Dr. Yaser Bagheri, Assistant Professor of Social Policy at the University of Tehran, is currently on a seven-month study program in Germany. As part of the CRC 1342 Jour Fixe lecture series, he gave a talk on "Social Policy Dynamics in Iran" on December 6, 2023.
The lecture provided a comprehensive understanding of Iran’s social policies from the Post-1979 Revolutionary Era to the present. Thereto, Yaser Bagheri gave an overview of some fundamental indicators and examined certain factors and the main effects of social policies in Iran, such as war, neoliberal agenda (under the influence of the World Bank and the IMF), oil revenues and sanctions, power structure as well as demographic changes.
Abstract:
The 1979 Constitution of Iran officially designates the country as a welfare state, endorsing social rights with the government as the responsible authority. However, the practical implementation of these policies has been quite different. Scholars have engaged in extensive discussions regarding Iran's social policies, often labeling them as clientelistic, populist, rentier, or part of an informal security regime. Existing studies have primarily focused on a single model to explain the post-revolution period, spanning over four decades. Nonetheless, it appears that during this period, Iran's social policies have undergone numerous changes, and the attempt to generalize them under a single model has hindered an in-depth exploration of these significant transformations. Hence, the fundamental question arises: What are the most substantial changes in Iran's social policies? How can we explain these changes, and have they been consistent across all areas of social policies?
Yaser Bagheri is an Assistant Professor of Social Policy at the University of Tehran, Iran. His academic interests revolve around social policies in Southern countries, particularly Iran, and he is associated with the Global Partnership Network. To date, he has conducted several historical studies on socio-economic changes and policy transfers, focusing on areas such as social protection, social transfers, social pensions, welfare organizations, and power dynamics within the Iranian social policy process. In addition to historical research, Yaser Bagheri has a strong inclination towards social data analysis and budgeting. He has organized several workshops in this area and has authored or managed the production of numerous policy notes.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Herbert Obinger
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 5
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58567
E-Mail: herbert.obinger@uni-bremen.de
