Analysis of Feminism Discourse in Contemporary Iranian Photography Based on Gillian Rose's Theory


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 June 2026

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Art Research Department, Faculty of Art, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Art Research,Faculty of Art, Shahed University,Tehran, Iran.

Abstract
Feminism, as an intellectual and social discourse, has consistently sought to deconstruct and challenge inequitable gender-based power structures. Within this context, photography, as a potent medium for representation and meaning-making, plays a pivotal role in articulating and disseminating feminist ideals. The primary objective of this research is to conduct a discourse analysis of feminism in contemporary Iranian photography. Specifically, it focuses on how feminist concerns are represented in the works of prominent Iranian photographers and examines their visual strategies for critiquing or redefining gender norms within the socio-cultural landscape of Iran. The central research question is: According to Gillian Rose's method of discourse analysis, what concepts constitute the discourse of contemporary feminist photography in Iran? This study employs a qualitative methodology grounded in Gillian Rose's framework for visual discourse analysis, which is structured around four key sites: production, the image itself, circulation, and audience. For data analysis, a purposive selection of works by leading contemporary Iranian photographers was curated. The findings reveal that the photographers under study have approached the representation of feminism in their photographic works through diverse strategies. The direct challenging of gender stereotypes (57%), depicting hidden resistance and empowerment (18%), and the redefinition of female identity within a specific cultural context (28%) are the principal factors contributing to the production of feminist discourses in contemporary Iranian photography.

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