Ever since Rouhani came to power in Iran, things seem to have changed. The new president is trying hard to fix the chaos after the two- terms presidency of Ahmadinejad. After more than thirty years of theocracy, there is a first outreach to the greatest enemy of Iran, the US. But there is more going on except phone calls to Obama and messages of hosh roshana over Twitter. Young people are glad that the gashte ershad is out sight and that they’re not bothered with remarks about their non-Islamic behavior or appearance. Political refugees of the green movement are considering their return and even negotiations on the nuclear program are progressing positively. These conditions allow one to focus on other issues that are present in Iran’s society. In my opinion it’s the Iranian economy at present time that needs attention in order to stabilize and improve the quality of life.
There are many reasons why the economy in Iran isn’t progressing as it should, considering its potential. Since I’m not a macro-economist, I won’t focus on the numerous factual aspects of the economic infrastructure, nor the ever returning question of oil; how we can own so much and yet receive so little revenue from it. I’ll leave that analysis to those who’ve studies economics. But what I will focus on, however, is the culture and ethics of work. In my opinion, this could be a part of the reason why Iran is not using its (human)resources properly.
In this analysis I only have the observations and experiences from my own family and friends to support this theory. Since I haven’t returned to Iran since the age of 7, there might be highlights in my thesis that are not quite in lieu with the perception of others living in Iran themselves or Iranians living abroad who visit Iran regularly. In that case, I would like to hear their opinion, pro or against my idea.
My theory is that the Iranian economy is not working well because those who are able to work simply don’t! I am not referring to those people who are struggling with unemployment, underemployment or discrimination on the labor market. I am referring to the well educated men and women who are raised in families in which there is a passive means of income; land and real estate owners or people who simply live off the the income of the family business. This group is perceived as the Iranian upper class.
When considering the Persian culture, in many upper class families it is still considered a taboo to work. When there is money to live on, why should one work? Especially unmarried women who remain in their parents’ home seem to be content with the ancient notion of being financially dependent on their father’s money until the moment of marriage. After that it is the husband who must provide means for the woman. But there are also many men who consider it completely normal to receive pocket money from their parents instead of conceiving their own income, gained from labor.
It is perhaps even a status symbol not to work. Wealthy Iranian boys and girls insert the text ‘jibe baba’ (daddy’s wallet) in their ‘profession’ box on Facebook and hang around in malls and coffee shops in Tehran doing nothing constructive or useful. Having to work for them means that one has degraded in status, whic is apparently shameful for the family. It is even something people would be willing to lie about in order to maintain their social status. This is just a single symptom of Iran’s strictly divided class society in which status is expressed with money and possessions. The economic developments of the past thirty years have also widened the gap further between the different social classes. The middle class is disappearing, leaving a large lower class as the laborers and an elite class of people who don’t work. Hence, my conclusion is that there is almost no middle class left to perform labor that is required to oil the wheels of a healthy economy.
I believe that no matter how much money one has, one should always contribute to society, one way or the other. I am afraid that otherwise Iran’s human capital will run dry. When all the brains are either migrating to Europe or wasting their skills and knowledge on the ski slopes of Shemshak or Dizin, who are calling the shots in major companies or organizations in Iran?
Since Iranians are Olympic champions in following trends and copying each other’s behavior, I hope that it will soon become fashionable to feel connected with society, to work hard with conviction and passion and to step out of that parallel universe that has been created in the safety of inherited wealth.
One thing that is notciable is the absence of young Iranians in the service industry. For instance it is common for American students (from rich or poor families) to take low-paying jobs, such as waitressing, to make ends meet while in college. Hard work is considered a virtue, no matter what the pay may be.
Exactly! I started working as a waitress in a restaurant during the weekends, when I was only 15 years old. And I continued until the final year of my university study. I remember my mom asking me not to tell my relatives in Iran about this, because 'they wouldn't understand'. It's a shame.
Distribution of oil money has made it convenient for the middle class to take the same attitude as the wealthy. Just look at the state of the art cell phones available among Iranians, who do not even have jobs. Explosive cash flow prevents Iranians from forming the concept of "future". Parents spend family fortune so their children get double master and PhD from not so Azad Universities but cannot form coalition with the rest of compatriots to start small-scale industries. We subscribe to the same patriarchal culture which rely on parents at home and the government at large and at the same time complain that big daddy does not set us free. I often wonder what happened to the famous line in the fable of Khaleh Sooskeh:
" نون گندم بخورم / منت بابا نکشم".
http://www.mehrnews.com/detail/News/1803316
One of the best blogs I have read on Iroondotcom for long time.
