The Impact of Changes in Dress Social Norms on the Psychological Well-Being of Society During Reza Shah’s Era: Insights from Oral Accounts in Isfahan

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Associate Professor of Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

The rapid collapse of Reza Shah’s regime, marked by the military’s lack of resistance against Allied forces, the ineffectiveness of the government’s administrative system (previously viewed as one of its strengths), and the absence of public opposition to the occupying forces, highlighted a significant level of discontent with the government and a fragile social capital. To understand the factors contributing to this decline in social capital, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive examination of Iranian society across political, economic, and cultural dimensions, with a particular focus on cultural satisfaction and the mental health of the populace.
This article argues that specific cultural measures, such as the enactment of the “Uniform Dress Code” law and the “Kashf-e-Hejab” (unveiling), led to a profound decline in the government’s social capital because they conflicted with prevailing social norms and were violently enforced by authorities. Consequently, when the moment came to resist the occupying forces, the Pahlavi government lacked public support.

Highlights

Masood Kasiri (Google Scholar) 

Keywords

References

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Journal of Research on History of Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 3
August 2026
Pages 263-276

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