Why this book?
- To become acquainted with a sociological analysis of contemporary Iranian issues.
- To understand the concept of the 'concurrence of crises' and the role of governance in shaping social problems.
- To examine the relationship between sociology, public policy, and institutional reform.
- To learn about an Iranian sociologist's perspective on Iran's future.
About the book
"Iran on the Razor's Edge" is a collection of sociological articles and discourses by Mohammad Fazeli, written between 2008 and 2020. This book is the product of the author's experience as a sociologist, public policy researcher, and activist in the field of governance, and it examines the important issues of Iranian society from a social science perspective.
In this work, Fazeli focuses on the concept of the 'concurrence of crises'; a situation in which various political, economic, social, and environmental problems accumulate simultaneously, and their common root can be traced to weaknesses in governance and the inability of institutions to solve problems. He views the problems of Iranian society as wicked problems that become more intractable without institutional reform and the enhancement of state capacity.
The book is organized into three general sections: 'Iranians and Their Problems,' 'State and Governance,' and 'Toward the Future.' This work is suitable for those interested in political sociology, public policy, development, and the analysis of Iranian issues, and it presents a critical and reformist picture of the challenges facing Iranian society.
The first part can be seen as an answer to several questions: What kind of society is Iran? What problems does this society face? What does reformism mean in such an environment? And what kind of people are Iranians? Various approaches can be taken in answering these questions. In the nine discourses of this section, I argue that in our country, various problems are concurrent, a situation I have termed the 'concurrence of crises,' meaning several predicaments in different arenas, largely with a single root—namely, the deficiencies of governance—have gradually emerged and accumulated.
From the table of contents
- 1Iranians and Their Problems
- 2State and Governance
- 3Toward the Future