Revolution of Things: The Islamism and Post-Islamism of Objects in Tehran

Kusha Sefat's book "Revolution of Things" explores how the relationship between materiality and language shapes politics in Tehran. He shows how the merger of things and terms creates different modes of action, reconstructing the political history of postrevolutionary Iran at the intersection of everyday objects and words. Sefat argues that provincial vocabularies transformed into Islamist and post-Islamist discourses through the circulation of international objects, and that the globalization of objects was constitutive of the different forms that politics took in Tehran. He offers a unique perspective on Iran's revolution and its aftermath by bringing the recent "material turn" into conversation with structural analysis, poststructuralist theory, sociolinguistics, and Middle East studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 23 May 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press

In his book "Revolution of Things," Kusha Sefat delves into the intricate interplay between materiality and language, exploring how these shifting relations shape different forms of politics in Tehran. Through a reconstruction of the political history of postrevolutionary Iran at the intersection of everyday objects and words, Sefat demonstrates how the interplay between things and terms gives rise to distinct modes of action.

Sefat highlights how Islamism, for instance, took on a distinct form in Tehran during the 1980s through the creation of its own objects, which were shaped by their material properties. Everyday items such as walls, shoes, and foods became active political players, contributing to the consolidation of the Islamic Republic. Similarly, President Rafsanjanis "liberalization" in the 1990s was not solely driven by state policies and post-Islamist ideologies but also by the circulation of international objects, including consumer products from the West.

Sefat further shows how provincial vocabularies transformed into Islamist and post-Islamist discourses through the circulation of international objects. The globalization of objects, he argues, played a constitutive role in shaping the different forms of politics that emerged in Tehran. Each constellation afforded and foreclosed distinct modes of agency, shaping the political landscape of the city.

Sefat's intention is not to alter historical facts about the Islamic Republic but to offer a fresh perspective on them. By integrating the recent "material turn" into conversation with the frameworks.

Sefat's book "Revolution of Things" provides a unique insight into the complex dynamics of politics in Tehran by exploring the interplay between materiality and language. Through his reconstruction of the political history of postrevolutionary Iran, Sefat demonstrates how the interplay between things and terms shapes distinct modes of action and agency. By bringing together insights from structural analysis, poststructuralist theory, sociolinguistics, and Middle East studies, Sefat offers a comprehensive perspective on Iran's revolution and its aftermath.

Weight: 448g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691246338