How do higher education affect Iranian women's life choices? A minor field study of female higher educational opportunities in Iran (original) (raw)
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Female Empowerment in Iran: The Voice of Iranian University Students
Higher Education Quarterly, 2015
In line with global trends, the rate of Iranian female students' enrolment in higher education has increased. However, some policy makers have been concerned about this and without considering the female voice, they have implemented strategies to balance the labour market, which has led to a decrease in female students in certain majors. The results of an empirical study showed that going to university is the primary route to empowerment for girls in Iran. The study into the meaning of empowerment adopted a qualitative approach using unstructured in-depth interviews with 80 Iranian female university students from seven provinces of Iran. The narrative responses were analysed using content analysis and grounded theory. The results of this study led to develop a new theory called 'Female Empowerment through Higher Education', which has several key constituents of female empowerment including: social presence, the power to make decision, autonomy, education and building up a new value framework. There have been significant recent change in higher education and the gender profile of students is one of the most important (Leathwood, 2009). World statistics show that female students now outnumber male students, female students outperform male students academically and female students choose fields of study in which they were previously under-represented. While male students continue to make traditional choices, female students seem to take higher education more seriously than do men (Grebennikove and Skaines, 2009).
WOMEN'S HIGHER EDUCATION: THE TRANSFORMATION OF IRANIAN SOCIETY
The purpose of the study is to identify the key factors that have led females to higher education on a large scale in Iran. My research will analyse the social, political, economic and cultural context which has provided an opportunity for women to get more than 65% of the places in Iranian universities in an intensely unequal society. The rationale for a focus on women's share in higher education on such a scale is that education is considered a key social development indicator for measuring women's status and condition in any country. The number of females in higher education in Iran began to rise from 1998 onwards. Tertiary education is seen by many commentators as a provider of greater opportunities for women's economic and social development. Education is one of the most significant means of empowering women with the knowledge and skills they need in order to play a greater role in the process of economic and social development in society. Some scholars suggest that educated women who have worked hard to overtake their men will bring about positive social and political change in developing countries such as Iran.
The Feminisation of Iranian Higher Education
International Review of Education, 2005
The number of women attending institutions of higher education in Iran has been steadily increasing since 1989. Growing enrollment rates for women in colleges and universities have sparked wide social and political debates in that country. The basic question of why young Iranian women might even choose to pursue tertiary education, however, has not been adequately addressed in the critical literature. This study gives voice to young women who explain for themselves why they are interested in higher education. It reveals that college or university studies represent for female students many things: a sphere of hope, a refuge, and a place to experience limited freedom beyond restrictive family environments; an asset that can increase a woman’s value in the marriage market; a right that may make possible financial independence; and a vehicle that can earn respect for women. On the whole, the desire for higher education illuminates the challenges facing women in Muslim nations and the ways in which Muslim women are using this institution to change their social status. DIE FEMINISIERUNG DER HOCHSCHULEN IM IRAN – Die Anzahl von Frauen, die Institutionen der höheren Bildung im Iran besuchen, hat sich seit 1989 ständig vergrößert. Die steigenden Einschreibungsquoten für Frauen an höheren Lehranstalten und Universitäten hat weitreichende gesellschaftliche und politische Debatten in diesem Land ausgelöst. Die grundsätzliche Frage, warum junge iranische Frauen überhaupt die Wahl treffen, tertiäre Bildung anzustreben, ist jedoch in der kritischen Literatur nicht in angemessener Weise angesprochen worden. Diese Studie lässt junge Frauen zu Wort kommen, die für sich selbst erklären, warum sie an Hochschulbildung interessiert sind. Sie zeigt, dass ein Studium an Hochschulen für Studentinnen viele Dinge bedeutet: eine Sphäre der Hoffnung, eine Zufluchtsstätte und einen Ort, an dem sie die begrenzte Freiheit jenseits der restriktiven familiären Umgebung erfahren; einen Bonus, welcher den Wert einer Frau auf dem Hochzeitsmarkt anheben kann; ein Recht, welches finanzielle Unabhängigkeit ermöglichen kann; und ein Mittel, welches Respekt für Frauen einbringen kann.␣Insgesamt macht der Wunsch nach Hochschulbildung die Herausforderungen sichtbar, denen Frauen in muslimischen Ländern begegnen, und die Art und Weise, wie muslimische Frauen diese Institution benutzen, um ihren gesellschaftlichen Status zu verändern. LA FÉMINISATION DE L’ÉDUCATION SUPÉRIEURE IRANIENNE – Le nombre de femmes suivant les cours d’institutions de l’éducation supérieure en Iran s’est continuellement accru depuis 1989. Les taux d’immatriculation en augmentation pour les femmes dans les collèges et les universités ont enflammé un large débat social et politique dans ce pays. La question principale de savoir pourquoi de jeunes femmes iraniennes peuvent même choisir de poursuivre une éducation tertiaire n’a cependant pas été abordée suffisamment dans la littérature critique. Cette étude donne la parole à de jeunes femmes qui expliquent en ce qui les concerne pourquoi elles sont intéressées par une éducation plus élevée. Elle révèle que des études au collège ou en université représentent plusieurs choses pour les étudiantes de sexe féminin : une sphère d’espoir, un refuge, et un lieu pour faire l’expérience d’une liberté limitée au delà des environnements familiaux restrictifs ; un acquis qui peut augmenter la valeur d’une femme sur le marché du mariage ; un droit qui peut rendre possible une indépendance financière et un moyen pour les femmes de gagner le respect. En somme, le désir d’une éducation supérieure illumine ces femmes qui font face à des défis dans les nations musulmanes et les façons dont les femmes musulmanes utilisent cette institution pour changer leur statut social. LA FEMINIZACIÓN DE LA ENSEÑANZA SUPERIOR IRANÍ – El número de mujeres que asisten a los institutos de enseñanza superior en Irán ha crecido constantemente desde el año 1989. El aumento de estudiantes matriculadas en los colleges y universidades ha suscitado amplios debates sociales y políticos en este país. Sin embargo, las publicaciones que se ocupan del tema aún no han prestado atención a una cuestión fundamental: los motivos por los cuales las jóvenes iraníes deciden cursar un estudio terciario. En este trabajo, las mismas jóvenes explican las razones que las impulsan a recibir una educación superior. El estudio revela que los␣estudios de college o universitarios tienen un significado muy amplio para las estudiantes: son un ámbito de esperanza, un refugio y un lugar en el que pueden experimentar una cierta libertad, más allá de sus restrictivos entornos familiares; son una ventaja que puede aumentar el valor de una mujer como futura esposa, un derecho que puede proporcionarles independencia económica y un vehículo para ganarse el respeto como mujer. En términos generales, el deseo de cursar estudios superiores y los modos en que las mujeres musulmanas están usando estas instituciones para cambiar su status social ilustran los desafíos que están encarando las mujeres en las naciones musulmanas.
