| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Critical cultural and social discourses related to the lives of Iranian girls and women emerged after the Constitutional Revolution. Many women's journals criticized the traditional lifestyles of women and girls, challenging the norms, patterns, and traditional frameworks that defined their lives. Alongside the establishment of women-oriented newspapers that focused on the status and conditions of women and critiqued them, there were male-oriented publications such as "Gol-e Zard." These publications addressed women's issues and their roles through literature and poetry, aiming to change and improve the conditions of women and girls, ultimately leading to social, political, and economic transformations. These efforts were both negative and positive: negative in their critique of traditional lifestyles, particularly regarding marriage, familial relationships, and social activities; and positive in their pursuit of new opportunities for women and girls, such as in education, schooling, and healthcare. This article explores the reasons behind and the approaches of the "Gol-e Zard" magazine towards women's issues using content analysis. It offers new and innovative insights into the efforts and activities of this lesser-known publication. Introduction With the advent of the Constitutional Revolution and the opening of society, attention to women and their related issues became a focal point for intellectuals, followed by newspapers. The dire conditions of Iranian women, the violation and neglect of their rights, and their unfamiliarity with the right to life and education were highlighted and criticized, prompting efforts to improve their situation. The language used in this context was also distinct: a straightforward, critical vernacular that was easily understood, free of pretense and artifice. Folk literature became one of the tools for expressing social criticism in the late Qajar period. Folk poetry, a significant component of folk literature, reflects various aspects of the material and spiritual lives of the people. As a part of the people's heritage and daily life, folk literature can be utilized in the path of social change and transformation (Tabibzadeh 2003, 15; Ahmadi 2002, 23). One of the publications that addressed women's issues through folk language, employing poetic and narrative tools both humorous and serious, was the magazine "Gol-e Zard". "Gol-e Zard" was a literary magazine that also focused on the political and social issues of Iran at the time. In its various issues, it paid attention to and criticized both the old and new issues concerning women. In fact, "Gol-e Zard" can be considered a grand anthology of women's poetry, many of which were composed by men. These poems, like a painting, depict the condition of women during the Qajar era. In essence, "Gol-e Zard" utilized the tools of folk poetry and literature to engage in social criticism. Materials and Methods This study aims to conduct a content analysis of "Gol-e Zard", one of the lesser-known magazines from the late Qajar era, focusing on issues concerning women and girls of that period. The research relies extensively on various issues of "Gol-e Zard", as well as some texts, sources, travelogues from the Qajar and Constitutional eras, and recent studies. It examines the magazine's approach to women's issues and the methods and efforts of its writers to change the traditional feminine lifestyle. The magazine's negative efforts include critiquing traditional lifestyles, particularly concerning women's roles in marriage, family relationships, and social activities. Its positive efforts aimed to open new opportunities in the fields of education, schooling, and healthcare for women and girls. Content analysis was employed to achieve this objective. Results and Discussion The first issue of the satirical, literary, and critical magazine "Gol-e Zard" was distributed on Lalehzar Street in Tehran on the 27th of Sha'ban 1336 AH (1918 AD) and apparently continued to be published until late 1341 AH (1923 AD) for a period of four years. The founder of "Gol-e Zard" was Yahya ibn Mohammad Baqir Samieian, known by the pen name Reyhan. The magazine featured satirical and critical poetry similar to other contemporary publications such as "Nasim-e Shomal", "Molla Nasraddin", and others. Researchers consider "Gol-e Zard" to be an example of the new literary style, which was created in the common language for the understanding of the bazaar merchants and the general public while also attracting the attention of the elite. "Gol-e Zard" was a magazine targeted mainly at men, but to attract women, it offered an annual discount for subscriptions to underprivileged women and female students. In this article, we have examined the magazine’s efforts to introduce and alter the living patterns of Iranian women in the late Qajar period from two perspectives: negative (what should be avoided) and positive (what should be encouraged), in other words, the dos and don'ts of the lives of girls and women in the late Qajar era in Iran."Gol-e Zard" aimed to create the foundation for change in women's lifestyles by addressing what might appear as trivial issues and challenges faced by women and girls within the home and family structure. By bringing these topics into a public domain like a magazine, "Gol-e Zard" sought to foster an environment conducive to change. The magazine critiqued the difficulties women and girls faced in various family dynamics and their roles, using a unique