Children in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution: Intersections of Age, Class and Gender in Political Activism
Welcome to a guest lecture with Dr. Sivan Balslev.
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Children in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution: Intersections of Age, Class and Gender in Political Activism
The Iranian Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911) is a seminal event in modern Iranian history, with much scholarly focus. My talk explores an uncharted aspect of the Revolution: the pivotal role of Iranian boys as actors in political events. Utilizing primary sources like newspapers, photos, and travel accounts, my research unveils how children were not passive spectators but active participants in protests and conflicts, their engagement influenced by social status, education, and gender.
Alongside their role in revolutionary activities, children were ubiquitous in nationalist narratives, where they were often portrayed as victims, enduring hardships of various kinds. They became symbols of Qajar corruption and weakness, rallying patriots to defend their homeland alongside the nation's children. Beyond this victimization, they symbolized hope for the future and potential citizens in their own right.
Despite their active and symbolic contributions to the Revolution, children's rights, including their political rights, were hardly discussed – neither by adults nor children themselves. This attests to the marginal position children held in society, during a time in which they were not given the protection and privileges proclaimed by the modern model of childhood, yet were also not considered "miniature adults" who hold political rights. Like women and the poor, children were expected to contribute to the revolutionary cause, without reaping its rewards.
Dr. Sivan Balslev is a lecturer (assistant professor), and currently a Guest Scholar of the Childism Institute, Department of Education and Sports Sciences, University of Stavanger. She is a historian focusing on the social and cultural history of modern Iran, with a focus on childhood, gender, and sexuality. Her book: "Iranian Masculinities: Gender and Sexuality in Late Qajar and Early Pahlavi Iran" was published by Cambridge University Press in 2019. She is currently working on the history of children and childhood in Iran circa 1870-1970.
