| Abstract: | Law is a social standard of what is right or what is not right and has historically been an important source of social cohesion. For many of the newly developed states of the Third World, however, law is often a principal means for creating social change. In this sense then, law has a political as well as an ideological function. In late nineteenth and twentieth century Iran, law has been used not only as a powerful ideological vehicle of social cohesion and stability, but also as a force to bring about desired change. This paper attempts to show that the efforts of the twentieth century Iranian state to develop laws improving the position of women in that society have been both ideologically and politically motivated. I argue that most of the new legislation regarding the position of women did not radically violate Islamic laws; it simply interpreted them in the light of new socioeconomic developments in society. In light of the Agrarian experience, law can be seen as an instrument that was moderately helpful in improving the lot of women but that still lagged behind in creating a comprehensive change in social values that would guide the position of women in that society. |
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