Culture and Customs of Iran

by Daniel, Elton L.

• ISBN13: 9780313320538
• ISBN10: 0313320535
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-30
• Publisher: Greenwood Pub Group

Summary

Iran is often a hotspot in the news, and the Muslim state is usually negatively portrayed in the West. Culture and Customs of Iran rejects facile stereotyping and presents the rich, age-old Persian culture that struggles with pressures of the modern world. This is the first volume in English to reveal the important sociocultural facets of Iran today for a general audience in an objective fashion. Authoritative, substantive narrative chapters cover the gamut of topics, from religion and religious thought to Iranian cuisine and festivals.

Author Biography

Ali Akbar Mahdi is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ohio Wesleyan University. Elton L. Daniel is Professor of History at the University of Hawaii.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword	vii
Preface	ix
Chronology	xiii
1. Introduction: The Land and the People	1	(36)
2. Religions and Religious Life	37	(28)
3. Literature	65	(28)
4. Drama and Cinema	93	(26)
5. Architecture	119	(18)
6. Carpets	137	(12)
7. Food and Dining	149	(8)
8. Family, Women, and Gender Relations	157	(20)
9. Holidays, Festivals, and Annual Events	177	(12)
10. Music and Dance	189	(22)
Glossary	211	(4)
Selected Bibliography	215	(8)
Index	223