The dark side of land commodification: exploring the multidimensional conflicts in second home development in Ziarat Village, Iran

This study examines the multidimensional conflicts arising from land commodification through second-home development in Ziarat village, Iran, addressing a critical research gap in developing rentier states. Employing grounded theory methodology with data from 75 stakeholder interviews, the research identifies conflicts at individual-individual, individual-institutional, and institutional-institutional levels. Findings reveal how weak regulatory frameworks, institutional misalignment, and rentier economic structures intensify land-related disputes over ownership, boundaries, and unauthorized construction while fueling speculation and rent-seeking behaviors. These conflicts operate as an integrated system with self-reinforcing cycles that erode social trust and community cohesion. The study contributes theoretically through a comprehensive conflict taxonomy for land commodification and empirically by documenting how institutional pluralism in rentier economies creates sophisticated governance challenges for sustainable tourism development, highlighting how power imbalances generate persistent barriers to equitable rural development outcomes.