Reflection of Anthropology of Gender in Farhad Hassanzadeh and Ghodsi Ghazi Noor’s Traces

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Persian Language and Literature, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran.

10.22126/rp.2022.6874.1413

Abstract

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Gender, difference and uniformity of gender rules are considered as fundamental concepts of anthropology of gender. The present research is an attempt to examine Farhad Hassanzadeh's evidences (particularly in the ages of D and H) so as to analyze them based on post structuralism anthropology. Having confirmed the customary insight, understandable expressions, the ideologies that governor on traditional Cultural structures, One pole is the center and the other one is margin. However, as the matter of fact, the mentioned binaries (the two mentioned polars) are not superior to each other. This research, via considering the viewpoint of giving centrality or having one of two poles in nature/culture binary and female/male, analyzes whether the rate of centrality had been given to Female pole and in whose one it has been given to male pole, in which literally work centrifugal has been happened and in which ones it has not.This research shows, in the most discussed fiction centrality of writer characterization is based on male pole and looking manner to women’s character has not been kept a loof from past traditional stereotype
Introduction:
Life in the modern era, especially from the mid-20th century onwards and after two world wars, has, by a great margin, disrupted all previous assumptions and altered human perceptions of many concepts. In other words, a complete cultural revolution has taken place in society. Gender and how it is addressed is one of the concepts that has undergone significant changes compared to the past. Concurrent with changes in human perspectives on these issues, cultural anthropologists have introduced the branch of gender anthropology, the main concern of which is to explore femininity and masculinity beyond their biological nature. Consequently, it aims to "revert to prioritizing other social categorizations (such as ethnicity, age, religion, and social status) over gender categorization by disregarding the concept of 'femininity' as a cohesive social stratum" (Fekouhi, 2007: 233).
Feminist anthropology, as one of the important branches of cultural anthropology, which focuses primarily on gender issues, began in the 1970s and is now evolving into gender anthropology, in which the previous extreme feminist approaches and the focus on the female pole are no longer relevant, and the focus of research is on gender rather than sex. The fundamental belief of this field of study is that there must be a distinction between the "biological characteristics of sexes and the cultural characteristics, referred to as gender.   
According to this group's interpretation, 'femininity' is not a biological position but rather a social-cultural one. Therefore, it is assumed that this social-cultural position, which has been adapted to the biological position of women in a particular society, is contractual rather than natural" (Fekouhi, 2007: 232-230).
Although in most cases literary works, especially fiction, are not written for direct education or reflection of specific ideas, and usually differ significantly from the real world due to the presence of elements of imagination and fantasy, sometimes stories can explore concepts that the author is considered part of the dominant culture in contemporary society. In this way, one can find the layers of the author's interpretation in the story and, on a broader scale, the society of the author. It should also be noted that in relation to children, the transfer of both direct and indirect positions is important, and from here the importance of children's literature as an element for transmitting various concepts becomes doubly important.
Methodology:
Thus, the present study turns to children's literature from the perspective of two authors of different and indeed influential genders to explore their gender perspectives and to search for the relevant examples in these works based on descriptive-analytical and interdisciplinary approaches in line with the theory of dualities of cultural anthropology. Gender anthropology believes that the characteristics of men and women in any society are shaped, reflected, and transformed in its literature, art, and culture. The confrontation between men and women and in some cases the superiority of one over the other is the result of the dominance of specific ideological forms in some thoughts, not the result of the different nature of men and women.
Results and Discussion:
From the examination of selected stories, it is evident that characters are often nurtured based on the concept of gender rather than sex, and in most cases, biological differences are considered the factor behind gender differences. In the stories of Judge Noor, the title of the story and the name of the book are often masculine, and in his storytelling, men are also presented in a more favorable position, introduced with higher awareness and knowledge compared to women. They are depicted as readers, not credulous, and not simple-minded. In most stories, they are the heads of the family and are considered decision-makers, but in terms of emotion, responsibility, and family care, they are shown to be inferior to women. Men in these stories are often harsh and unemotional, lacking a proper relationship with their spouses and children, often unemployed and unable to provide for their families, leading them to resort to violence, which naturally victimizes the family, primarily women. However, this can also be attributed to societal status, family welfare, and individuals' ignorance during the narrative timeframe. In these stories, the author sometimes introduces a newer generation with more positive attributes; they are aware and courageous, striving to create positive changes in their lives, with men having a greater share in this. With the passage of time and in a period of rapid cultural change, which is witnessing the greatest gap between generations, the difference in the type of perspective on the issue of gender in previous and present works appears natural. Therefore, the intellectual growth and change in society's perspective on gender have led to a noticeable difference in later books by Hassan Zadeh compared to his earlier works. One of the indications of this is the increased presence of women in society and the subsequent growth of central characters in the form of women's gender. Women in these stories have a more favorable position in terms of livelihood, welfare level, thinking, awareness, satisfaction, health level, and social presence. Sometimes, the audience in the stories is confronted with signs of female dominance and the predominance of women's will and power, and changes in women's temperament and character (from avoidance of dominance to seeking dominance and even violence), something not seen in the works of other selected authors.
Conclusion:
However, the dominant view still influences the stories, and in most cases, female characters are depicted in a way that they lack intellectual and financial independence, have simple beliefs, are interested in superstitions, and are captives of undesirable affairs falsely attributed to religion. In contrast, men are more aware, considered the economic and intellectual pillars of the family, have made significant positive changes in terms of emotion and affection, have appropriate relationships with their spouses and children in most stories, and are presented as more positive and complete characters.

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