Religion & Communication (Feb 2008)
Religious Politics and Popular Culture in Iran: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Development Plans (1988-2008)
Abstract
In the contemporary cultural world, the linkage between two influential issues, i.e power and culture is manifested mostly in the forms of cultural politics as well as cultural policy. The functional aftermath of these is nothing but determining the bio-social meaning and everyday actions, cultural representation and legitimizing everyday culture and ultimately organizing thought and cultural acts. Here we are also witnessing the formation of another noticeable domain of cultural policies that are centered around religion. This means a religious cultural policy that has resulted in a social pattern consisting of religious culture, religious politics, religious culture policies and religious policies in culture. In this sense religious culture politics especially in more religious sensitive societies or the ones with religious- oriented regimes (such as contemporary Iran) deal with a discourse that could be called popular culture. In this regard there are some questions about religious policies for the Iranian popular culture that need to be elaborated. 1- Which discourse policies are pivotal? 2- Which discourse subjects are more referred to? 3- What are the ultimate discourses for these subjects? The article has provided answers for these within particular theoretical frameworks such as religious politics of identity- cultural resistance and its appropriate method and critical discourse analysis.
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