Iranian Romance in the Digital Age

<p>Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution there was a dramatic reversal of women's<br>rights and the state revived many premodern social conventions through<br>modern means and institutions. Customs such as the enforced veiling of women <br>easy divorce for men child marriage and polygamy were robustly reintroduced<br>and those who did not conform to societal strictures were severely punished. At<br>the same time new social and economic programs benefited the urban and rural<br>poor especially women which had a direct impact on gender relations and the<br>institution of marriage. Edited by Janet Afary and Jesilyn Faust this interdisciplinary<br>volume responds to the growing interest and need for literature on gender marriage<br>and family relations in the Islamic context. The book examines how the institution<br>of marriage transformed in Iran paying close attention to the country's culture<br>and politics. Part One examines changes in urban marriages to new forms of<br>cohabitation. In Part Two contributors such as Soraya Tremayne explore the way<br>technology and social media has impacted and altered the institution of family.<br>Part Three turns its eye to look at marital changes in the rural and tribal sectors<br>of society through the works of anthropologists including Erika Friedl and Mary<br>Hegland. Based on the work of both new and established scholars the book<br>provides an up-to-date study of an important and intensely politicized subject.</p>