Background and aim: Understanding social Stratification and women’s status helps explain patterns of inequality and power relations in society. This study examines how The Hekayat-e Baloch, a seven-volume work by Mahmoud Zand-Moqaddam, represents and positions Baloch women within social stratification relations.
Data and method: This qualitative study employs Norman Fairclough’s approach to critical discourse analysis. The data consist of narratives, descriptions, and dialogues concerning women in the seven volumes of The Hekayat-e Baloch. The data were analyzed at three levels: description, interpretation, and explanation.
Findings: The findings indicate that women are represented in a substantial portion of the narratives in relation to livelihood activities, family affairs, care for family members, and the production and reproduction of everyday life. Women’s social positions vary according to their familial and tribal status, economic circumstances, and access to resources. Narratives concerning lower-status women and female slaves reveal the intersection of gender and social inequalities. At the same time, some narratives depict women’s presence and agency in social relations and interactions among different groups.
Conclusion: The analysis shows that women’s positions in The Hekayat-e Baloch are intertwined with social status, kinship relations, economic circumstances, and tribal affiliation. Thus, the work does not present a homogeneous image of Baloch women; rather, it represents differences in their positions within the social structure and relations of power. These findings concern the representation of women in The Hekayat-e Baloch and cannot be directly generalized to the situation of all Baloch women in contemporary society.