Genealogy of the Female – a Citizen Contemporaneous with Constitution

Abstract

AbstractConcurrent with the Consitutional Revolution, in the liberal atmosphere of Iranian publications, an unprecedented concept called "woman as citizen" was formed. It contradicted the characteristics of a traditional definition of woman as being a shadow of a man (patriarchal system). This study, being in the field of women's studies, focuses critically on Michel Foucault's genealogical ideas and deals with how in the fault of tradition-modernity the term "weak-woman", a patriarchal concept, coincided with "woman-citizen", which implies equality of men and women. In this context, supported by archival research and an emphasis on archival documents, the effect of Iran's accession to the Brussels Prohibition of Slavery in 1890 on the formation of the subject of the woman-liberty is considered. On this basis, the archival documents "Abolghasem Nilforosh" has been studied. Afterwards, using Foucault's genealogy, metamorphosis of this subject has been considered in ten steps. The result of the search is that the acceptance of the ban on slavery in Iran has been the first stronghold of tradition, conquered by modernity and, difficult as it was, it managed to pave the way for the formation of women's freedom along with the subject of woman-citizen. From this perspective, the Constitution era becomes the era of establishment and universal acceptance of the prohibition of slavery as well as the victory of modern morality over traditional rules.

Keywords

• keywords "woman-citizen"
• "weak-woman”
• constitution
• slavery