Journal of Woman in Culture and Arts

Abstract Feminist criticism emphasizes the position of women within society. The novel Alati Ta’ud al Salalim (She who counts the staircases) was authored by the Omani author Hoda Hamed. In her novel, she takes a critical approach to women’s position in society critically in her novel, addressingconcepts like social class inequality among women, cultural challenges they face, and masculine dominance. The present study aims to investigate this novel based on four gynocriticism models that Elaine Showalter has proposed: biological, linguistic, psychoanalytic, and cultural. The objective of this study is to provide an answer to the following inquiry:  “how does the writer reflect women’s components in her novel?” She has brought up concerns regarding childbirth, female circumcision, and pregnancy, considering the biological model. In terms of the psychoanalytic model, she has made reference to bipolar disorder, obsessions, compulsions, and sleep. Hamed has produced an exemplary and enlightening piece by utilizing noticeable linguistic characteristics, including vocabulary and Arabic dialect, to address women’s concerns and cultural challenges, like women trafficking and physical abuse. According to the findings of the research, she has effectively identified women who are concerned with the social and cultural issues of women. Furthermore, its feministic nature is confirmed by the high frequency with which the components of Showalter’s model appear in the novel under study. The narrative places such an emphasis on the cultural dimension of women that fundamental and profound cultural concerns are overshadowed by biological and psychoanalytic issues.

Abstract The novel Bread on Uncle Milad's Table, which was selected for the 2022 Arab Booker and is written by the contemporary Libyan writer Mohammad Al-Naas, is characterized by its critique of the role of women in Libyan society. In a society characterized by a patriarchal culture and a gendered perspective on women, this novel features a substantial number of female characters who express their conditions, opinions, and thoughts. The novel posits that the root of the women’s helplessness is patriarchy, which impedes the development of their talents. The novel also includes bitter descriptions of the women and their fate. In light of the critical perspective of Mohammad Al-Naas in the context of the aforementioned novel and the Frankfurt School’s critical aesthetic perspective that art and literature should fight against the existing conditions with a negative and oppositional approach to achieve the desired conditions, we decided to write the novel. We will analyze it in a descriptive-analytical manner in accordance with this theory. This article is an endeavor to investigate and analyze this critical perspective. The research results indicate that Mohammad Al-Naas’s perspective is in alignment with the Frankfurt School's critical approach. He has critiqued the status of women in society with the intention of informing society and enhancing their status, albeit from a negative and opposing  perspective. He criticizes the ruling patriarchal system and the oppressions that have been inflicted on women by juxtaposing traditional and modern women in his narrative. He attempts to inform the women and men of his society about their position by enlisting the assistance of male characters in their opposition to the patriarchal system. A woman’s significant function in society and the family.

Abstract The art of the first Qajar period is tied to FathAli Shah's name, while the achievements of the second period are accredited to NaserAddin Shah. The main aim of this study is to compare the style of make-up, clothing, jewelry, and body portrayals of women in six Qajar Muraqqas. So, the question is: How does comparing the style of make-up, clothing, jewelry, and body portrayals of women in six Qajar Muraqqas can elucidate the similarities and differences of women's portrayal in the two historical periods of Qajar?The current qualitative research studies the Qajar art with a historical approach, in an analytical and comparative method. Thus, this developmental research achieved its goal by collecting data in the form of documents and using note-taking and picture-reading methods. The findings demonstrate that Qajar Muraqqa-making represents the artistic characteristics of court portraiture in the common artistic style of the first period of Qajar's reign. In the second period, it emphasizes the features of court painting. In response to the question of the study: The portrayal style of women in the first period emphasizes the ornamental items. The features are observably expressed via slim bodies and additional cosmetic items. The clothes are made of expensive materials and there can be seen accessories such as fans and tambourines in their hands. Meanwhile, despite court portraiture, the background is pictured negligently and simplistically incomplete. In the Muraqqas of the second period, the portrayal style of women is more realistic and their body is more natural. The ornamental styles and flamboyant expensive jeweleries are avoided and even women are pictured in their outdoor attire. Women's clothing style, changes according to the fashion of the era. But the background is still out of details so that, like graphic Muraqqas of the first period, the viewer has to imagine a vague place indoors or outdoors.

