This paper presents a critical survey of the literature on “resource curse,” focusing on the specific cases of Iran and Russia. The key question that we address is how the discourse of “resource curse” intersects with and is reproduced in hierarchical global practices. We argue that, first, while the evidence provided by the literature in regards to the relations between resource rent and negative economic outcomes is considerable, it is by no means conclusive. Second, the literature does not account for other factors involved in this relation, such as structures of ownership, effects of domestic versus international factors, as well as the role of social forces, institutions, and historical backgrounds. The reductionist discourse that predominates the literature and argues that natural resource wealth has promoted specific political pathologies and, in turn, has encouraged poor economic performance should be revisited. As our analysis demonstrates, the discourse of “resource curse” is utilized to frame the victims of this curse as outsiders to neoliberal modernity and global capitalism. Instead, we propose to ask two interdependent questions. How do resource-rich countries like Iran and Russia use natural resources in their endeavours to contest and engage with the existing systems of international stratifications and ranking? And how does the predominant discourse of "resource curse" frame these endeavours, reproducing a particular international hierarchical order?
