Analysis of the Student's Position in Educational Discourses in Iran After the Islamic Revolution: A Comparative Approach to the Sociological Perspective on Education

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to analyze and clarify the position and education of students within the discourse of the Islamic Revolution and the subsequent discourses of post-revolution governments. Methodology: This study employs a critical discourse analysis approach based on the framework of Laclau and Mouffe. The research data were collected through an analysis of written and oral documents published during various post-revolutionary periods. The study examines the dominant discourses of the transitional, reconstruction, reformist, and justice-oriented governments, analyzing the position of students in each of these periods. Findings: Based on the analysis of the examined texts, students under Mir-Hossein Mousavi's transitional government were positioned as individuals shaped by revolutionary ideals. During the reconstruction era under President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, students were framed within a development-oriented and skill-based paradigm. In the reform period under President Mohammad Khatami, students were seen as intellectuals and advocates of transformation. Under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s justice-oriented government, students were conceptualized as idealistic and civilization-seeking individuals. These identities were structured according to the central messages and concepts of each period and aligned with specific social positions shaped by the dominant discourse of their respective governments. Conclusion: A comparison of these discourses with sociological approaches indicates that the discourses of the transitional and reconstruction governments aligned most closely with functionalism, whereas the reformist government’s discourse exhibited greater alignment with the critical approach. The findings suggest that the position of students in each period was not a fixed category but rather a socially and ideologically constructed concept shaped by the policies of various administrations.