Résister autour d’un double expresso ?

Abstract

In recent years, Iranian society has been characterised by far-reaching social, economic and political changes. This is particularly true in big cities such as Tehran. Various social rules and norms are now contested, particularly those relating to gender relations. The cafés that have multiplied since the 2000s in the Iranian capital are part of this movement. Based on a survey combining participant observation and semi-directive interviews with customers and managers, this article first shows the important role cafés now play in the daily lives of young middle class people in Tehran. More than mere consumption spaces, cafés embody their aspirations to emancipate from the codes imposed by an authoritarian regime and to adopt Western lifestyles. Their practices can be analysed as a form of resistance, even though cafés also tend to become standardised and impersonal spaces of consumption.

Keywords

• Cafés
• gender
• norm
• Tehran