Pardis Mahdavi


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Temple University Press •

Temple University Press: Transformations Books Series

With a focus on narrative storytelling, the Transformations Books series explores issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as shaped by the lived experiences of authors and grounded in specific locations domestically and globally. Taking geography and justice as broad mapping coordinates, these short, elegant books of 25,000 to 30,000 words engage a cross-section of popular and scholarly readers with powerful, compelling moments of change—exploring all the pain, joy, promise
Free Speech TV •

Countdown to the Midterms: Protests in Iran with Pardis Mahdavi

Iranian American scholar #PardisMahdavi says the current protests and latest uprisings in Iran are built on the resistance of the previous generations. Mahdavi's recent book, Passionate Uprisings, chronicles a recent sexual revolution among Iranian youth, in defiance of the country's conservative regime. Fifteen years ago the morality police - a branch of the Islamic regime's police charged with upholding conservative dress code and behavioral norms - barged in while she was giving a lecture in Tehran.
Houston Public Media •

Protests continue over the death of Mahsa Amini

A tragic loss of life has sparked a nation to demand their basic human rights following decades of strict laws. Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk. For a month now, protests have raged on in Iran following the brutal death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the morality police for allegedly failing to meet the requirements of the country's
thestar.com •

‘Women, life, freedom’: Inside Iran’s new revolution

Guests: Anonymous member of 1500Tasvir and Pardis Mahdavi, author of “Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution” The protests are actually growing despite the violent crackdowns. ... The protests not only show no sign of decreasing, but what we're seeing actually are increased generations out there protesting. Some of the images that we were seeing yesterday are of young schoolgirls, even, resisting, protesting, adding their voice to the protests. And to me, it's interesting to see this generation, this is the generation born after the 2000s who were born into resistance, these are young people who are building on the decades' worth of work that ... feminists, women and men, have been doing since the revolution.
The Conversation •

Iranian women have been rebelling against restrictions since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 – with renewed hope that protests this time will end differently

Shouts of “death to the dictator” and “woman, life, freedom” are reverberating throughout the streets of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, while in custody of the “morality police” in Tehran. These protests have echoes from past resistance movements. For the past two decades I have been studying gender and sexual politics in post-revolutionary Iran through on-the-ground ethnographic fieldwork. For some 40 years following the Feb. 11, 1979, Iranian Revolution, when Ay
GBH News •

‘A 40-year struggle’: Will Iran’s protests bring about real regime change?

Iranians continue to protest over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody earlier this month. Women and men alike have taken to the streets, with many women removing and burning their hijabs and headscarves in acts of defiance. Pardis Mahdavi, author of ‘Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution” joined Jim Braude to share her run-in with the so-called ‘morality police’. Tara Sonenshine, professor of practice at The Fletcher School at Tufts University also joined as the three discussed what could bring about real change in the country. GBH News is a premier source for in-depth local news and original story telling based in Boston, Massachusetts. Subscribe to the GBH YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/gbhnews?sub_confirmation=1 Follow GBH News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gbhnews/ Like GBH News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gbhnews/ Follow GBH News on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHNews
Ms. Magazine •

Iran’s Presidential Election Threatens to Undo Decades of Feminist Organizing

A closed Iran led by Ebrahim Raisi—known for squashing any and all attempts at human rights—will be a devastating blow to feminist organizing. Iran’s presidential election—or what some feminist activists are referring to as a “selection”—has cast a dark shadow on the feminist movement in the Islamic Republic. It started with the selection of candidates earlier this year. Over 130 women (and almost 1,500 men) put their names forward to be considered for the election. In April, the Council of Gu

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The Conversation •

Lionel Messi's black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World Cup triumph

Shortly before Lionel Messi took to the stage to lift up the World Cup trophy, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani put a black cloak, called a “bisht,” over the Argentinian soccer star’s shoulders. Images of Messi wrapped in black fabric, which might have been construed as obscuring his national jersey, caused confusion around the world. Many fans questioned why the Argentinian soccer star was shrouded in an Arabian cape, with some suggesting that it “ruined an iconic moment.”
thestar.com •

