexts and continues to evolve in the present day. The text focuses on the role of Shari'a in contemporary society, exploring its application in areas such as family law, governance, and social justice. It also discusses the influence of Western legal traditions...

This book examines the Iranian Revolution through the lens of Shi’ite Islamic culture, focusing on the role of the madrasa in Iranian society and how it transformed into a hotbed of political dissent under the Pahlavi dynasty. The author examines the Shi'ite worldview through the Karbala Paradigm and investigates the dynamics of education, politics, and religious authority in the lead-up to th...

The book examines Russia and Iran's complex and often fraught relationship from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. It explores Russian political, military and cultural influence in Iran, highlighting pivotal moments like the Russo-Iranian Wars, the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and the Soviet Union's role during World War II. The text also analyzes the activities of individuals,...

The book explores the political activism of Shi'i clerical elites in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon during the modern era. It examines how these elites responded to different political opportunity structures and how their interpretations of these structures shaped their political postures. The book also investigates how these elites have navigated a complex historical landscape, including the rise an...

The sources investigate the portrayal of Iran in American media, focusing on the coverage of the Iran nuclear deal. They examine journalistic routines, such as reliance on official sources, the influence of power structures, and the application of framing techniques to shape narratives. The sources also analyse how these media practices contribute to constructing a specific image of Iran and its p...

This excerpt from Laetitia Nanquette’s book,  Iranian Literature After the Islamic Revolution , provides a detailed analysis of the Iranian literary field. It examines the complex relationship between literary production and the Iranian state, exploring the effects of censorship and state control on the creation and circulation of literature. The book also examines the influence of globalisation o...

This collection of excerpts explores the lives of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, focusing on their experiences within the context of the Islamic Republic's constitution and society. The authors examine the complexities of religious pluralism, the challenges of cultural homogenization, and the impact of political entrepreneurship on the dynamics of religious and ethnic groups. The tex...

In 1888, there were just four British consulates in the country; by 1921 there were twenty-three. H. Lyman Stebbins investigates the development and consequences of British imperialism in Iran in a time of international rivalry, revolution and world war. While previous narratives of Anglo-Iranian relations have focused on the highest diplomatic circles in Tehran, London, Calcutta and St. Petersbur...