Rentier economy and network instrumentalization: An analysis of non-human agency in the transformation of place character within the Razavi Shrine precinct

Ramazannejad, Javad; Hamzenejad, Mehdi; Mohammadmoradi, Asghar

doi:10.22034/uep.2025.553456.1745

Rentier economy and network instrumentalization: An analysis of non-human agency in the transformation of place character within the Razavi Shrine precinct

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Javad Ramazannejad ¹

Mehdi Hamzenejad ²

Asghar Mohammadmoradi ³

¹ Ph.D. candidate, Department of Architecture, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

³ Professor, Department of Restoration, School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/uep.2025.553456.1745

Abstract

The rentier capitalist economy in religious cities such as Mashhad transforms urban structures and place character by exploiting pilgrimage flows and monopolistic resources without creating productive value, commodifying the identity of lived places into profitable assets. The theoretical frameworks of actor-network theory (ANT) and object-oriented ontology (OOO) provide appropriate approaches for investigating this phenomenon. However, despite the growth of studies employing ANT and OOO, a significant gap remains in their application to urban political economy. Although various aspects have been examined, the role of non-human actors in rent-seeking within religious places appears to have been neglected. This study examines the mechanisms of place character transformation in the neighborhoods within the Razavi Shrine precinct. It aims to answer the question: “How does the rentier economy transform place character through the mediation of built form, and what role do non-human actors play in this process?” The research methodology is based on an interpretive-critical paradigm with a posthumanist orientation, employing a qualitative approach that integrates discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis through the bricolage technique. Data were collected through document analysis and in-depth interviews with 12 key informants, then integrated and analyzed using three-stage grounded theory coding combined with the bricolage technique. Findings revealed that the actor network comprises 40 actors, with non-human actors playing a dominant role. The core category of “networked instrumentalization of space to eliminate resistances” was identified, in which driving forces prevail over local resistances. The theoretical contribution of this research demonstrates that built form does not act as a passive mediator but rather as a dual actor that both participates in rent production and resists it. In contrast, non-human economic actors dominate the network, and the withdrawal capacity of objects remains limited.

Keywords

Built Form

Essence of Place

The Razavi Shrine Precinct

Network Instrumentalization

Non-Human Agency

Rentier Economy

Subjects

Urban Economy

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