Class And Labor in Iran: Did the Revolution Matter? (Modern Intellectual and Political History of the Middle East) [Paperback]

Farhad Numani (Author), Sohrab Behdad (Author)

Book Description

Series: Modern Intellectual and Political History of the Middle East | Publication Date: June 25, 2006

"There are surprisingly few books, on any society, which attempt to do what this book does: chart the trajectory of changes in class structures over time. . . . Potentially of interest not just to specialists but to sociologists interested in social stratification and social change."—Erik Olin Wright, author of Class Counts: Comparative Studies in Class Analysis

"The authors are prominent scholars in the field. . . . [This book] embodies new insights on the subject, encompasses a thorough and detailed examination of the data, and the analysis is carried to a new and higher stage of conceptualization and maturity."—Fatemeh E. Moghadam, Hofstra University

Editorial Reviews

Review

...Potentially of interest not just to specialists but to sociologists interested in social stratification and social change... -- Erik Olin Wright, author of Class Counts: Comparative Studies in Class Analysis

An important contribution to understanding the impact of revolutions on social structure...immensely readable, captivating, and thought provoking. -- Social Forces

Their analysis offers invaluable insight in the power games of theocracy...the (book) is admirable and direly needed. -- Journal of International Affairs

This book makes an important and timely contribution to our understanding of internal dynamics of Iran's society... -- The Middle East Journal --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Farhad Nomani is professor and cochair of the Department of Economics at the American University of Paris. He is the coeditor of Islam and Public Policy and coauthor of Islamic Economic Systems.

Sohrab Behdad is professor and John E. Harris Chair in Economics, Denison University. He is the coeditor of Islam and Public Policy. He has published numerous articles on the postrevolutionary economy of Iran and Islamic economics. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr (Sd) (June 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815630948
• ISBN-13: 978-0815630944
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,298,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Empirical Data only up to 1996, September 29, 2010

By 

Mimicri - See all my reviews

This review is from: Class And Labor in Iran: Did the Revolution Matter? (Modern Intellectual and Political History of the Middle East) (Paperback)

The book is a laudable attempt to illuminate the extent to which regime stability of the Islamic Republic can be explained by the organization of the Iranian economy and the high degree of state involvement. Overall, the authors show how the regime has transferred considerable wealth to the thin stratum of 200 or 300 clerics in the top political positions.

The greatest shortcoming of the book is, however, that the empirical data that lie at the basis of the analysis only go up to 1996. In particular, the authors make wide use of the 1986, 1991 and 1996 census data. To be fair, they also refer to one 2001 household income survey, but this is only relevant in one chapter. The bulk of the analysis rests on the census data. The authors never explicitly concede that the arguments made in the book can really only apply up to 1996, because this is where their data ends, and most readers will walk away thinking they have learned much about the Khatami era too, because numerous arguments are made that refer to the post-1996 years.
The 2006 census data that would have been needed to analyze economic politics during the Khatami era is not taken into account by the authors, however. One wonders why the authors did not wait 18 months with the publication of the book in order to incorporate the 2006 census data into the analysis, which would have enabled them to compare economic policies under the Khamenei, Rafsanjani and Khatami presidencies.

Apart from this very serious shortcoming (in particular because the authors do not alert readers to the limited time frame on which they do have data), the analysis is dotted by marxist terminology that strikes one as slightly inappropriate for the Iranian context.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read., August 16, 2009

By 

Said D. Jabbari "djabs" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Class And Labor in Iran: Did the Revolution Matter? (Modern Intellectual and Political History of the Middle East) (Hardcover)

Whether you are a passive student of Iranian affairs or an avid scholar of political economic history, this book is a must read. Its content does justice to its unique title. In the past thirty years, no book has tried to tackle the complex economic-cultural underpinnings of Khomeini's revolution and its many stages of class warfare, which have had enormous consequences for both Iran and the world dealing with Iran. The authors have attempted to explain and make sense of extremely complex economic, religious and political developments, data and history, and have by and large succeeded.