Explanation of Cultural Governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Development Programs (Case Study: The Seventh Development Plan)

The cultural governance, through the coordination of state policies; the participation of civil institutions, and the private sector, not only strengthens national identity, but also shapes the civilizational infrastructure of society and, by developing equitable access to cultural resources, achieves cultural flourishing and social cohesion. Hence, it holds particular importance for governments as a fundamental strategy. With the formation of the Islamic Republic, cultural governance in Iran underwent a serious transformation, emphasizing Iranian-Islamic culture as the framework of national identity and the realization of revolutionary values. The present study aims to explain the discourse of cultural governance in the Islamic Republic of Iran by examining pre-revolutionary cultural documents and post-revolutionary development plans, focusing on the Seventh Development Plan. For this purpose, the Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis method was applied. The results showed that the central signifier in articulation of the discourse of cultural governance of the Islamic Republic has been Idealistic religious mechanical governance, which included the revolutionary Islamic approach, state ownership, sectoralism, and the minimal approach as its floating signifiers, and state politicization and rule-based approaches were also the moments of this discourse. In contrast, the cultural governance discourse of the Pahlavi regime serves as the Other (otherness) of the Islamic Republic's cultural discourse. Moreover, Westernization is the empty signifier of this discourse.