Discourse Analysis of Economic Development of Rural Communities in Five-Year Plans of Iran's Post-Revolutionary Governments

The present study aims at investigating discourse analysis of economic development of rural communities in the Iranian post-revolutionary governments. Three governments of Executives of Construction (Kargozaran), Reformist, and Conservative (1989-2013) comprised the research scope. The propositions or communicative events were collected as the texts of development five-year plans and certain political movements based on which the governments took step. This study is a qualitative research which used a combination of Fairclough, Laclau and Mouffe Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methods as the conceptual framework and methodology basis. Findings show that distinctions made between “self” and “other” have caused exclusion and marginalization in political conflicts. The dominant discourse hegemony in conflicts has been effective and decisive over the concept of development, and this supports the research. The findings demonstrate that among the effective explanatory factors on rural development concept in discourses of the three governments are top-down approach, reliance on oil-based economy or "oil state", rural economy history, unnoticed grassroots development process, and paying more attention to certain sectors. Also, the bottom-up development approach was more significant during the Reformist government. Rural development and renovation have been held a significant position in the post-revolutionary governments. However, on account of discursive consequences resulted from the rural development position affected by discourses of governments including poverty, inequality, and loss of rural population which caused increased suburbanization and urban poor, the development process turned to be an uphill struggle.