Understanding the Discourse of Emergence and Alternation of Housing Policy in Iran’s 4th and 5th Development Plans

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economic, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Prof., Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economic, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Assistant Prof., Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economic, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Objective
From the perspective of the discourse approach, this present study aims to comprehend the reason and method behind the alteration of housing policy in the fourth and fifth development plans of Iran.
Methods
This study employed Laclau and Mouffe's discourse approach as a research methodology to examine the housing policy in Iran's fourth and fifth development plans. The method includes two primary steps: Firstly, identifying the main signifiers to describe the semantic system of the discourse, and secondly, describing the social theory of each discourse based on the centrality of antagonism. Following the second step, the construction of the discourse on housing policy in each program is separately explained.
Results
The results of discourse analysis in the present study show that the fourth program seeks to achieve justice. According to the discourse analysis literature of Laclau and Mouffe, justice is considered a floating signifier in this discourse due to its polysemous feature. Other signs mentioned in this program show that this program is trying to achieve its desired justice by empowering the subjects financially and economically and distributing residential economic resources in a targeted manner. Therefore, it can be said that the justice discussed in this discourse is economic justice. The hegemony of the discourse of economic justice causes antagonism with other possible meanings of justice and causes antagonism with other alternatives of justice such as welfare, development, right, and need. By excluding the signs of social justice, the fifth plan chooses sustainable development as its floating sign. The expansion of urban areas and the establishment of new cities in the fourth development plan have resulted in challenges that have led to a shift towards sustainable development as the focal point of housing policy in the fifth plan. Neglecting the internal development of cities and worn-out fabric on the one hand and endangering natural resources and agricultural lands, on the other hand, are the most important issues that have been created by the sprawl of urban areas and the establishment of new cities. In such a scenario, the fifth development plan uses the nodal signifier of "internal development and empowerment" to encapsulate the floating signifier of sustainable development. The established meaning of sustainable development, which is influenced by the United Nations Human Settlements Program, is different from the previous discourse and contradicts other possible meanings of sustainable development. Non-interference in nature and the pristine environment is the established meaning of sustainable development in this discourse. The discourse of targeted and managed intervention is also viewed as a competing perspective to this approach.
Conclusion
By dominating the discourse of economic justice, Iran’s fourth development program contradicts other alternatives of justice, such as cultural justice and social justice, and general alternatives of justice, such as rights, needs, and goods, and has excluded them. By dominating sustainable development, the fifth Development Plan also contradicts other types of development including the non-physical and environmental nature of housing. The investigation of the emergence and alteration of housing policy from the discourse approach perspective in other development programs can complement the discourse analysis conducted in this study. Identifying the prevailing discourses on housing policy in the development plans can reveal the discourses that are missing in this area, thus aiding in the formulation of the 7th development plan. This can also shed light on the development of topics and methods and identify individuals who have been deprived of housing policies. In addition, by analyzing the discourse governing the issue of housing in the Constitution and comparing it with the discourses of housing in development plans, it is possible to determine the compatibility of these plans with the Constitution. In terms of method, it is possible to analyze the housing policy in Iran by using other discourse analysis approaches such as Fairclough or discourse psychology.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Akhavankazemi, B. (2008). The discourse of justice in the ninth government of Iran. Journal of Political Science, 2(1), 195-243. (in Persian)
Alavi, S. A., Samadi, M. & Banari, S. (2018). Assessing the weaknesses and strengths of housing policies in Iran (Pre-development and Development Plans after the Revolution). Geography and Human Relationships, 1(2), 867-889.
Anderson, K. T. & Holloway, J. (2020). Discourse analysis as theory, method, and epistemology in studies of education policy. Journal of Education Policy, 35(2), 188- 221.
Angel, S. (2000). Housing policy matters: A global analysis. Oxford University Press.
Bacchi, C. (2000). Policy as Discourse: What does it mean? Where does it get us? Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 21(1), 45- 57.
Ball, S. J. (1993). What is policy? Texts, trajectories and toolboxes. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 13(2), 10-17.
Barzgar, S. (2016). Analysis of housing supply policies in Iran's development plans: from before the revolution until now. International Conference on Contemporary Iran in Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Development. (in Persian)
Baumgartner, F. R., Jones, B.D. & Mortensen, P.B. (2018). Punctuated Equilibrium Theory: Explaining Stability and Change in Public Policymaking. In Theories of the Policy Process (pp. 55-101). Routledge.
Bevir, M. & Rhodes, R. A. W. (2003). Interpreting British governance. Routledge.
Clapham, D. (2018a). Housing Theory, Housing Research and Housing Policy. Housing, Theory and Society, 35(2), 163–177.
Durnova, A., Zittoun, P. & Cooper, J. (2013). Discursive Approaches to Public Policy: Introduction. Revue Française De Science Politique (English Edition), 63(3-4), 85-93.
Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change. Polity.
Fazeli, M. (2004). Discourse and critical discourse analysis. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 14(4), 82-106. (in Persian)
Fischer, F. & Forester, J. (Eds.). (1993). The Argumentative turn in policy analysis and planning. Duke University Press.
Fynsk, C. (2001). Linguistic Turn. In N. J. Smelser & P. B. Baltes (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (pp. 8913-8916). Pergamon.
Glasze, G. (2007). The Discursive Constitution of a World-Spanning Region and the Role of Empty Signifiers: The Case of Francophonia. Geopolitics, 12(4), 656–679.
