Explaining Discourse-based Development of Political Culture: Case Study of Iran's Political Culture

This paper seeks to explain the nature, reason and quality of development in the political culture as a discourse on the basis of the case study of Iran's political culture. By shedding light on the discourse-based nature of the political culture, the possibility of development from one political culture to another political culture, its internal development, and emergence of political subcultures are explained. It is claimed and argued that the political culture as a discourse can change and develop in two forms: development “from” and development “in.” This process will be only made possible and justified if the political culture is construed as a discourse, and cannot be explained through conventional theoretical approaches. The discussion of this claim is done in three parts. In the first part, the theory of discourse analysis is explained as the theoretical framework. Then the quality and nature of the political culture as a discourse are explained. Finally, the reason and quality of development “from” and development “in” are analyzed in Iran's political culture on the basis of political subcultures that have arisen from secondary discourses of the Islamic Revolution.