The Influence of Cultural Violence on Access to Education in Afghanistan, Algeria, and Iran
Open Access
- Author:
- Picozzi, Abigail
- Area of Honors:
- Global and International Studies
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Sommer N Mitchell, Thesis Supervisor
Krista Brune, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- cultural violence
education
women's rights
afghanistan
algeria
iran - Abstract:
- Women have faced barriers to equality in nearly every stage of society throughout history. Among the many restrictive issues women are consistently seeing in the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are roadblocks on nearly every path to equitable, meaningful education. Widely recognized as one of the most important rights a state can provide, the right to education is vital for advancement and innovation—and yet, it is continuously being denied to half of the population in numerous states. The negative effects created as a result of these educational restrictions speak for themselves, and yet women remain systematically restricted from attending class alongside their male counterparts. One of the main barriers to equality in education is violence, which can take a number of forms. In some states, violence has become so normalized that it is nearly enshrined in their culture, creating an extremely toxic environment for those who bear the brunt of this violence. This thesis will argue that cultural violence has pervaded specific states in MENA and has led to the restriction of education for women. By comparing case studies of Afghanistan, Algeria, and Iran, this thesis seeks to expose culturally violent elements that are present in the sociopolitical environments of these states through the comparison of each state’s education system and their legislature surrounding education and women’s rights. Using both historical and contemporary examples, the analysis finds that there are substantial culturally violent elements at play that have restricted and continue to restrict women’s ability to receive equitable, meaningful education in each of these states. Because of these findings, policy recommendations are included with the goal of improving gender equality and education access in Afghanistan, Algeria, and Iran alike.