Iranian Romance in the Digital Age

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.