Driving Culture in Iran

Abstract

Driving Culture in Iran creatively explores the relationship between legal culture and citizenry formation in post-revolutionary Iran. Banakar focusses on driving customs and explanations for citizens’ disregard of traffic laws, demonstrating that the exceptionally high rates of road accidents and lack of law abidance is due to the complex cultural and political climate. The monograph argues that the state’s propaganda machine promotes revolutionary zeal but in a context where people are penalized if they dissent (3). Consequently, dissension becomes a tool for control, setting into motion multiple forms of internal conflict which are reflected in the way Iranians relate to one another as well as in increasing rates of road traffic accidents (4). The originality of the study rests in its exploration of political life at the juncture of law and culture. Through his analysis of the unintended cultural outcomes of the legal structure in Iran, Banakar contributes to our understanding of citizenship formation in hybrid and religiously charged regimes. In particular, the book illustrates how citizens’ distrust of the state can have deadly consequences on Iran’s roads. The monograph will be of interest to academics and other professionals working on the Middle East, Islam, and from a multitude of disciplinary perspectives ...