Abstract The design process in architecture is one of the curricula of the field of architecture that is taught at different educational levels. For optimal educational planning, it is necessary to identify the variables related to it. Among the variables related to the design process and method are the epistemological beliefs and cognitive load of the learners. The purpose of the current research was to investigate the relationship between scientific epistemological and cognitive load with ideation in the design process of architecture students. The research method is a combination of quantitative (descriptive-correlation) and qualitative (analyzing samples of students' Sketches). Its statistical population included all architecture girl students in Hamadan universities. The desired sample of 120 people was selected in an accessible way. Scientific epistemology, cognitive load and idea evaluation scale questionnaires were used in the design. The research data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, skewness and skewness statistics) and inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation and path analysis with the calculation of its defaults). The results of the research showed that there is a relationship between the beliefs of scientific epistemology and cognitive load with ideation in the design process of architecture students and it has provided a framework for recognizing and explaining the theoretical relationships between the components of scientific epistemological beliefs, cognitive load and the idea of sketches. The learning process in architectural design and cartography courses includes the stages of analytical comprehension, critical thinking, and creative processing, so scientific epistemological belief and cognitive balance or cognitive load are good explanations and predictors for ideas in students. Based on the results of the research, it is suggested to pay attention to the reduction of Intrinsic and Extraneous cognitive load in planning the education of architecture students, as well as Germane cognitive processing so that they can make better progress in the field of design. The development of scientific epistemological beliefs is also recommended for generating and analyzing ideas.

Abstract Due to the increased presence of women at home, unfavourable living conditions affect them disproportionately. This situation makes it essential to consider their lifestyle, needs, and preferences when designing housing. This exploratory study collected data through the utilization of qualitative research techniques, including semi-structured interviews and observations. The cohort comprised twenty women, ranging in age from 20 to 40, who were intentionally selected from Tehran province. Using the MAX QDA software, the interview data was coded. Additionally, diagrams that were oriented toward behavior and space were constructed. The findings highlight the pivotal role of rooms within residential spaces in women's lives, and it revealed that the contemporary social, economic, and cultural conditions of Iran have shaped a distinct lifestyle among women in this age, significantly impacting their housing preferences. The perceived environmental attributes of young women—“efficiency and functionality, beauty and order, privacy, flexibility and adaptability, cleanliness, and hygiene”—are crucial design elements for rooms in residential apartment units. Furthermore, physical characteristics including illumination, ventilation conditions, heating and cooling, the number of bedrooms, interior furniture and its arrangement, texture and color of materials, window views and their exposure, lighting, room size and other proportions, spatial configuration, noise pollution, ventilation conditions, and heating and cooling systems are also taken into consideration. In order to accommodate the lifestyle of young women, it is critical to contemplate appropriate areas for sleeping, working, and leisure, while also guaranteeing personal seclusion and integrating personal preferences and cultural sensitivity into the design of the room.

Abstract The long story of The Snake and The Man (1976-1978) is a work by Simin Daneshvar that is derived from religious narratives, sacred texts, and mythical narratives. Laurent Genie's theoretical definition of the concept of intertextuality in the article “Strategy of Forms” serves as the theoretical foundation for this paper’s examination of the intertextual contribution of the narrations mentioned in the construction and payment of that literary work. In this article, Genie proposes that the intertextuality should be referenced when elements beyond the lexical unit of the prototext can be retrieved in the new text, a distinction between his conception of intertextuality, known as soft intertextuality, and Julia Kristeva’s intertextuality, known as hard intertextuality. In other words, the relationship between the texts is not limited to lexical and formal relationships; the intertextual relationship of two texts is not determined by the vague and mysterious sum of the effects of one on the other, but rather by the degree of interconnection between the two texts and how one influences the other. This underscores the two types of intertextuality: strong and weak. In his opinion, “weak intertextuality” is established when two texts communicate in at least two formal and thematic aspects, and “strong intertextuality” is established when texts cease to communicate on one of these two levels. The present study isqualitative in nature.

Abstract The majority of the labor force engaged in rice cultivation within the province of Guilan consists of rural women who possess extensive practical expertise in their respective fields; thus, their presence assumes particular significance. Women show the rituals of rice farming, i.e. planting, planting and harvesting, in performing rituals such as the Ghasemababdi dance, which, in addition to visual appeal, express a spiritual and mythological bond with nature. The purpose of this study is to provide an answer to the question of the significance of women's presence in Ghasemababdi dance in relation to rice farming rituals, which is raised in light of the crucial role that women play in this dance and the implementation of rice farming customs. The current research is theoretical in nature and methodology, with a descriptive and analytic approach serving its purpose. The method of data collection is library and field using the method of ethnography in the region, observation, interviews, registration, and the recording of information. Research indicates that women perform Ghasemababdi dance while demonstrating gratitude for the blessings of rice cultivation and adherence to its principles through the use of a variety of manual skills. In other words, the Ghasemababdi dance serves as a reflection of cultural diversity and human thought. It is through this form of movement that women joyfully demonstrate the concept of cereal making patterns; thus, they have acquired a legendary status. Therefore, as a mother goddess equivalent to Anahita, the mother of man and the mother of the earth, they are considered and worshiped. In other words, the continuation and extension of life and the aliveness of the role of women is embodied in the unconscious of a person in order to transmit blessing, bonding and healing