Barriers to social inclusion of the gypsies of Tehran's Harandi neighborhood

Gypsies of Tehran's Harandi neighborhood (former Darvazeh Ghaar) are among the immigrant groups living in this neighborhood after the destruction of the Khak Sefid in 2000. Gypsies' lifestyle of consumption, an economy based on women and children-led economies, living in the most worn-out and at the same time the most dangerous part of the neighborhood, have provided the group with severe social exclusion from other areas. Gypsies also reside in the neighborhood as a social group and form part of their future neighborhood identity, especially their children. This study aimed to identify the status of gypsies living in Harandi neighborhood and to understand the grounds of their social exclusion. The research method used in this research is qualitative and thematic analysis. So through purposeful and snowball sampling, we interviewed with 20 gypsies in the neighborhood and 10 non-gypsies. Saturation was obtained with this number of interviews. This study shows that a set of factors at the cultural, individual, and structural levels influence neighborhood gypsy conditions- from gypsy entry into education, employment, and bargaining opportunities to changing conditions and bonding. They are socially preventable. Therefore, reducing the causes of social exclusion of gypsies on the issue of individual agency and disregard for structural factors is a strategic error in eliminating the social exclusion of gypsies in the Harandi neighborhood.