‘Women, life, freedom’: Inside Iran’s new revolution

Guests: Anonymous member of 1500Tasvir and Pardis Mahdavi, author of “Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution” The protests are actually growing despite the violent crackdowns. ... The protests not only show no sign of decreasing, but what we're seeing actually are increased generations out there protesting. Some of the images that we were seeing yesterday are of young schoolgirls, even, resisting, protesting, adding their voice to the protests. And to me, it's interesting to see this generation, this is the generation born after the 2000s who were born into resistance, these are young people who are building on the decades' worth of work that ... feminists, women and men, have been doing since the revolution.
Apple Podcasts •

‎Breaking Battlegrounds: Pardis Mahdavi on Iran's Morality Police on

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Pardis Mahdavi, an Iranian-American scholar who recently published an incredible op-ed in the Washington Post, “When Iran’s ‘morality police’ came for me.” Later in the show, Matt Beienburg of the Goldwater Institute joins us with an update on Arizona’s ESA program. Pardis Mahdavi is the dean of the social sciences division in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University, and a professor in ASU’s School
Arizona PBS •

Young women and children particularly vulnerable to Taliban violence

As we continue to monitor the situation in Afghanistan, many are concerned about the safety of women and young children in the country. Taliban fighters are notorious for taking young women, particularly as their brides. Dean Pardis Mahdavi is the head of social sciences at ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and has family connections in Afghanistan—we talked about the ordeal earlier.

Hyphen: Pardis Mahdavi in Conversation with Steven Beschloss | Arizona State University

Changing Hands Bookstore presents Pardis Mahdavi, author of "Hyphen," dean of social sciences and director of the School of Social Transformation at ASU in a virtual event on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 6 p.m. To hyphenate or not to hyphenate has been a central point of controversy since before the imprinting of the first Gutenberg Bible. And yet, the hyphen has persisted, bringing and bridging new words and concepts. "Hyphen" follows the story of the hyphen from antiquity – the word "hyphen" is
The Stranger •

We Should Be Hyphenating the Fuck Out of Everything

We Should Be Hyphenating the Fuck Out of Everything In the summer of 2007, Pardis Mahdavi stood before a podium at the University of Tehran and prepared to speak about the Iranian sexual revolution. She'd been studying the cultural movement for the last seven years, and she wanted to go live with the results before her book on the topic, Passionate Uprisings, published in the United States. With her anthropological work, Mahdavi, whose parents had immigrated to the U.S. while she was still in
Town Hall Seattle •

Pardis Mahdavi with Rich Smith (livestream)

A Social and Personal History of the Hyphen To hyphenate or not to hyphenate, that is the question. It has been a central point of controversy since before the imprinting of the first Gutenberg Bible. And yet, the hyphen has persisted, bringing and bridging new words and concepts. In conversation with Rich Smith, Associate Editor of The Stranger, academic and anthropologist Pardis Mahdavi shares an introduction to the hidden life of an ordinary thing—the hyphen. With support from her book Hyph

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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (MOLLI) •

THE CREATIVE SPARK THAT IGNITED A REVOLUTION - OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE (MOLLI)

What would creativity look like if it were part of the resistance? In Iran today we are seeing how a series of creative sparks have ignited a revolution that is unfolding in real time on the streets of Iran. For months, the world has been watching with bated breath as the murder of a young woman at the hands of the morality police spurred an outpouring of resistance on the streets of Iran, with dissenters communicating their politics through song, art, poetry, and fashion, and in many cases, being punished for it. Hundreds have died in the ongoing protests whose slogan “women, life, freedom” has caught fire around the world. And as their defiant and creative activism continues, the world watches as creativity sparks a revolution to unseat one of the world’s most elusive regimes.
Zócalo Public Square •

Women's Movements Can Save the World—by Learning From Each Other

That was the title question posed, on International Women’s Day, to two Arizona State University experts on women’s leadership at a Zócalo/ASU Center on the Future of War event. “In a nutshell, I would say yes,” said Pardis Mahdavi, the dean of social sciences in Arizona State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and an anthropologist whose scholarship covers gendered labor, migration, sexuality, human rights, transnational feminism, and public health. She said that transnational
ASU News •

Can women’s movements save the world?

ASU's Center on the Future of War will host forum on transnational feminist movements to commemorate International Women’s Day 2021 Women around the world are realizing there is strength in numbers when they have shared challenges. In the last decade in particular, international feminist movements have been tackling women’s rights issues and bringing reform and systemic change to issues surrounding equity, power, privilege, health care and social justice. Arizona State University’s Center on