Discourse analysis of postal stamps with cultural theme in two periods ofPahlavi and the Islamic Republic of Iran

Discourse analysis of postal stamps with cultural theme in two periods ofPahlavi and the Islamic Republic of IranThe postal stamp is a visual element, in which the pictures express the official views of each government on various matters and easily showcase the discourses of power in society in both covert and overt layers of these visual elements. This visual element uses image language to accurately represent the culture of society.Discourse analysis reveals the relationship between society, authority and ideology by revealing discourse-oriented indicators, emphasizes that society is nothing but a composition of different discourses; Therefore, in order to distinguish itself from others, each country has highlighted the symbols that express the ideology of its society. This research asks the question of what discourse basis are in the cultural themed postal stamps of the Pahlavi period and the Islamic Republic of Iran? And also what discourse could hegemonicize itself in these stamps and exclude or marginalize other discourses? By using descriptive, analytical, comparative and qualitative methods with the aim of identifying the common discourse basis in the cultural themed stamps of these two periods and the mechanisms of power discourse in them, the theory of Laclau and Mouffe discourse analysis in studying this stamps has been used. The result also indicates that In cultural stamps, discourse factors have a direct relationship with ideology and authority. By examining these structures, it can be said in the cultural stamps of the Pahlavi era, the dominant discourses are the discourse of antiquarian values, the power of the King and the rebranding of cultural and national identities in a new format; And dominant discourses in the period of the Islamic Republic are, the discourse of Islam, martyrdom and preservation of Islamic and revolutionary values.And dominant discourses in the period of the Islamic Republic are, the discourse of Islam, martyrdom and preservation of Islamic and revolutionary values.