literary style. One of the key areas of focus was the role of motherhood, emphasizing its importance and impact on child-rearing and, by extension, the country's future. In this way, "Gol-e Zard" paid special attention to both the positive and negative roles of mothers in the family and society, particularly in terms of their influence on the upbringing of Iran's children. Another significant issue addressed was the marriage of girls. In relation to this, "Gol-e Zard" highlighted several concerns, such as the desires or indifference toward the wishes of girls, the age of marriage, poverty, the lack of a dowry, and the influence of superstitious beliefs on marriage. The magazine's attention to a girl's choice in marriage was particularly progressive in a society where marriages were often arranged without regard for the girl's preferences. Alongside this, "Gol-e Zard" criticized the prevalent practice of early marriage. The magazine considered the economic difficulties related to the marriage of girls from various perspectives, noting that poverty and the lack of a dowry were factors contributing to early marriages or child marriages. In addition to focusing on poverty and the lack of a dowry, "Gol-e Zard" also identified the fear of girls remaining unmarried as a factor leading to their marriages with much older men. Polygamy was another significant issue related to women in traditional lifestyles that "Gol-e Zard" addressed. The magazine highlighted the negative consequences of polygamy, specifically its moral corruption and ethical flaws, using its distinct literary style to alert society to these issues. In connection with traditional women's issues, particularly polygamy, "Gol-e Zard" also paid attention to practices tainted with superstitions, such as spell-casting and fortune-telling. Other topics that "Gol-e Zard" focused on included the relationships between mothers and daughters, brides and sisters-in-law, husbands and wives, brides and mothers-in-law, sons-in-law and mothers-in-law, and the interactions between co-wives. The magazine discussed the importance of educating girls on hygiene and cleanliness by their mothers, the necessity of teaching proper family relations, specifically the interactions between brides and mothers-in-law, brides and sisters-in-law, and the traditional conflicts between them. These issues were addressed in both serious and satirical notes by "Gol-e Zard". However, "Gol-e Zard" did not neglect men's rights and concerns in its discussions of women's rights. The magazine sometimes reflected men's complaints about women through poetry, highlighting issues such as women's unreasonable demands on financially struggling men, their tendency towards luxury, and their lack of knowledge in the arts of homemaking and childcare, which were common sources of male dissatisfaction. The magazine also raised and critiqued the issues and challenges that women faced in the public sphere. The most significant of these was the lack of social security and safety for women. "Gol-e Zard" sought to highlight and condemn these socially deviant behaviors by reflecting the ugliness of such actions in the public domain and raising awareness within society. Additionally, "Gol-e Zard" did not overlook the human rights of maids and female domestic workers in the households of the wealthy and the aristocracy, paying attention to the hardships and difficulties they endured. "Gol-e Zard" was not merely a publication that spoke of what should not be done; it also emphasized what should be done. The most important "must" that "Gol-e Zard" stressed in its notes and articles was the education and schooling of girls. Beyond this, in several articles, the magazine compared Iranian women with European women and, from the perspective of modern education, urged Iranian girls to pursue education as a means to escape ignorance and the problems stemming from traditional lifestyles. Alongside education, another issue that "Gol-e Zard" considered crucial for improving the condition of women and girls was their health, hygiene, and nutrition. In its efforts to change the overall status of women, "Gol-e Zard" also advocated for the formation of women’s associations, viewing these as effective in improving women's situations. Overall, "Gol-e Zard" regarded the education of women, their health and hygiene, and their involvement in social activities to pursue their rights as key factors in changing the traditional way of life and, ultimately, transforming Iranian society. Conclusion The attention given to women and their issues, as reflected in the numerous articles and poems written about them, demonstrates that "Gol-e Zard" brought to public attention women's issues that were once considered trivial and insignificant. The reflection of women's issues in "Gol-e Zard" shows that the magazine aimed to change traditional living patterns by expressing women's lived experiences through poetry. It encouraged women to pursue education and learning, offering incentives such as discounts for women purchasing the newspaper, thus motivating them to read and become familiar with its content. By addressing the simple, tangible, and real-life issues of women and girls in folk poems and serious or humorous stories, "Gol-e Zard" took steps toward changing and improving the quality of life for women and girls. Although "Gol-e Zard" remained relatively unknown, it undoubtedly played a significant role in influencing the future direction and lifestyle of Iranian women and girls in the following decades. |