Art, Intellect and the State

Description

In recent years, scholarly interest in the late Pahlavi period (1941–1979) has grown significantly, and historians are increasingly approaching the era not merely as a prelude to the revolution, but as a period worthy of study in its own right. New generations of scholars have uncovered fresh sources and offered original perspectives on the cultural and social life of this era. Yet, opportunities for cross-disciplinary engagement among scholars from different fields who are exploring similar questions remain limited.

This volume is a collection of the work of scholars from various disciplines who investigate the cultural history of late Pahlavi Iran from a multiplicity of perspectives, including: archaeology, architecture, scholarship, media, art, film, literature, politics, religion, museums, music, philosophy, education and theatre.

The chapters explore the interactions between state ideology and the socio-cultural sphere, exploring ideas such as: the influence of the press and literature on social discourses; the culturally strategic and identity-forming role of the performing arts; the relationship between state education policy and culture; the employment of foreign artists, architects, scholars and musicians in the context of Iran’s cultural diplomacy; and the dynamics of (state) religion, spirituality, nationalism and psychology in modern media or through their dissemination in the media. This volume explores not only the Pahlavi state’s direct participation in facilitating cultural activity or scholarly endeavours, but also how artists, writers, historians and other cultural actors flourished independent of (sometimes in spite of) the state apparatus.

The case studies demonstrate the breadth and complexities of this field in historiography. Moreover, by shedding light on the various features of culture in the late Pahlavi era and encouraging multidisciplinary discussions, this volume aims to contribute to a greater understanding of the vibrant cultural life of Iran in this period.

Bianca Devos is a professor of Iranian Studies t the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, Philipps-Universität Marburg (Germany). Her research focuses on the cultural history of modern Iran. Her publications include books and articles on the press and entrepreneurship in early Pahlavi Iran, the representation of Persepolis in the print media, the adoption of new technologies in early 20th-century Iran, and Reza Shah’s dress politics. Together with Christoph Werner she co-edited the volume Culture and Cultural Politics Under Reza Shah: The Pahlavi State, New Bourgeoisie and the Creation of a Modern Society in Iran (Routledge).

Robert Steele is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Iranian Studies at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. He has previously held academic positions at the University of California, Los Angeles and the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of Pahlavi Iran’s Relations with Africa: Cultural and Political Connections in the Cold War (Cambridge University Press) and The Shah’s Imperial Celebrations of 1971: Nationalism, Culture and Politics in Late Pahlavi Iran (I.B. Tauris). He is co-editor (with Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet) of Iran and Global Decolonisation: Politics and Resistance After Empire (Gingko), and editor of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s Towards the Great Civilization (I.B. Tauris).

Contributors: Bianca Devos, Robert Steele, Yasamin Alkhansa, Sahereh Astaneh, Marziyeh Bazyar, Thomas Bédrède, Gareth Brereton, Fernando Camacho Padilla, Anna Heller, Bianca Devos, Liora Hendelman-Baavur, Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, Salomé Michel, Ali Mousavi, Elyas Pirasteh, Behrooz Shojaeian, Robert Steele, Khosrow Tousi, Behzad Zerehdaran.