Drawing on the author's firsthand experience of the Iranian Revolution in 1978-1979 and subsequent trips between 2003 and 2008, this book presents a historical and ethnographic study of local-level politics, connections with national-level politics and revolution, and the changing political dynamics in Iran.
Outside of Shiraz in the Fars Province of southwestern Iran lies "Aliabad." Mary Hegland arrived in this then-small agricultural village of several thousand people in the summer of 1978, unaware of the momentous changes that would sweep this town and this country in the months ahead. She became the only American researcher to witness the Islamic Revolution firsthand over her eighteen-month stay. Days of Revolution offers an insider's view of how regular people were drawn into, experienced, and influenced the 1979 Revolution and its aftermath.
Conventional wisdom assumes Shi'a religious ideology fueled the revolutionary movement. But Hegland counters that the Revolution spread through much more pragmatic concerns: growing inequality, lack of development and employment opportunities, government corruption. Local expectations of leaders and the political process-expectations developed from their experience with traditional kinship-based factions-guided local villagers' attitudes and decision-making, and they often adopted the religious justifications for Revolution only after joining the uprising. Sharing stories of conflict and revolution alongside in-depth interviews, the book sheds new light on this critical historical moment.
Returning to Aliabad decades later, Days of Revolution closes with a view of the village and revolution thirty years on. Over the course of several visits between 2003 and 2008, Mary Hegland investigates the lasting effects of the Revolution on the local political factions and in individual lives. As Iran remains front-page news, this intimate look at the country's recent history and its people has never been more timely or critical for understanding the critical interplay of local and global politics in Iran.
Commended for Independent Publisher Book Awards (History (World)) 2015
“"Through numerous interviews and eighteen months of participant observation, Hegland is able to decipher the individual and collective norms, practices, and perceptions related to traditional, kinship-based political competition and conflict that influenced peasants to join or resist the revolution . . . Beyond Iranian history and politics, Days of Revolution will equally appeal to readers with a broader interest in revolutions and social movements . . . Days of Revolution is an impressive work and makes a significant contribution to the scholarship on Iran, revolutions and social movements."”
"There are a great number of books on the Islamic Revolution, but none have accomplished what Mary Hegland has. This is an exceptional study of modern Iran, offering a detailed account of village life before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution. A brilliant book that deserves to be widely read." - Janet Afary, University of California, Santa Barbara "An important and timely book, Days of Revolution offers rich detail about a part of Iran rarely talked about in popular discourse. With unique insights, this book will no doubt be of interest to anyone thinking about Iran in modern times." - Pardis Mahdavi, Pomona College, author of Passionate Uprisings: Iran's Sexual Revolution "In this time, when Iran's policies continue to vex the leaders of the Western world, Mary Hegland's book provides a distinctive and rare peek behind official propaganda to reveal what life has been like for ordinary citizens in the last four decades under the Revolutionary government." - Robert Canfield, Washington University in St. Louis
Mary Elaine Hegland is Professor of Anthropology at Santa Clara University. She was the only American scholar in Iran conducting field research during the Islamic Revolution, and one of very few to have access to the country in the 30 years since.
Outside of Shiraz in the Fars Province of southwestern Iran lies "Aliabad." Mary Hegland arrived in this then-small agricultural village of several thousand people in the summer of 1978, unaware of the momentous changes that would sweep this town and this country in the months ahead. She became the only American researcher to witness the Islamic Revolution firsthand over her eighteen-month stay. Days of Revolution offers an insider's view of how regular people were drawn into, experienced, and influenced the 1979 Revolution and its aftermath.Conventional wisdom assumes Shi'a religious ideology fueled the revolutionary movement. But Hegland counters that the Revolution spread through much more pragmatic concerns: growing inequality, lack of development and employment opportunities, government corruption. Local expectations of leaders and the political process--expectations developed from their experience with traditional kinship-based factions--guided local villagers' attitudes and decision-making, and they often adopted the religious justifications for Revolution only after joining the uprising. Sharing stories of conflict and revolution alongside in-depth interviews, the book sheds new light on this critical historical moment.Returning to Aliabad decades later, Days of Revolution closes with a view of the village and revolution thirty years on. Over the course of several visits between 2003 and 2008, Mary Hegland investigates the lasting effects of the Revolution on the local political factions and in individual lives. As Iran remains front-page news, this intimate look at the country's recent history and its people has never been more timely or critical for understanding the critical interplay of local and global politics in Iran.
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