A frank and honest conversation about our culture, our shortcomings and our sense of entitlement which trickles down from top to bottom. This sense of entitlement which is certainly not as the result of 1979 revolution but perhaps has worsen since, is a major hindrance in our economic progress.
I hope you are proud of your own hard work and putting yourself thru school. I have no doubt it will pay for itself going forward as you have learned to rely on yourself rather expecting handout.
Mehrdad
Blame the Brits for discovering oil and building oil infratsructure in Iran!
It's the difference between winning a lottery or becoming well off step by step and the old fashioned way! It's not like Iranians don't want to work, it's that there is really no work. Most businesses (restaurants, retail stores, mini markets, etc.) are only there for their owners to make ends meet, not to hire workers. Most of those businesses fold every year and open somewhere else.
For us who are living in the US and worked to pay our fun activities while living with parents, is hard to imagine what it's like to be a young individual looking to a future life in Iran. Saying Iranians don't work is stereotyping like saying Iranian girls in US are uptight and look down on Iranian boys.
There are just two different worlds. Nobody really wants to live off their parents, even those who do (Shahs of Sunset :-) find it embarassing to admit, so they create "businesses" for themselves to say they're doing something.
Iranian economy is bad because of sanctions. Just last week there was talk of US going into default. Now who do you think would've faired better under economic pressures, Iranians or Americans? Mind you Iranians have been living under sanctions for years, especially in the last two years. So much so that Bush gave up and said "we can't sanction them anymore" and Obama may end up saying the same thing when his two terms are over. Where does the ability of Iranians to live and adjust to severe economic pressures come into any equation? Are all the Iran sugar daddys subsidizing it?!
Esfand Jaan,
You and I must have been born and raised in two different Iran.
If I had a dollar for every time I had come across a young Iranian who refuses a job because it is not behind a desk I would not have a need for that winning lottery ticket.
Sanctions are hurting but if we had learned to live within our means, work a bit harder and more honest way, perhaps we would not have been so dependent on other nations and would have been more self-sufficient. Not accepting responsibility for our own shortcomings is our second curse, next to our sense of entitlements.
Mehrdad
P.S. So many of my own relatives which at best are middle class (the endangered species in Iran) by any standards are so lazy to work and are so dependent on their family for anything and everything. My ante used to make food for the whole week to take to her son studying at the University and to bring all the dirty dishes home so he does not have to do anything is a good example of such laziness.
Mehrdad jaan the same can be said about the American people and having immigrants (legal and illegal) doing the same thing, no?
The point is you can't make stereotypes, for every person who mooches off their parents, there are 5 times as many who are either working hard or struggling to make ends meet. Some of us just don't see them because, well, they're not in our circle of family or friends or who we hear about.
Iranians can't live anymore within their means! Next step would be living on air! Sanctions are hurting like their is no tomorrow, last year when the price of chicken went from $2 to $20 and rent from $300 to $600, how would you budget for it? It is one thing to "hear" about sanctions and what they're doing and another to "live" it, day by day, month after month, year after year and no hope of ever leaving Iran, that god forsaken country.
The ulra right is trying on ultra left tactics, putting sanctions on Iran so that people (not the ones discussed in this thread) would rise up! as MLK would say: RISE UP, I HAVE A DREAM ...! Well as much as I like Obama he is no MLK but at least he's trying to make the best of it!
Great observation about the upper middle class youth dependence on their family and lack of will to take regular non-desk jobs.
However there are many other issue at the heart of this , few of which have been mentioned by the commentators. I make a short summary list of only few of them:
1- The old Iranian culture is still family (and not individual ) based and therefore the family and father's wealth can support all and culturally that is a source of pride and not disgrace .
2- National reliance on the oil and natural resources and income and government subsisdies .
3- Class society which divides the type of jobs to those for the rich and those for the poor . Working hard for some is a sign of disgrace and need , not a source of pride.
4- Islamic Regime's lack of sound economic policies and strategies, running the country with the old bazaar mentality, escessive corruption in all levels, excessive family an friend preferism (party bazi), Religious preferism in emplyment instead of based on qualifications.
5- Controlled and ideological based educational facilities (versus science based) which give preference to those within the system and not those most qualified.
6- Lack of individual, social, civil, political and economic freedom which has created a sense of lack of care and dispare, as well as forcing millions of educated Iranians leaving the country ending in the economic work force of other countries.
Once Iran is in the right and positive path, The People and the youth would have a much higher sense of beloging and care about their contribution to the society. The current sense of lack of belogness and care in part is promoted by the regime to neutralize the society.
Thank you for brining up this important subject.