Experience Stability - Instability in an Oil City (Study of Abadan Urban Experience)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Graduated from the University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Tehran, Tehran

Abstract

Today, sustainable urban development with emphasis on sustainability and continuity of public development-especially in extractive cities that have grown exponentially through natural resource extraction-has been considered by policy makers and in different countries. The city of Abadan is not known as a resource-oriented or extractive city, but the agency of the oil industry and the establishment of an oil refinery have played a major role in the development of this city. Therefore, the same issues that occur in extractive and resource-oriented cities have affected this city as well. Various studies on these cities show that development in all dimensions has not occurred in these cities and there are instabilities in this area. The purpose of this study is to investigate the urban sustainability of Abadan under the influence of oil industry activities. In this study, the method of triangulation with field observation techniques, urban ethnography, documentary sources and in-depth interviews and oral history has been used. The results show that Abadan, despite experiencing growth and development due to the establishment of the oil company, has experienced economic, environmental and social instabilities due to the presence of oil facilities. This has intensified especially after the revolution and the imposed war due to unbalanced management and the destruction of infrastructure; So that today we only see nostalgia and memory of old Abadan in the public attitude of the people of Abadan.
 

Keywords

References

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Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development)
Volume 15, Issue 2 - Serial Number 58
Vol. 15, No. 2, Winter 2020
May 2020
Pages 211-246

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