Migration is an established phenomenon in today’s world. However, there has been only a relatively small amount of research on Iranian migrants in Australia, and in particular female Iranian migrants. By studying 15 first-generation Iranian Muslim women migrants’ perceptions of their immigration to Australia and their difficulties in adjusting to the new culture, this study addresses four objectives: first, the extent of modification in religious identity; second, attitudes towards cultural maintenance; third, attitudes towards language maintenance; and fourth, attitudes towards gender role maintenance. The present study contributes to these underdeveloped areas of study on Iranian migrant women in Australia. This research involves a questionnaire and extensive interviews with the subjects. On the basis of a quantitative analysis of the questionnaire data, and a qualitative content analysis of the interviews, the study investigates the effects of immigration and a change of sociocultural context on the attitudes of the participants towards maintaining or modifying different aspects of their identity, namely the religious, cultural, linguistic and gender aspects. In doing so, we examine, in particular, the influence of the participants’ levels of English language proficiency on their attitudes towards change in these four aspects of their identity. Berry’s Acculturation Model (1997) and its extended version, as proposed by Navasa and her colleagues (2005), are the theoretical frameworks adopted in this research. The present study tests the participants’ responses against Berry’s model. The two issues explored in this work are: a) identifying the phase in Berry’s Acculturation Model in which the participants are located, with respect to the above-mentioned aspects of their identity; and b) examining the effect of English language proficiency, which emerges as a major factor, on the acculturation process of the participants. The findings show that there is a need to review the existing acculturation models, since Berry’s original model, and its enhancement by Navasa et al., are unable to explain and/or predict the acculturation situation of the migrant women in this study. A new model is therefore proposed – the Sociolinguistically Enhanced Acculturation Model (SLEAM), based on Berry’s original model, in which the impact and significance of the role of host language proficiency as the most important factor in the acculturation of migrants is integrated into the structure of the model. The current study is broadly located at the intersection of Sociolinguistics, in so far as sociocultural issues involving language and the use of language are concerned, and Migrant Studies, since the informants are migrant women. More narrowly, the study fits within the boundaries of Sociolinguistics of Identity. By this, we mean the study of identity in a sociocultural context, primarily through the instrumentality of language. The study further relies on the literature from the two fields of Acculturation and Gender Studies. The findings of this work are relevant to the fields of Sociolinguistics, Intercultural Communication, Migrant Studies, and Gender Studies. The results of this research are designed to increase our understanding of the acculturation processes involved in the relocation and settlement of immigrants, specifically from more traditional cultures, into relatively more Western-oriented cultures.

Migration is an established phenomenon in today’s world. However, there has been only a relatively small amount of research on Iranian migrants in Australia, and in particular female Iranian migrants. By studying 15 first-generation Iranian Muslim women migrants’ perceptions of their immigration to Australia and their difficulties in adjusting to the new culture, this study addresses four objectives: first, the extent of modification in religious identity; second, attitudes towards cultural maintenance; third, attitudes towards language maintenance; and fourth, attitudes towards gender role maintenance. The present study contributes to these underdeveloped areas of study on Iranian migrant women in Australia. This research involves a questionnaire and extensive interviews with the subjects. On the basis of a quantitative analysis of the questionnaire data, and a qualitative content analysis of the interviews, the study investigates the effects of immigration and a change of sociocultural context on the attitudes of the participants towards maintaining or modifying different aspects of their identity, namely the religious, cultural, linguistic and gender aspects. In doing so, we examine, in particular, the influence of the participants’ levels of English language proficiency on their attitudes towards change in these four aspects of their identity. Berry’s Acculturation Model (1997) and its extended version, as proposed by Navasa and her colleagues (2005), are the theoretical frameworks adopted in this research. The present study tests the participants’ responses against Berry’s model. The two issues explored in this work are: a) identifying the phase in Berry’s Acculturation Model in which the participants are located, with respect to the above-mentioned aspects of their identity; and b) examining the effect of English language proficiency, which emerges as a major factor, on the acculturation process of the participants. The findings show that there is a need to review the existing acculturation models, since Berry’s original model, and its enhancement by Navasa et al., are unable to explain and/or predict the acculturation situation of the migrant women in this study. A new model is therefore proposed – the Sociolinguistically Enhanced Acculturation Model (SLEAM), based on Berry’s original model, in which the impact and significance of the role of host language proficiency as the most important factor in the acculturation of migrants is integrated into the structure of the model. The current study is broadly located at the intersection of Sociolinguistics, in so far as sociocultural issues involving language and the use of language are concerned, and Migrant Studies, since the informants are migrant women. More narrowly, the study fits within the boundaries of Sociolinguistics of Identity. By this, we mean the study of identity in a sociocultural context, primarily through the instrumentality of language. The study further relies on the literature from the two fields of Acculturation and Gender Studies. The findings of this work are relevant to the fields of Sociolinguistics, Intercultural Communication, Migrant Studies, and Gender Studies. The results of this research are designed to increase our understanding of the acculturation processes involved in the relocation and settlement of immigrants, specifically from more traditional cultures, into relatively more Western-oriented cultures.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the participation of females in the labor force of Iran between 1956 and 1966. Selected demographic variables are age, educational attainment, employment rates, and marital status. The data are from the national censuses of 1956 and 1966. The traditional female roles are discussed. The findings of the study indicate that female participation rates increased in the educational, economical and political fields. There are indications that sex roles are being modified as related to urbanization and industrialization.

