Iran-US Relations

‘I'm glad I'm not a Saudi woman’: the First Gulf War and US encounters with Saudi gender relations

Truman and the Middle East

Americans' concerns about women's human rights in Muslim countries were triggered by the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and have evolved within the context of long-standing Western stereotypes about Muslims, as well as transnational feminism and the global human rights movement. As these frameworks simultaneously competed against and reinforced one another, U.S. public conversations about Muslim women intensified, culminating in feminist campaigns and U.S. policies that aimed to defend women's rights in Islamic countries—such was the case with the Clinton administration's decision not to recognize the Taliban regime after they seized control of Afghanistan in 1996.U.S. Foreign Policy and Muslim Women's Human Rights provides a fresh interpretation of U.S. relations with the Muslim world and, more broadly, U.S. foreign relations history and the history of human rights. Kelly J. Shannon argues that, as U.S. attention to the Middle East and other Muslim-majority regions became more focused and sustained, the issue of women's human rights in Islamic societies was one that Americans gradually identified as vitally important to U.S. foreign policy. Based on an analysis of a wide range of sources—including U.S. government and United Nations documents, oral histories, NGO archival records, news media, scholarship, films and television, and novels—and a wide range of actors including journalists, academics, activists, NGOs, the public, Muslim women, Islamic fundamentalists, and U.S. policymakers—the book challenges traditional interpretations of U.S. foreign policy that assert the primacy of "hard power" concerns in U.S. decision making. By reframing U.S.-Islamic relations with respect to women's rights, and revealing faulty assumptions about the drivers of U.S. foreign policy, Shannon sheds new light on U.S. identity and policy creation and alters the standard narratives of the U.S. relationship with the Muslim world in the closing years of the Cold War and the emergence of the post-Cold War era.

U.S. Foreign Policy and Muslim Women's Human Rights (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)

Florida Atlantic University was founded in 1961, in Boca Raton on an 850-acre site located near the Atlantic Ocean. The campus is conveniently located halfway between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale and offers a broad range of academic programs, activities, and services.

The Boca Raton campus provides an exciting and supportive learning environment for students. The Student Union hosts student activities and meetings. In addition, its 2,500-seat Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium enables students to enjoy performances ranging from rock bands to the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. The campus supports two cafeterias and has an attractive array of accommodations for its residential students. The Boca Raton campus is also home to FAU's Division I Intercollegiate Athletics program and facilities. Its recreation complex includes an aquatic center, gymnasium, tennis courts, wellness center, track, and a variety of fields for club and intramural sports competition.

The five-story S.E. Wimberly Library houses a large collection of monographs, serials, and other academic resources. Computer labs, study lounges, a media center, and tutoring services also provide valuable academic support for students. The Boca Raton campus hosts art exhibits, theatre productions, and concerts in its two galleries and theatre. Visiting performers and speakers add to the artistic and intellectual vibrancy of the campus.

Florida Atlantic University

Kelly J. Shannon, Ph.D. is associate professor of history and the executive director of the Center for Peace, Justice, and Human Rights at Florida Atlantic University. She specializes in the 20th century history of U.S. foreign relations, with particular attention to the Islamic world, Iran, transnational history, women, and human rights. She is the author of U.S. Foreign Policy and Muslim Women’s Human Rights (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018). She earned her Ph.D. at Temple University, her M.A. at the University of Connecticut, and her B.A. from Vassar College. Shannon is currently working on a book about U.S. relations with Iran during the first half of the 20th century, tentatively titled "The Ties That Bind: U.S.-Iran Relations, 1905-1953," as well as a book geared toward a general audience on the transnational history of U.S. feminism(s), "American Feminism and the World since 1945: An International History."

Modern Iran

Women's Rights

Human Rights

Transnational Feminism

U.S. Foreign Relations

20th Century U.S.

Diplomatic History

Modern Islamic World

Faculty Profile

Google Scholar Profile

Personal Website

Pre-war U.S. support for Afghan women’s rights offers a blueprint for the future

The Baskerville Lecture Series with Professor Kelly J. Shannon

Women’s Human Rights and U.S. Relations with the Islamic World: Advice for the Biden Administration

How the US and Iran developed a fraught relationship

War with Iran is not inevitable - but the U.S. must change course

“Persepolis” and the Middle East Today

the-2020-presidential-election-is-in-full-swing-and-we-have-a-team-of-experts-to-help-you-from-now-until-november

Associate Professor and Executive Director, Center for Peace, Justice, & Human Rights (PJHR)

Professor and Department Chair

Florida Politics

Politics in Film and Fiction

Research Methods

Public Opinion and American Politics

Political Party and Interest Groups

Media in Politics

Judicial Politics

Professor

U.S. Foreign Policy

Reform in the Arab world

U.S.-Arab Relations

Terrorism

Political Islam

Transnational and Revivalist Movements

Arab-Israeli Conflict

Contemporary Middle Eastern and Southeastern Politics

Director of the Florida Center for Environmental Studies

U.S. Climate Vulnerabilities

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Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change

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Science & International Affairs

 The election is on. In fact, it’s as if the campaign of the 2016 election has never come to a finish. U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy of constant rallies, speeches and campaign stops has essentially meant the Republican incumbent has been on the stump for the better part of almost five years now.

On the other side, at one time last year, there were more than two dozen contenders vying for the right to represent the Democrats. That field has been whittled down to about half of that, and it is expected to continue shrinking now that primaries are in play and the financial costs of keeping up will become a reality.

So, if there were to be an actual starting point for the November election – this week could be it.

On Monday, the Iowa Caucus kicks off what could be months of rigorous and aggressive campaigning for Democrats. The winner Monday will have a huge boost, but after that it’ll be all eyes on New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and then Super Tuesday.

 Also, this week, the President will deliver the State of the Union. The timing of this speech could be the change of channel the President needs as the clouds of impeachment linger. As well, the speech and the huge audience it gathers could set the tone of what's to come on the campaign trail.


 For political junkies and journalists – it is going to be a busy nine months. And if you are a reporter covering the primaries, politics and the presidential election – then let our experts help.

The team from FAU can help with a variety of topics that will inevitably be part of or influence the policies and platforms of each party and candidate.
 
Kevin Wagner's research and teaching interests include presidential and judicial politics, political behavior and legislative behavior. He is also a research fellow of the FAU Business and Economics Polling Initiative (BEPI). Robert Rabil is an expert in political Islam, terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and U.S.-Arab relations. Kelly Shannon specializes in the history of U.S. foreign relations, with particular attention to the Middle East and the 20th century. Colin Polsky is trained as a geographer, specializing in the human dimensions of global environmental change. He also oversees FAU's quarterly environmental poll.  All of these experts from Florida Atlantic University are available to help with any of your questions or coverage – simply click on an expert’s icon to arrange an interview today.


The 2020 Presidential Election is in Full Swing – and We have a Team of Experts to Help You from Now Until November

Media Inquiry