In any society, the main production factor is manpower, that is, the human source that has been continuously emphasized quantitatively and qualitatively by economists. Women, a stratum receiving less attention as manpower, need more education appropriate to the requirements of our society. As a country that pays attention to women’s training and education, Iran has provided women with abundant facilities for their education. However, there are still many obstacles for Iranian female graduates, some of which have been addressed in this study. The present study has adopted a sociological approach to the investigative measurement of Khoramabad Islamic Azad University female graduates. The data has been gathered through a questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.85. For data analysis SPSS software was employed. The sample size was estimated on the basis of Cochran test, and through the multi-stage sampling of population, the sample was determined. Based on research questions, w...
Higher Education of Women in Iran: Progress or Problem?
2012
Many scholars believe that investment in women’s education not only reduces the gender gap, but also improves and enhances the cultural and educational level of women in the society. Furthermore, economists believe that women’s education has a positive effect on their participation in the labor market. Education is amongst the most important factors which not only benefits the people who receive it, but also has different advantages for the society as a whole. Although some of these advantages such as the social output of education is not measurable by monetary quantities and cannot be included in financial accountings, it is wise for societies to invest on education, and the role of governments in this area is vital. In Iran, in the last two decades, girls’ entrees into the universities have had a growing trend. The percentage of girls’ entrance into the universities and institutes during the academic year 2007-2008 exceeded 60 percent. One of the obstacles that educated women in I...
Taylor & Francis, 2024
Women’s empowerment is an important goal of the educational processes around the world. Women in developing countries need support and motivation for attaining higher education and empowerment. This qualitative-exploratory study sought to explore the perceptions of Pakistani female university academics living inside predominantly patriarchal social structures regarding their motivation for and issues in attaining higher education and empowerment. The study also aimed at understanding the notion of empowerment and areas where women academics have achieved empowered status. The study also investigated women academics’ access to higher education, and its impact on their current social positioning in a traditional social setup. A total of 30 purposefully selected women academics from public sector universities in Northwest Pakistan constituted the study sample. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that patriarchal social structures in and outside workplaces influence women academics’ motivation for higher education and empowerment. However, some motivational factors, including economic stability, professional identity in society, intellectual fulfillment and support of fathers and husbands seemed instrumental in contributing to women academics’ pursuits of higher education and attainment of positions in academia.
Higher Education and Women Empowerment
2018
In contemporary period women’s empowerment is a burning issue all over the world. Women’s empowerment is a multidimensional concept in nature. For empowering women education in general, higher education in particular, is strong foundation. Without education the attempt and drive for women's empowerment becomes fruitless end. Education helps women to enhance psychological makeup and temperament which breeds, in turn, strong personality and self confidence. Educating women does not mean technically educated them but it mean achievement of their qualitative change in thought and way of thinking , enhancement of their power to control over challenges of life they have faced in day to day life . Education can help women in changing mindset of them, raising their status in society and reducing dependency on male. Women empowerment may achieve its horizon if women are to be educated. The main objectives of this paper are, 1) To know the co-relation between higher education and women em...
A longitudinal research about women situation in universities in Iran (1991-2021
During the last decades, measurable improvements have occurred in women conditions in Iran. Some of the areas of improvements are: Women"s life expectancy and literacy rate, acceptance at universities, and rise of gender-adjusted index of human development. However, their representation in university management and leadership has been constantly low. A longitudinal study has been conducted in three large universities in Iran: Tehran, ShahidBeheshti, and AllamehTabataba"i Universities. The findings of this crosssectional research, at four sections (1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021), reveal that during the last three decades, this deficiency has been a continuous trend in our universities. This means that women presence in managerial and leading positions has not caught up proportionately with their other improvements and still is very low. The article ends up with some suggestions in order to improve women situation in Iran universities.
Higher Education and Women Empowerment Aparna Debnath
2018
In contemporary period women’s empowerment is a burning issue all over the world. Women’s empowerment is a multidimensional concept in nature. For empowering women education in general, higher education in particular, is strong foundation. Without education the attempt and drive for women's empowerment becomes fruitless end. Education helps women to enhance psychological makeup and temperament which breeds, in turn, strong personality and self confidence. Educating women does not mean technically educated them but it mean achievement of their qualitative change in thought and way of thinking , enhancement of their power to control over challenges of life they have faced in day to day life . Education can help women in changing mindset of them, raising their status in society and reducing dependency on male. Women empowerment may achieve its horizon if women are to be educated. The main objectives of this paper are, 1) To know the co-relation between higher education and women em...