Women’s Education and the Transformation of Religious and National Identities during the Reza Shah Pahlavi Era
This project examines the role of women’s education in the transformation of religious and national identities in Iran during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925–1941). It focuses on the expansion of girls’ education, the establishment of new educational institutions, and changes in educational content as important aspects of the modernization and nation-building processes of the period.
The research explores how educational reforms shaped the representation of women and contributed to changing understandings of religion, morality, patriotism, citizenship, and women’s social roles. It particularly examines how education contributed to the redefinition of religious and national identities and to the formation of new forms of social and national belonging among Iranian women.
The project seeks to highlight the role of education not only in the transmission of knowledge but also in the broader cultural and social transformation of Iran during the Reza Shah period.