خلاصة:
Abstract In recent decades, because of the vast socio-cultural changes which occurred in Iran, Iranian women have experienced new values and identities and they have achieved more advanced education and consciousness, so that they oppose the gender stereotypes which attribute inferior characteristics to women and cause inequalities and limitations in their everyday life. Although gender stereotypes still exist both in people’s minds and in Iranian social institutions, it seems that the intensity of gender stereotypes is declining nowadays. The findings of this study demonstrate that in the domestic sphere, gender stereotypes tend to persist and this situation causes some paradoxes in the responsibilities and values concerning family. Women have stepped into the public sphere and participated in providing the family expenditures, but men still underestimate household chores and do not tend to take part in them. On the other hand, occupations are still divided into feminine and masculine in the minds of Iranians. Accordingly, a large section of Iran’s job market is still considered masculine. However, gender views towards women’s employment show some improvement so that working outdoors is not allocated only to men and women’s employment is accepted. Finally, it is found that the intensity of gender differentiation is declining both in people’s minds and social institutions.
ملخص الجهاز:
"Finally, the last category includes the studies which have dealt with the problems relating to both spheres namely family/private and public spheres (Bureau of National Projects, 2003; Abdollahian, 2005; Rafatjah, 2004; Gender issues in the Forth Socioeconomic Development Program Including Employment and Social Insurance, 2003a; The Report of the Measuring Socioeconomic and Cultural Needs of Women, Worrying About Future, 2003b; Motie, 2003).
Historical research studies show that in the pre-industrial period, women were the major constructor of the sentimental space of house, but after this period, they were expected to participate in the construction of the physical place of house together with men; but the entrance of women to the public sphere does not mean that gender division of labor is over.
Overall, a comparison between types and amounts of women’s and men’s involvements represents more involvement of women in the family and household chores and their low involvement in the job market and social affairs (Culture and Research Journal, 2003) Nevertheless, the findings show that the authority of men is declining inside the family, especially in families where women are also employed.
It can be concluded that except the "neoclassic theories", which have failed to explain a major proportion of occupational gender inequalities, the two other types believe that the most important factors which affect the quantity and quality of women’s presence in the job market are cultural and subjective ones, and originate from the actors’ conception of woman and the position of women in the society."