Norma Claire Moruzzi

Norma Claire Moruzzi is an Associate Professor in Political Science and Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She also serves as Director of the International Studies Program and Co-Chair of the Middle East and Muslim Societies Cluster at UIC. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and nationalism, with particular emphasis on Iran and the Middle East. She employs political theory, feminist theory, archival research, and ethnographic methods in her work.

Education: PhD in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University (1990). She conducted extensive fieldwork in Iran from 1998-2008, collaborating with women’s groups and contributing to local journals. Her forthcoming book Tied Up in Tehran: Women, Social Change, and the Politics of Daily Life in Postrevolutionary Iran (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines transformations in Iranian women’s lives since 1979.

Research Grants and Fellowships include: UIC Great Cities Faculty Scholar Fellowship (2009-2010), UIC Humanities Institute Fellowship (2005-2006), and a NEH community grant (2013-2014) for public programming on Muslim cultures. Her work has been recognized with the 2002 Gradiva Award for her book Speaking through the Mask: Hannah Arendt and the Politics of Social Identity.

Professional Roles: Associate Editor of Iranian Studies, former chair and editorial committee member of Middle East Report. Active in interdisciplinary collaborations, affiliated with UIC’s History and Art History departments. Her scholarship bridges theory and practice, addressing topics like feminist cinema, revolutionary movements, and the politicization of daily life.