Poverty, Deprivation, and Citizenship in Iran

Poverty is the most widespread and important socio-economic issue in today's world. Scholars have approached poverty and its relationship with other issues through a number of theoretical perspectives. This article attempts to review the various conceptual and theoretical formulations on the relationship among poverty, deprivation and citizenship from a sociological perspective, and examines them in the Iranian context. Findings indicate a complex relationship among poverty, deprivation and citizenship. In particular, poverty and deprivation have acted as obstacles to the realization of citizenship in some areas. Furthermore, transcending structural limitations, citizenship is found to be an appropriate theoretical tool within people whose frame work. i.e, the poor, are not ignored, their individual rights are upheld, and their participation is ensured. Put differently, one may use citizenship as a dynamic concept that can effectively analyze the process, interrelations and dialectics of the various dimensions of poverty and deprivation.