One of the most influential arenas in shaping and transforming gender relations is the university. Like any other social institution, the university is grounded in relations of authority, social norms, and defined roles, and it reproduces the gender relations of the wider society. At the same time, it provides space for its members to critically reconsider learned values and attitudes. The central question of this study is: which forms of gender relations are reproduced in Iranian universities, and which types of femininity are reinforced by the university context. This research focuses on female university students’ understanding of both explicit and implicit gender relations within Iranian universities. It examines various aspects of student life, including classroom experiences and interactions with professors, engagement with university bureaucracy, participation in student associations, and interactions with male students. Employing a qualitative approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focused group discussions with 43 female students across nine universities in Iran and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The research identifies two ideal types of universities: those with egalitarian norms—mostly public universities in Tehran characterized by intellectual traditions and vibrant student associations—and those with conservative norms, primarily located in peripheral or less central regions of the country. The formal university structure in Iran offers limited space for critical reflection on gender norms. Instead, both formal and informal relations in the classroom, professor-student interactions, and engagement with university bureaucracy—particularly the disciplinary system—consciously or unconsciously reinforce what R.W. Connell terms "emphasized femininity." In universities and faculties with conservative cultural orientations, this compliant femininity is highly esteemed. In contrast, in universities with more tolerant norms, hybrid femininity is encouraged. However, the overall academic system in Iran, aligned with the official cultural policy, is structured in a way that marginalizes and excludes resistant femininity.
Keshavarz, Kh., Azizi, M., & Yousefi Moghaddam, Sh. (2020). Tahlīl-e tajrobe-ye fa‘āliyat-e tašakoli-ye doxtarān-e dānešjū dar dahehā-ye haštād va navad-e Šamsi bā ta’kīd bar ‘āmel-e jensiyat [Analyzing Female Students’ Experiences of organizational activity in the 1380sh and 1390sh with emphasis on gender] (Uunpublished research project). Institute for Social and Cultural Studies [In Persian]
Nosraty, N., Tomraee, S., & Zamani, M. (2020). Beauty business in Iran: Does beauty make you healthy?. Socio-Spatial Studies, 4(1), 1-12. doi:10.22034/soc.2020.211920
Keshavarz,K. and Moosavi Viaye,F. (2024). Understanding normative femininity in Iranian universities: A case study of female students. Journal of University Studies, 2(3), 5-43. doi: 10.22035/jous.2024.5490.1100
MLA
Keshavarz,K. , and Moosavi Viaye,F. . "Understanding normative femininity in Iranian universities: A case study of female students", Journal of University Studies, 2, 3, 2024, 5-43. doi: 10.22035/jous.2024.5490.1100
HARVARD
Keshavarz K., Moosavi Viaye F. (2024). 'Understanding normative femininity in Iranian universities: A case study of female students', Journal of University Studies, 2(3), pp. 5-43. doi: 10.22035/jous.2024.5490.1100
CHICAGO
K. Keshavarz and F. Moosavi Viaye, "Understanding normative femininity in Iranian universities: A case study of female students," Journal of University Studies, 2 3 (2024): 5-43, doi: 10.22035/jous.2024.5490.1100
VANCOUVER
Keshavarz K., Moosavi Viaye F. Understanding normative femininity in Iranian universities: A case study of female students. Journal of University Studies, 2024; 2(3): 5-43. doi: 10.22035/jous.2024.5490.1100
