Tahqiqāt-e Tārikh-e Ejtemā’i (Social History Studies)

The Construction of Iranian Women Based on the Portrayed Model of Western Womanhood during the Reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (Case Study: Banu Magazine)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

sajjad jalilian 1
ali morshedizad 2
shohreh pirani 3

1 PhD student of Political Studies of Islamic Revolution, Shahid University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Political Studies Department of Islamic Revolution, Shahed University, Tehran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Studies of the Islamic Revolution, Shahid University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.30465/shc.2025.48647.2546
Abstract
Pahlavi II always tried to represent the western model of the concept of "woman" in Iranian society with the goal of social modernization. The press, especially women's magazines, including Banou magazine, were important tools in representing the government's preferred models of women. The main question of the article is about the representation of women in Banu magazine between the years (1323-26 AH). The result of the research, which was carried out by the method of content analysis and based on the three strategies of representation considered by Stewart Hall, shows that the publication aims to remove the strategic obstacles of the government, including the lack of semantic coherence about the characteristics of the ideal woman and the incompatibility of the considered definitions with the value and normative context. The society, as well as the realization of the strategic goals of the government, including confronting the traditional values of the society and creating an outward similarity between Iranian and Western women, has tried to introduce some of the considered characters by projecting normative themes (stereotyping) focusing on their feminine beauty. In the form of writing a biography (naturalization) and dealing with topics such as teaching sports movements in line with beauty and fitness, observing social etiquette, the need for women's employment and education, and teaching how to dress and make up, household etiquette and raising children in modern ways. Highlighting) to introduce herself as the embodiment of the thoughts of a prominent Iranian woman.

Keywords

"
Bano magazin
representation
stereotyping
naturalization
highlighting"

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 06 April 2024
  • Revise Date 16 May 2025
  • Accept Date 10 June 2025

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