Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Authors

• Sedigheh Heidari Majd ^{1 ¶}
• Khadige Barzegar ²

¹ phD. Student of women's studies, women's rights in Islam Department of Women's Studies Faculty of Humanities Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran,Iran.

² Assistant Professor at University of Religions and Denominations, Faculty of Women and Family Studies, Department of Women's Law in Islam, Qom, Iran

Abstract

The field of women's studies in Iran is a development from the West in line with the global development and the impact of feminist currents on the academic environment. Considering the two decades of presence of women's studies in the scientific environment of Iran, we expect to see the role of the graduates in the scientific and social dimensions related to women. This paper aims to take a pathological look at the capabilities of the women's studies in training the graduates as activists in the field of women's studies. The present research, using a qualitative method and using interview tools with women's studies students and content analysis technique, examines the application of concepts and theories in the lived experience of students at different levels of knowledge, Insight and Action. The research will be carried out through qualititative method, grounded theory, using in-depth interviews as data collection technique and coding text and analysis of the more comprehensive answers. Final categories are 15 including students’ empowerment in creative thinking, a lack of backgroung knowledge on sociology, inadequacy of the approved course units in covering objective issues, necessity of updating the units plays main role in efficiency and the realization of goals, the conflict between the objectivity and the subjectivity in the topics and teachings of women's studies, avoiding active and conscious activism and the role of students and professors in the application of the concepts of in lived experience.

Highlights

Background and Purpose

Academically, the interdisciplinary discipline of women's studies originated in the West within the domains of sociology and the social sciences. This critical approach is supported by the historical development of sociology in the West, which suggests that "male dominance has cast such a shadow over sociology that ignoring women in it is not a superficial flaw, but rather a male vision ingrained in its structure. From the very beginning, focusing on men has relegated women to a marginal position" (Abbott & Wallace, 2010). Despite the impact of political feminism on the discipline of women's studies, Western universities offer an opportunity for students to examine the status, experiences, and participation of women in society in the past and present through the lens of women's studies as an interdisciplinary humanities field that equips learners with the necessary reasoning and methodological skills for conducting research and prepares them for systematic thinking (Center for Women’s Participation Affairs, 2001).

Interdisciplinary activities in practice and work process also encounter certain challenges and difficulties, primarily organizational and methodical (Khorsandi, 2009). "The significant challenge faced by women's studies in Iran is the conflict between the goals and concepts of feminism and the cultural and religious traditions of the country. This has resulted in women's studies being seen as a subversive and rebellious field in Iran." (Towhidi, 2015). In Iran, the field of women's studies was established due to the influence of two significant currents. In the seventies, there was a noticeable influence of feminism on journalistic activities (Patai et al., 2010). The second movement is connected to the government of the era, specifically the reformist government. One of their first actions was creating the Presidential Office of Women's Affairs. Eventually, they drafted the declaration of women's rights and duties in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Sarmadi, 2017).

The evaluation of women's studies field in Iran highlights the importance of various actors, including policymakers, executives (such as teachers and education department officials), and students. Through the practical application of the principles and knowledge gained in this field, students can assess the compatibility between the needs and concerns of women and the theories and teachings of women's studies. By approaching the subject with a balanced and thoughtful perspective, individuals can accurately assess the value and relevance of women's studies in addressing the challenges and concerns women face in their lived experiences. The content and curriculum that have been approved are the main and primary sources for presenting concepts and teachings. The authors of the study by Jamali Zawareh et al. (2008) state that scientific content involves a range of knowledge, skills, and awareness that students should gain in a particular course and field. This goes beyond simply acquiring information and knowledge in a subject but also includes important skills like problem-solving and critical thinking. To ensure the alignment between the presented content and lived experiences, it is crucial to examine university education and its influence on students' experiences (Riegeluth et al., 2015). Given that the primary objective of education is learning (Dehghanzadeh, 2015), the content given to graduates plays a crucial role as a learning tool.

Method

In this study, a qualitative approach was employed, utilizing interview tools and content analysis techniques. The target population is the curriculum approved by the Ministry of Science in the field of women's studies. Three courses were chosen from the basic and advanced curriculum on women and families using a purposive sampling method:

1. Women's social movements and criticism of feminism
2. The history of family developments (from advanced courses)
3. Women and family pathology (from advanced courses)

The participants in this study are undergraduate students from three universities: the University of Religions and Denominations, Alzahra University, and Allameh Tabataba'i University. These students were admitted in 2018 and were selected without taking their gender into account. The individuals were chosen for an interview using the snowball sampling approach. Given the unique circumstances of the Covid-19 outbreak, the interview was done remotely via a telephone conversation.

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of participants

Results

The research findings indicate that, based on the students' lived experiences, there are three distinct levels of interaction between the content and the student. These levels include the level of knowledge (awareness), the level of attitude (change of perspective), and the level of action. Each of these levels included a total of 15 core categories.

The insufficiency of the approved curriculum, the deficiency of the student's contextual understanding, the professor's responsibility in conveying and implementing concepts, and the student's responsibility in assimilating concepts, the use of conceptual and theoretical literature to facilitate critical presentation, scientific explanation and overcoming absolutism, a gender-sensitive approach and understanding patriarchal hegemony, encouraging students' creative and critical thinking, updating the curriculum as a means to achieve efficiency and realize goals in this field, and the conflict between object and subject in the topics of women's studies, The interplay between social construction (culture), education, and social awareness in relation to the theories and concepts put forth in the realm of women's studies, the discouragement of conscious and active activism, the dearth of suitable job opportunities and career fields, and the implicit influence of concepts on students' perspectives and attitude are the key factors that describe the process of applying concepts and teachings in the real-life experiences of students.

Discussion and Conclusion

The three levels of knowledge, insight, and action are fundamental aspects of students' lived experiences. Furthermore, the interconnectivity between these levels should also be taken into account. It suggests that students who struggled to connect with the concepts due to cultural differences, whether ethnic or religious, did not actively engage in social activism because they did not perceive a necessity for it. It is the case at the level of insight that sometimes, one may have developed an understanding of women's shared identity, but when it comes to taking action, they view prevailing social structures as predominantly patriarchal. In the students' lived experiences, these structures are seen as the primary influence on the advancement of women's status and the practical application of women's studies. Hence, these structures influence the proactive and mindful engagement of women in activism, resulting in the implementation of just those changes and advancements that the governing institutions and authorities desire.

Keywords

• women's studies
• lived experience
• course contents
• interdisciplinary

Main Subjects

• Woman and family