Islam, Gender, and Development Rural-Urban Migration of Women in Iran

by Velayati, Masoumeh

• ISBN13: 9780739114520
• ISBN10: 0739114522
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-12-18
• Publisher: Lexington Books

Summary

In this fascinating study examining one of the poorest urban slums in Iran, Masoumeh Velayati explores the cultural, social, and economic factors that contribute to the migration of women from rural to urban locations in Iran and the consequences of their entry into the labor market. Much of the existing literature on women and Iran focuses on Tehran and reflects the situation of educated women of the middle class. This important, highly readable book analyzes the economic and social conditions of working-class Iranian women who have migrated from rural parts of the East Azerbaijan province to Tabriz, the capital of the province and fourth largest city in Iran. Velayati shows how migrant women navigate within and between the formal and informal economies. In the slums of Tabriz, migrant women work around the cultural taboo of working outside the home by involving themselves in domestic industry that can be conducted from home, the largest of these industries being carpet-making. The rise in migrant women involved in income-generating activities has created much greater gender consciousness and there exists a considerable tension between traditional gender norms and economic necessity of women to work. Because of the existing struggle for women to work within the boundaries of traditional gender roles, Velayati argues that employment and migration will only prove to be liberating forces for women when they are allowed to enter the more regulated, visible economic sectors outside the home. Readers interested in Islam, gender studies, migration, and urbanization will gravitate toward this engaging portrait of working-class migrant women in Iran.

Author Biography

Masoumeh Velayati received her PhD in development studies through the Department of Politics at the University of York. She is currently working as a funding development coordinator for International Service (UNAIS), an international development organization based in York, United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
List of Figures	p. xi
List of Tables	p. xiii
Preface	p. xix
Acknowledgments	p. xxvii
Theoretical Debates on Rural-Urban Migration	p. 1
Gender Analysis of Migration	p. 17
An Overview of Migration and Urbanization in Iran	p. 33
Methodology	p. 55
Survey Analysis of Migration in Tabriz	p. 77
Examining Practical Obstacles toward Educational Level/Success among Female Migrants	p. 123
Migrant Women in the Domestic Carpet Industry	p. 199
Migrant Women in Different Sectors of the Economy: Women in Wage-Earning Occupations	p. 239
Conclusion	p. 281
Questionnaire	p. 291
Interview Questions	p. 299
Glossary	p. 303
Bibliography	p. 307
Index	p. 323
About the Author	p. 331
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