Paper short abstract:

My ethnographic research among Iranian diaspora in Montreal suggests it is too early to conclude that a “sexual revolution” is taking place among Iranian youth, as traditional marriage values, including virginity, remain strong. Challenges remain for young Iranian women who defy patriarchal values.

Paper long abstract:

Some scholars (Mahdavi 2009, Afary 2009) contend that Iran is in the midst of a "sexual revolution". Mahdavi's claim in particular is based largely on research among Tehran's upper classes, which I argue is not indicative of a more general trend. Drawing from my Summer 2016 ethnographic research among persons of Iranian origin residing in Montreal, I demonstrate that in spite of a movement away from traditional courtship practices, many participants maintain traditional values such as hypergamy. Female virginity remains of concern to both men and women, although premarital sexual activity is not uncommon. I argue, in line with Sadeghi (2008) that any purported increased acceptance of premarital sexual behaviour among Iranian youth does not necessarily benefit women when the emphasis on virginity remains strong. In fact, young Iranian women face particular challenges in their current social environment, whether at home or abroad. The fact that many Iranian migrants to Montreal, who, as emigrants, constitute a privileged, educated, upwardly mobile segment of the Iranian population, continue to hold traditional patriarchal values surrounding marriage and sexuality, indicates that these values continue to hold fast among a fair proportion of Iranians . Therefore, I ask, if a "sexual revolution" is taking place, for whom?