Product Description

With more than half its population under twenty years old, Iran is one of the world's most youthful nations. The Iranian state characterizes its youth population in two ways: as a homogeneous mass, "an army of twenty millions" devoted to the Revolution, and as alienated, inauthentic, Westernized consumers who constitute a threat to the society. Much of the focus of the Islamic regime has been on ways to protect Iranian young people from moral hazards and to prevent them from providing a gateway for cultural invasion from the West. Iranian authorities express their anxieties through campaigns that target the young generation and its lifestyle and have led to the criminalization of many of the behaviors that make up youth culture.

In this ethnography of contemporary youth culture in Iran's capital, Shahram Khosravi examines how young Tehranis struggle for identity in the battle over the right to self-expression. Khosravi looks closely at the strictures confronting Iranian youth and the ways transnational cultural influences penetrate and flourish. Focusing on gathering places such as shopping centers and coffee shops, Khosravi examines the practices of everyday life through which young Tehranis demonstrate defiance against the official culture and parental dominance. In addition to being sites of opposition, Khosravi argues, these alternative spaces serve as creative centers for expression and, above all, imagination. His analysis reveals the transformative power these spaces have and how they enable young Iranians to develop their own culture as well as individual and generational identities. The text is enriched by examples from literature and cinema and by livid reports from the author's fieldwork.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #253602 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review

"One of the most methodologically sound and theoretically grounded studies of Iranian youth produced so far. . . . Highly recommended."—Choice

"A lively and rich text for anybody interested in youth culture, urban and popular cultures, cultural politics, Muslim cultures, and Middle East studies. Shahram Khosravi defies popular images of dull Iranian culture and introduces vibrant features of Tehran life and cultural negotiations. The book successfully engages and uniquely contributes to ongoing debates about Islam, modernity, culture, urban spaces, and resistance."—Anthropological Quarterly

About the Author
Shahram Khosravi is Associate Professor of Social Anthropology at Stockholm University.

Customer Reviews

Young and Defiant in Tehran
Dr. Khosravi has created a stunning work in his recent book Young and Defiant in Tehran. Each page is significant for the factual information it conveys - which is then mediated by nuanced analysis and original thought. While in generic terms he offers ethnography, it is much more than this. Relying primarily on Michel Foucault's thinking as a frame of reference, Khosravi explores the creation and use of space in relation to the exercise of power and projection of identity, or as he says, `...how young Tehranis struggle for subjectivity'. They do this in an environment in which the regime constructs a `hegemonic identity'. It is a book about the consequences of ideologically inspired repression, about identity creation and management, generational change, and tangentially about components of self-conceptions which are enduring within specific cultural contexts. Anyone who is interested in Iran - as a scholar, policy-maker, military leader, or member of the public who understands the importance of the issues Khosravi raises must read this book. It has speaks to people interested in human rights, gender issues, and even those who want to develop and refine a broader strategic perspective. Khosravi's work has an underlying tone of sadness, hurt and frustration and should be read if for no other reasons than to validate what he and his book represent.