The aim of the thesis is to reflect on selected modernization reforms of Reza Shah in the first period of the Pahlaví dynasty (1925-1941) from the point of view of women who studied, started families and tried to work in this period. The basic source is women's memoirs published in 2018 in Iran, by Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani. The thesis examines the reaction of women to the Shah's reforms, the consequences of social changes and, more generally, a role these women played in the process of modernization of Iran. The reforms that the work focuses on are related to the position of women in society and have had an immediate impact on their lives: for example, amendments to family laws, education, job opportunities, social activities and the type of clothing. The work is divided into two parts. The theoretical part examines the political and economic background of Iran in the second half of the 19th century and in the early 20th century until the 1940s. It also discusses Reza Shah's government and its plans and reforms for modernizing Iran, and finally the living conditions of Iranian women during this period. It describes the conditions in which they lived, what limitations they faced and what activities they engaged in. In the practical part, it examines in detail the reforms of Reza Shah in the field of...

The aim of the thesis is to reflect on selected modernization reforms of Reza Shah in the first period of the Pahlaví dynasty (1925-1941) from the point of view of women who studied, started families and tried to work in this period. The basic source is women's memoirs published in 2018 in Iran, by Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani. The thesis examines the reaction of women to the Shah's reforms, the consequences of social changes and, more generally, a role these women played in the process of modernization of Iran. The reforms that the work focuses on are related to the position of women in society and have had an immediate impact on their lives: for example, amendments to family laws, education, job opportunities, social activities and the type of clothing. The work is divided into two parts. The theoretical part examines the political and economic background of Iran in the second half of the 19th century and in the early 20th century until the 1940s. It also discusses Reza Shah's government and its plans and reforms for modernizing Iran, and finally the living conditions of Iranian women during this period. It describes the conditions in which they lived, what limitations they faced and what activities they engaged in. In the practical part, it examines in detail the reforms of Reza Shah in the field of...

The purpose of this study was to describe health definitions, strategies, attitudes, benefits, barriers, and suggested solutions to weight loss from· the perspective of overweight Iranian women. Of interest also was to get women's feedback on the value of focus group techniques in gathering information from this group. Participants were 18 Iranian women between the ages of 21-49 years old, who lived in the urban area of Tehran, having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater. Considerations of health for the participants included, physical appearance, feelings about life, and healthy habits. Health was related to specific experiences in life which were either due to external situations or internal forces. The results displayed the influence of the daily life activities which are culturally and religiously defined. In relation to weight control practices, diet and exercise were prevalent, showing an interest in short term weight loss strategies. The importance of family and friends as positive influences to weight loss were expressed. Improving physical appearance, seen as a benefit of attaining weight loss was a recurring theme that came up in different contexts. This seems to differ from what the society tries to promote when minimizing the value of physical appearance. Other religious beliefs were strongly voiced in women's emphasis on having a strong "will power" and self-discipline as requirements to lose weight. Women overall were positive about the use of focus group discussions. These insights into women's health perceptions and attitudes toward weight loss appear to be useful when nutritionists address health and weight related issues. / Master of Science

The author covers issues of gender and Iranian national identity as reflected in Iran’s first published woman novelist, Simin Daneshvar. Her novel, Savushun, is the first novel to be published by an Iranianwoman in 1969. The novel depicts Iran at the start of the country’s governmental factions in 1941 when Reza Shah Pahlavi overthrew years of Iranian dynasty and established a monarchy. This thesis explores how the novel is a vital part of Iran’s historical literature as well as essential to the present day discussion of gender and politics, especially for women within the patriarchal paradigm.

This thesis examines the first collections of modern Persian literature written by Iranian female authors in the context of a process of gender modernization during the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s reign (1941-1979). This thesis argues that women’s literature written during the period of transition from tradition to modernity is clearly influenced by the state’s gender policy and illustrates the changing position of women’s status in private and public life. Indeed, an examination of the collections of short stories and poems that were produced in this period demonstrates that female authors were concerned with the unveiling policy, arranged marriage and polygamy, women’s education, women’s social participation, women’s domestic obligations, women’s political awakening, and female sexuality. Furthermore, central themes covered by female authors changed significantly based on the transformations of gender politics the society experienced from the 1940s and 1950s to the 1960s and 1970s.

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This thesis is concerned with the concepts of exile, trauma, and nostalgia and how they all come together to create a sense of culture shock that the subjects of my thesis encountered. Azar Nafisi, Nahid Rachlin, Tara Bahrampour, and Azadeh Moaveni, are all Iranian-American authors, and despite their different life experiences and ages, they all encountered culture shock as it related to male-female relations, Iranian gender norms and issues of sex and sexuality and treatments and views of the female body as it relates to reproduction. / text