The role of higher education in the life of a young Iranian woman

SynopsisThis article chronicles the life of a 21-year-old female Iranian college student. In 2003, a sophomore at Shariati University, Tehran, Iran Goli1 shares her college life with an educational researcher. Using a research method known as “portraiture” the author provides a purview into Goli's life: illuminating the complexities of a young Iranian woman's college life, providing us with clues as to what attracts this Muslim Iranian woman to college, revealing what she experiences in this far-from-home life, and uncovering what Goli hopes to find in life after her graduation. Goli's relationship with her friends and family help nurture and define her college life experiences. She is part of a growing cohort of female students re-shaping Iranian campuses, and arguably, Iranian society. These women are on the vanguard of social change and as such their experiences are an important element in understanding the course of this movement. This article intends to enrich our knowledge and expand the dialogue about Muslim women's education.