Rocking Sexualities: Iranian Migrants' Views on Sexuality

The purpose of this article is to put forward a theoretical discussion about Islamic views of sexuality and by means of an example show how Iranian immigrants in Sweden view sexuality and sexual culture. Building on theories that compare individualistic and holistic ways of thinking, the article seeks to elucidate the impact of basic cultural qualities on the formation of sexualities. The conclusion of the article is that the encounter with the Swedish way of thinking and the Swedish sexual culture seems to have influenced Iranian migrants' views on the nature of the relationship between couples and sexual decision making within the relationship. Exposed to an individualistic ideology and lifestyle in Sweden, Iranian migrants show a clear tendency to revise their previous holistic way of thinking, especially in regard to sexuality: the traditional, authoritarian, patriarchal sexual relationship among Iranian migrants in Sweden is giving way to more egalitarian relationships, and a relatively strong tendency towards a similarity of views between the sexes regarding sexuality can be observed. The most important change that could be observed in regard to the respondents in the study is probably an increased individualism.