Young and Defiant in Tehran

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Urban, Anthropology
Cover of the book Young and Defiant in Tehran by Shahram Khosravi, University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Shahram Khosravi ISBN: 9780812206814
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. Publication: September 28, 2011
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press Language: English
Author: Shahram Khosravi
ISBN: 9780812206814
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publication: September 28, 2011
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.

Cover of the book Why Education Is Useless by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Place and Memory in the Singing Crane Garden by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Universal Human Rights and Extraterritorial Obligations by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book New Age Capitalism by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Shades of Difference by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Regulatory Breakdown by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Surviving Slavery in the British Caribbean by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Making Love in the Twelfth Century by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Nietzsche in the Nineteenth Century by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Corporations and Citizenship by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book The Altar at Home by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Republic of Taste by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Misunderstanding Terrorism by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Jeremiah's Scribes by Shahram Khosravi
Cover of the book Brothers, Sing On! by Shahram Khosravi
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy