A Qualitative Research on the Barriers of Economic Underdevelopment in Kermanshah Province

The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers to economic underdevelopment in Kermanshah from the perspective of the people. For this purpose, a survey and interviews with 784 heads of households were used. In their answers, the respondents mentioned 100 concepts as barriers to economic development, which were finally included in three general categories: economic (40 concepts), socio-cultural (33 concepts), and political and managerial (27 concepts). Nearly 70% of the respondents have imagined the barriers of economic underdevelopment of Kermanshah province in the government-non-government spectrum and 80% have imagined them in the collective-individual continuum. Unemployment, economic poverty, lack of factories (economic categories), poor management and negligence of officials (political categories) and addiction (social categories) are the variables that have had the highest frequency (more than 50 times) as a barrier to economic development of the province. Respondents in all cities considered the economic factor more than political and socio-cultural factors as a barrier to economic development and this ratio was higher in Sarpolzahab city than other cities. In Javanrood city, the respondents mentioned the social factor as a priority hindering economic development more than other cities, and the respondents in Paveh city mentioned the political factor as the first priority more than other cities. Respondents' opinions varied according to the city, activity status, employment status, education and place of residence (rural-urban); hence, it seems necessary to consider this difference in describing and analyzing the reality of economic underdevelopment.