The politics of naming public spaces in Tehran.

A study of the politics of naming public spaces in Tehran reveals a masculinist discourse lying behind the process. The majority of streets, plazas, universities and even parks have non-feminine names, and a considerable number of streets with feminine names were renamed after the Islamic Revolution. The analytical lens of this study focuses on the ideological stratification the government displays via the intentional naming of public spaces with official responses seemingly trying to determine the appropriate place for women. The streets are believed to be dominated by men. The way in which Iran names public spaces intensifies such an ideology. This paper aims to broaden the literature on toponymy by pursuing a relatively new path that considers the structure of power embedded in place-naming in Tehran.