Motherhood movements in revolutionary Iran of the twenty-first century: the Motherly network

This study focuses on Motherly, a modern and wide network of young Iranian university graduates who self-identify their motherhood primarily as "revolutionary." Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, "revolutionary motherhood" has frequently been re-constituted at the juncture of inter-generational challenges and intersectional fluidity of place (rural/urban), class, ethnicity, and religion. Informed by Andrea O'Reilly's theory of empowered mothering, this study draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with the founders and core members of Motherly to identify their self-narratives and perceptions of the complex ambivalence between their revolutionary standards and modern expectations. The seven major themes identified from the interviews offer a unique insight into the self-narrative of Iranian "revolutionary mothers," which challenges the dominant narrative of contemporary Iranian motherhood.