Accumulation of Misery, Tehran: A City for Sale
(2016) SGEM06 20161Department of Human Geography
- Abstract
- The study presents a critical analysis of unequal social geographies in the city of Tehran. It aims to identify degrees of access to different aspects of social reproduction with particular attention to the worse-off districts. The issue of unevenness in Tehran has been discussed by Iranian economists and geographers criticizing bad policies, undemocratic state, and corruption. However, political economic structures that cause the unevenness have not been addressed. Two main theoretical models have been presented here from a Marxian standpoint for both political and political economic frameworks. Model 1 is derived from the existing analyses by Iranian economist and geographer, Fariborz Raisdana and Giti Etemad, implying bad policies are... (More)
- The study presents a critical analysis of unequal social geographies in the city of Tehran. It aims to identify degrees of access to different aspects of social reproduction with particular attention to the worse-off districts. The issue of unevenness in Tehran has been discussed by Iranian economists and geographers criticizing bad policies, undemocratic state, and corruption. However, political economic structures that cause the unevenness have not been addressed. Two main theoretical models have been presented here from a Marxian standpoint for both political and political economic frameworks. Model 1 is derived from the existing analyses by Iranian economist and geographer, Fariborz Raisdana and Giti Etemad, implying bad policies are the cause of unevenness. Model 2 is derived from the works by David Harvey and Neil Smith implying the problem lies in political economic structures such as capital accumulation. The latter is chosen herein to demonstrate the underlying causes of unevenness. The empirical data is taken from official statistical data, as well as semi-structured interviews functioning through critical realist ontology and methodological framework of single case study. The data is also demonstrated in the maps through GIS. The study concludes that the severe unevenness is rooted in peculiarities of capital accumulation in Iran. Low productivity in manufacturing sector raises the need for lowering the value of labor in order to maintain the profit. Bringing urban space into the market is a resulting strategy. And the marketized state acts here as a facilitator. Model 2 at the end is modified to encompass the role of luxury market in neutralizing the anticipated negative feedback mechanism of low effective demand in rationalization of unevenness and in practice maintaining the unevenness. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8890005
- author
- Yousefi, Shadi LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SGEM06 20161
- year
- 2016
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Unequal Social Geographies, Social Reproduction, Unevenness, Inequality, Political Economic Structures, Capital Accumulation, Tehran, Iranian Capitalism
- language
- English
- id
- 8890005
- date added to LUP
- 2016-09-13 12:52:42
- date last changed
- 2016-09-13 12:52:42
@misc{8890005,
abstract = {{The study presents a critical analysis of unequal social geographies in the city of Tehran. It aims to identify degrees of access to different aspects of social reproduction with particular attention to the worse-off districts. The issue of unevenness in Tehran has been discussed by Iranian economists and geographers criticizing bad policies, undemocratic state, and corruption. However, political economic structures that cause the unevenness have not been addressed. Two main theoretical models have been presented here from a Marxian standpoint for both political and political economic frameworks. Model 1 is derived from the existing analyses by Iranian economist and geographer, Fariborz Raisdana and Giti Etemad, implying bad policies are the cause of unevenness. Model 2 is derived from the works by David Harvey and Neil Smith implying the problem lies in political economic structures such as capital accumulation. The latter is chosen herein to demonstrate the underlying causes of unevenness. The empirical data is taken from official statistical data, as well as semi-structured interviews functioning through critical realist ontology and methodological framework of single case study. The data is also demonstrated in the maps through GIS. The study concludes that the severe unevenness is rooted in peculiarities of capital accumulation in Iran. Low productivity in manufacturing sector raises the need for lowering the value of labor in order to maintain the profit. Bringing urban space into the market is a resulting strategy. And the marketized state acts here as a facilitator. Model 2 at the end is modified to encompass the role of luxury market in neutralizing the anticipated negative feedback mechanism of low effective demand in rationalization of unevenness and in practice maintaining the unevenness.}},
author = {{Yousefi, Shadi}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Accumulation of Misery, Tehran: A City for Sale}},
year = {{2016}},
}