Labour History and the Economy in Iran - by Mary Yoshinari & Serhan Afacan (Paperback)

About the Book

Examines Iran's economic and labour history from a range of historical perspectives, using previously unstudied sources.

Book Synopsis

Iran underwent major economic changes in the twentieth century, but these have to date largely been studied in the context of oil, centralization and revolutions. This book examines Iran's economic development and the people who made it possible, from the late Qajar period to the Revolution of 1979. Containing a wide spectrum of historical viewpoints and methodologies, the book uses previously understudied Iranian archives to examine the economic and labour history of Iran together. By doing so, the chapters in the book show that Iranian workers had distinct experiences, depending on the sector and decade of their employment. Other topics covered include the private sector, the emergence of social security, the effects of economic development on 'traditional' workers and the role of other local economic actors particular to Iran in development, family businesses, international trade relations, worker histories and events in the provinces. It will be of appeal to scholars and students of the history, economics, labour, sociology and politics of Iran and the Middle East.

Review Quotes

"This book brings together noted scholars of Iranian labour and economic history, who use an impressive array of primary and secondary source materials to elucidate dynamics of trade, industrialization, guilds, banking, social policy and entrepreneurship over a roughly 60-year period. The reader is introduced to critical actors such as craftsmen, merchant associations, trade unions, workers, employers and state officials. Labour History and the Economy in Iran is a highly informed and instructive collection." --Valentine M. Moghadam, Professor, Northeastern University, USA

"This is an original and sophisticated collection dealing with the Iranian economy and those who worked in it. It is quite unique in its objective, to integrate labour history into the wider landscape of the rapidly developing modern economy and it is both successful and highly illuminating. It will become the classic account in its field." --Stephanie Cronin, Research Fellow, University of Oxford, UK

"This impressive collection leverages academic and policy expertise from contributors based both in Iran and in the global Iranian Studies community. It is a rare feat of intellectual collaboration that offers something important to students of Iran's modern socioeconomic history: compelling examples of individual, communal and institutional agency in shaping the 20th century foundations of Iran's economy, not simply reacting to 'reforms from above'. By considering state data alongside private archives, press content and even memoirs, Dr. Yoshinari, Dr. Afacan and their colleagues demonstrate the potential of new lines of inquiry that are, nonetheless, rooted in the appropriate historiography." --Camron Amin, Professor, University of Michigan- Dearborn, USA

About the Author

Mary Yoshinari is an independent researcher in Tehran, Iran and former SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow.
Serhan Afacan is Associate Professor of Middle East History at Marmara University, Turkey.