Spatial Analysis of the Effects of Centralization In the Formation of Spatial – Territorial Inequalities in Iran

پژوهش ‎های جغرافیای سیاسی

Article 4, Volume 1, Issue 4, January 2017, Pages 139-168   

Document Type: مقالات علمی -پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/pg.v1i4.67285

Author

Ali Valigholizadeh^*

University Of Maragheh

Abstract

Extended Abstract
1- INTRODUCTION
Geographical space of Iran, in spite of geographical and human diversity and its large extent, is managed in the form of a unitary and centralized political- administrative structure. However, the unitary political-administrative structure is (Theoretically) desirable for countries that made up a homogeneous nation and have fewer spatial (geographical-human) Plurality and differences. Moreover, achieving sustainable development is at the forefront of the goals and plans of any state, and development in its common concept should include the equal and relative development of territorial space in all economic, political, cultural and social dimensions. In this regard, experience has shown that the use of the unitary and centralized political - administrative structure as executive mechanism of the country in the geographical dimension and political management of space has led to the formation of unequal power geographies (the evacuation of opportunities and means of power from the periphery - Especially ethnic areas - and their concentration in power centers), which is clearly seen in the development of topography of Iran geographic space on both a national and a regional and local scale. According to this, this paper, with studying the political, economic and cultural dimensions of development in Iran, tries to examines and analyze the effects of centralization on the formation of regional inequality in Iran.
2- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Centralization is a form of political-administrative organization, in which centralization of power and the non-assignment of authority to lower levels of territorial- administrative division cause to make misunderstandings and disproportionate expectations with environmental-geographical capacities and thus the formation of spatial inequality. Usually, these spatial inequalities can be found in: the imbalance between the public and private sectors, due to the excessive body of government’s involvement in affairs and the marginality of local and popular capabilities; sectional inequalities, for example, between services, agriculture and Industry; Social inequalities, for example, between different urban and rural areas; geographical-population inequalities among different regions of the country; Inequalities between different dimensions of development, ie, the unbalanced backwardness and improvement of development in various political, economic, cultural and social dimensions; Economic inequalities, for example, the gap between the modern and traditional sectors of the economy, between the income levels of different population groups; regional inequalities, such as imbalances between marginal areas and development poles; as well as inequalities in development geography, including the imbalance between population and resources / available opportunities, saturated spaces, capacious spaces, pristine and forgotten spaces / ie, abandoned spaces, or, in other words, the areas of interest and neglected spaces.
3- METHODOLOGY
The method of this research, based on its theoretical nature, is descriptive-analytical, and for collecting research findings, library resources are often used. Also, in order to better understand the issue, the level of development or spatial inequalities between the provinces of Iran during the years 1986, 1996, 2006 has been studied, And in general, evaluating a set of different indicators in the political, economic and cultural sectors and according to the resulted from the statistics available for each province, the status of each province is identified in the framework of descriptive maps in terms of political, economic and cultural development at the level of Iran, as well as of calculation of the integrated development of the examined indexes.
4- RESULTS & DISCUSSION
In this paper, the spatial inequality is considered as the difference in development leves between different regions of Iran. This paper examines the issue of spatial inequality in Iran in three areas of political, economic, and cultural development in relation to the effects of the political uitary system and centralization. As, the study and analysis of the findings of this paper shows that despite the diverse ethnic, religious and ecological-geographical attributes in Iran, in the unitary and centralized structure of Iran, assuming homogeneous country's space (especially cultural); use of the single law for the whole country, uniform implementation of laws in the country on the basis of the homogeneous geographic space and the nation; centrality in the process of planning and budget and expenditures of the country (especially economic); regulation and control over all institutions and organizations under central government; applying political decisions and legislation in the center; ignoring geographical differences in national policies; establishment of a top-down stream of rule and the role of local institutions under the control of the central government in all political, economic and cultural spheres have led to the formation of unequal geographies of power (the evacuation of opportunities and means of power from the periphery - especially the ethnic areas - and their centralization in power focuses) in Iran, and the current process continues, despite the relative and very low adjustment.
5- CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS
According to the results of this study, the origin of many of the spatial problems in Iran must be sought in the nature of this structure (Centralization). So that, this structure can be regarded as a painful disease and the greatest problem of spatial structure and spatial organization process (political-economic-cultural) in Iran. This clothing has sewn for the territorial body of Iran in the Persian Constitutional Revolution Era through developing of a political Centralization aimed at establishing political unity in Iran, and is still the only political, economic, and cultural clothing of Iran spatial structure. Of course, today's in Iran, the structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not legally centralized in nature, since its constitution opened the way out of centralization and the constitution of Iran offers a great capacity and capabilities to escape from this painful disease and resolve spatial inequalities are present in Iran's geography, and indeed, very geographical-ecological realities of Iran are considered in the constitution., especially useing the geographic knowledge and insights. Thus, apparently, the origin of the continuity of the centralization clothing on the geographical body of Iran, from past to the present, can be sought in the lack of geographic knowledge and insight in the nature of macro and micro decision-making, and in other words, the type of operation of the Iranian space management system. However, centralization is a fact of Iran spatial structure that can not be denied by any means. Reality which even now has become a dominant paradigm in the eyes of the government, the academic community, and public opinion in Iran, and apparently there is simply no way out of it.

Keywords

centralization; Unitary structure; Iran; spatial inequality

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