Mehdi Omidi
Abstract
This article deals with reviewing theories developed from the middle of the last century about countries with abundant natural resources. In this regard, related theories in development literature as well as discourses and theories of Rentier State, Dutch disease, resource curse and also institutionalist ...
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This article deals with reviewing theories developed from the middle of the last century about countries with abundant natural resources. In this regard, related theories in development literature as well as discourses and theories of Rentier State, Dutch disease, resource curse and also institutionalist theories that tried to evaluate the political, economic, cultural and social structures of these countries have been analysed. Furthermore, their changes to date were also explored. While referring to the main claims of these theories as well as the internal and external criticisms, the current article tries to highlight their theoretical and empirical gaps. An attempt was also made to allow criticizing and reformulating these theories and discourses by emphasizing on their strength and weaknesses points. This can pave the way for future empirical studies while also providing a critical review of available theories. On this basis, the problems neglecting the historical roots of the formation of the state and economy in many of these research currents, special feature of addressing the issue of politics and state in other currents, and the analysis of the social systems of these countries based on standard patterns in most related discourses, have been emphasized in the narrative presented in this article.
Farshad Momeni; Ismail Aalizad; Vahid Mirebeigi
Abstract
For years researchers have associated the developmental problems of countries possessing natural resources like oil with the very fact of the possession of such resources. The numerous studies of this field have mostly focused on the theories of the Rentier State and the Resource Curse. Today, with the ...
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For years researchers have associated the developmental problems of countries possessing natural resources like oil with the very fact of the possession of such resources. The numerous studies of this field have mostly focused on the theories of the Rentier State and the Resource Curse. Today, with the advent of empirical research and theoretical criticism, there is little doubt with regards to the shortcomings of the classic theories of the field. The latest research has also attempted to mitigate the extremes of the classic theories of rentierism which usually cover a limited scope of the suggested outcomes of rentierism, and such theories have not formed a comprehensive and elaborate theory, nor have they presented an appropriate ideal type of the rentier state for historical investigations. The present paper presents a critical survey of the literature on rentierism, focusing on one main question: how can this theory be improved? With respect to this question, at first, rentierism literature will be reviewed, then the institutionalist theory of Douglass North shall be introduced. By recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of both theories, the present paper goes on to formulate new conceptual framework named the "Rentier Limited Access Order". Not only is this framework rooted in both theories, but it also goes beyond them and delivers new insights with which rentier states can be studied.
Sociology
vahid shalchi; rohollah ghasemi
Abstract
From 40’s on, Iran has earned most of its revenue from oil. Oil prices have seen multiplying increases in certain periods. During the time of these increases, contrary to the expectation that this increased revenue be spent on development, the policies employed by the state have created more issues ...
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From 40’s on, Iran has earned most of its revenue from oil. Oil prices have seen multiplying increases in certain periods. During the time of these increases, contrary to the expectation that this increased revenue be spent on development, the policies employed by the state have created more issues and problems for the country. The state policies during oil booms have a direct effect on social institutions and the institutional framework. In this study, the effect of state policies on social institutions of economy and politics during the years 1973-1977 and 2005-2010 shall be investigated. The main question of the study is the reason for the similarities in state policies for social institutions during these two periods. The purpose is to recognize the reasons regarding why these two governments, despite their ideological, structural and historical differences, have taken similar decisions during oil price shocks, and that these policies produce similar results. In order to investigate the issue at hand, Terry Lynn Karl’s Weak State theory has been used, and the Rentier State theory has been employed as an essential reason but not a sufficient one. The method of study is comparative-historical. The path-dependency technique has been used for the historical study of the weak state, and to compare the findings a contingency table has been created. The findings show that through the historical study of the issue, the weak state presents itself as the main reason, and the rentier state and the multiplication of oil prices serve as essential reasons but not sufficient ones regarding the issue.
abas keshavarz shokri; zahed ghafari; mohsen khalili
Volume 15, Issue 42.43 , February 2009, , Pages 13-37
Abstract
This paper is an attempt lo study some of the explanations of the Islamic evolution of Iran, including explanations based on the theories of mass society, modem world system, rapid modernization, uneven development, oerscnalized state power structure, the weakness of the state repressive ipparatus, the ...
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This paper is an attempt lo study some of the explanations of the Islamic evolution of Iran, including explanations based on the theories of mass society, modem world system, rapid modernization, uneven development, oerscnalized state power structure, the weakness of the state repressive ipparatus, the vulnerability of the rentier state, discourse analysis, and nostical theories .. For this purpose first, the theoretical framework and the main questions and iypothes,s of these works have been introduced. In the next step, the explanarions of the Islamic revolution of Iran on the basis of these frameworks rave been elaborated and criticized.
