Single-Story+About+Iran

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 * Single-Story:** In class, we've been using this idea of a __single-story__ presented by Chimamanda Adichie, Nigerian novelist, in her TedTalk. A single-story is simply the **dominant understanding** you hold about a person, a group of people, a place, or an idea or belief before you really know all aspects of that person, group, place, or idea. The catch is that it is simply a //single//-story with one voice, understanding, and belief. A single-story can be a stereoptype, a judgement, or a preconcieved notion. A single-story is a weak and thin understanding of a person, group, place, or idea.

Rick Steves opens his documentary on Iran by saying that very few Americans know very little about Iran (//Rick Steves' Iran: Yesterday and Today//). Before we started reading //Persepolis// and learning more about Iranian culture, we uncovered our single-story. Throughout the quarter, we will be challenging and affirming these dominant understandings while developing a more well-rounded understanding of Iranian culture.

What follows are points from three different ninth grade classes. The first is a list of things we think we know about Iran. The second is a list of things we want to know.

Things we know (or think we know)--our single-story:
 * There is a lot of war and violence going on in Iran
 * It is in Asia.
 * It is next to Iraq.
 * It is a third world country.
 * There are many soldiers.
 * There is a lot of gender inequality and sexism.
 * Everyone has to wear clothes that cover them from the top of their head to their toes.
 * They have a corrupt government. Their government is instable.
 * Women have to wear a veil/headscarf.
 * Men have beards.
 * There are many terrorists.
 * The country has a lot of oil.
 * The main religion of the country is Islam.
 * The second largest religion of the country is Jewish.
 * They hate America.

Things we want to know:
 * Do they have weapons? Nuclear weapons?
 * What sorts of things do they wear? Skinny jeans? Brand names?
 * Where exactly is it?
 * Are they homophobic?
 * What sorts of jobs do they have?
 * What do they eat? Can they eat pork?
 * Is Osama bin Ladden from Iran?
 * Do they really hate America?