The notion of center and periphery:Explication of encountering "Self" with "the Other" in the context of urban life stressing Endogenous Development approach

One of the crucial concepts in modern and postmodern views to phenomena is the dichotomy of “I” and “the other”. When talking about the other, in social sciences, the issue is about how the majority and minority are formed in a society. Thus, in sociological thought, minorities usully form the other because the “majority” rises to power which entails the concept of “the other” in a framework of “representation”. In Iranian cities, periphery-dwelling or spontaneous centers constitute an indispensable part of urban life. Now, the question is how the periphery can develop as the other, take root and turn into a generative force? The present article intends to provide a ground for the exponents of the endogenous development doctrine through examining the encounter and interaction of “self” and “the other”. In terms of the “nature” of research, the present research is “qualitative” and regarding the “purpose” it is “analytical” and is concerned with understanding the way self and the other encounter and face each other in the life of the city. The logic of the research is “deductive”. Finally, the results illustrate that modifying distribution of services to the periphery in order to activate industry and agriculture and consequently minimize consumption, reinforcing local institutions to empower the periphery, reconsidering ownership territory, strengthening domestic economic foundations via people’s contribution without any external provision of supplies, are all significant factors that can potentially help to making the periphery become generative.