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Actor–network theory analysis of local interactive space and participation in Tehran

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Abstract

The Actor–Network Theory is used to reflect relevant issues of local interaction and involvement in this paper's analysis of Tehran. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is used in the project to investigate non-human and human factors. The Perceived Residential Environment Quality Index was used to study 422 residents of Bagh-Shater, and community semi-structured interviews and interviews with key informants were performed using an interpretive approach. According to the analysis, a diagnosis of the current state of local interactions and involvement is given by transposing the situation in Bagh-Shater into elements that can demonstrate successive urban changes. These components form a single collection when combined with macro and main networks. Our concentration is on the urban situation, which is a place where changes occur at a time when modern aspects of Tehran's urban life align with local characteristics and country structures, or vice versa. As a result, the dominant model in Tehran's development could be machine-centered rather than human-centered, and people, both elites and lower classes may hold a favorable opinion of it and use it to further their own interests. Convergence may be motivated by a variety of factors, as well as community-based conservation projects. The city government has begun the process of implementing the oriented-community strategy. Nevertheless, many such plans due to some facts like the fact that urban technocrats and bureaucrats do not have the adequate motivation, ability, and knowledge to be able to use culture as a great resource for improving urban conditions also they have wasted resources and expanded bureaucracy.

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Notes

  1. The actions performed by the focal actor can be viewed as part of a strategy to align the other interests with his own. This process, is designated as an obligatory passage point and Latour calls each of these actors an intermediary (Callon, 1984; Czarniawska, 2017; Latour, 2011).

  2. It is necessary to implement an actors’ recruitment process – creating an interest and negotiating the terms of their involvement. Thus, the association becomes more vulnerable to competition for the main actors and their associations (Crawford, 2020; Michael, 2017).

  3. The Phase Requires more than one set of actors imposing their will on others for enrolment to be successful. It is only achieved when actors take on the network’s problematization as their own and accept the roles defined for them during intersegment (Costa & Cunha, 2015; Ward, 2018).

  4. It can be referring to the associations as black boxes that are not questioned anymore. ‘‘only voices speaking in unison will be heard. As a result of these black boxes, translation is completed, actor interests are stabilized and controversy is removed and fourth phase, Mobilization occurs (Blok, Farías, & Roberts, 2020; Costa & Cunha, 2015).

  5. This research is the result of a research project entitled (encouraging local participation in community interest and the environment in Tehran) and it should be noted that this project is the result of a collaboration between 6 researchers from the Buin Zahra technical University, the Politecnico di Torino, the Shahid Beheshti University, and the University of Guilan. More to the point, the project manager was from the planning department of the Buin Zahra Technical University.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the reviewers for their careful reading of our manuscript and their many insightful comments and suggestions which improve the quality of manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Buein Zahra Technical University, Qazvin, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Mojtaba Valibeigi

  2. Interuniversity Department of Territorial Sciences, Planning and Policies (DIST), Politecnico di Torino University, Turin, Italy

    Aida Shaneh

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  1. Mojtaba Valibeigi
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Correspondence to Mojtaba Valibeigi.

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Valibeigi, M., Shaneh, A. Actor–network theory analysis of local interactive space and participation in Tehran. GeoJournal 87, 3591–3606 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-021-10448-9

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