Hajer, M. (2002). Discourse analysis and the study of policy making. European Political Science, 2(1), 61-65.
Hashempour, R. (2015). Criticism and review of different dimensions of Mehr housing from planning to implementation with the approach of Mehr housing effects on the future of cities. The Tertiary National Conference of Urbanism and Architecture over Time.
(in Persian)
Hejazi, N. & Bahrami, V. (2019). Application of Laclau and Mouffe's Discourse Analysis Methodology in Political Science. Methodology of Social Sciences and Humanities, 25(99), 2-18. (in Persian)
Hezar Jaribi, J. & Emami Ghafari, Z. (2019). A Study of changing house welfare policies in Iran (1979-2013). Social Development & Welfare Planning, 11(38), 76-120.
Hoseinizadeh, S. M. (2004). Discourse theory and political analysis. Political Science, 3(28), 181-212. (in Persian)
Hutchison, R. (2010). Encyclopedia of urban studies. Sage.
Jacobs, K. & Manzi, T. (1996). Discourse and policy change: The significance of language for housing research. Housing Studies, 11(4), 543–560.
Jacobs, K. & Manzi, T. (2000). Evaluating the Social Constructionist Paradigm in Housing Research. Housing, Theory and Society, 17(1), 35–42.
Jørgensen, M. & Phillips, L. (2002). Discourse analysis as theory and method. Sage.
Khaleghi, A. H., Pourezzat, A. A., Rahbar, F. & Ghazinoory, S. (2014). Discourse analysis of the ethical in IRI policy documents on e-Governance. Journal of Public Administration, 5(4), 79-100. (in Persian)
King, P. (2010). Housing policy transformed: The right to buy and the desire to own. Policy Press.
Kingdon, J. W. & Stano, E. (2011). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies (Updated 2nd ed. / [editor-in-chief, Eric Stano] with a new foreword by James A. Thurber). Longman classics in political science. Longman.
Laclau, E., & Mouffe, C. (2001). Hegemony and socialist strategy: Towards a radical democratic politics / Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe (2nd ed.). Verso.
Lasswell, H. D. (1971). A pre-view of policy sciences. (Policy sciences book series.). American Elsevier Publishing Co.
Law of the fifth program of economic, social and cultural development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. (2011). (in Persian)
Law of the fourth program of economic, social and cultural development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. (2005). (in Persian)
Lester, J. N., Lochmiller, C. R., & Gabriel, R. E. (2017). Discursive perspectives on education policy and implementation. Palgrave Macmillan.
Marston, G. (2000). Metaphor, morality and myth: a critical discourse analysis of public housing policy in Queensland. Critical Social Policy, 20(3), 349–373.
Marston, G. (2002). Critical Discourse Analysis and Policy-Orientated Housing Research. Housing, Theory and Society, 19(2), 82–91.
Mettler, S., & Sorelle, M. (2018). Policy Feedback Theory. In Theories of the Policy Process (pp. 103- 134). Routledge.
Oliver, A. (2013). Behavioural Public Policy. Cambridge University Press.
Ostrom, E. (2011). Background on the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework. Policy Studies Journal, 39(1), 7-27.
Oxley, M. (2009). Financing affordable social housing in Europe. Un-habitat.
Parsamehr, T. (2015). The discourse analysis of general pension/retirement policies of Islamic Republic of Iran and Mapping alternative Futures. Doctoral dissertation. Imam Khomeini International University. (in Persian)
Peters, B. G., & Zittoun, P. (2016). Contemporary approaches to public policy: Theories, controversies and perspectives. (B. Guy Peters, Philippe Zittoun, editors). International series on public policy. Palgrave Macmillan.
Pour Ali, S., & Feirahi, D. (2016). Cultural Policy of Higher Education during Ahmadinejad's Presidency: A Discourse Analysis. Public Policy, 1(4), 121-140. (in Persian)
Pourmohammadi, M. R., Sadr Mousavi, M., & Abedini, A. (2012). Analytical consideration on policies of housing supply by government with respect to the cultural and socioeconomic development plans in Iran. Journal of Urban Studies, 3, 34-43. (in Persian)
Rahmani, A. (2006). The 15-year performance of the housing sector in the first, second and third programs of Iran's economic development after the revolution (1368-82). Political-Economic Information, 1(20), 184–189.
Riazi, S.A. (2002). The role of the government in housing planning; A brief overview of the housing situation in Iran during the years 1364-75. Political-Economic Information, 6(16), 228-233.
Roe, E. (1994). Narrative Policy Analysis. Duke University Press.
Sabatier, P. A. (1988). An advocacy coalition framework of policy change and the role of policy-oriented learning therein. Policy Sciences, 21(2), 129-168.
Schneider, A., & Ingram, H. (1993). Social Construction of Target Populations: Implications for Politics and Policy. American Political Science Review, 87(2), 334- 347.
Schon, D. A. (1995). Frame reflection: toward the resolution of intractable policy controversies. Basic Books.
Smith, K. B., & Larimer, C. W. (2017). The public policy theory primer (Third Edition). Westview Press.
Soltani, S. A. (2004). Discourse theory as theory and method. Political Science, 7(28), 153-180. (in Persian)
Stone, D. A. (2002). Policy paradox: The art of political decision making. Deborah Stone (Rev. ed.). Norton.
Tajik, M.R. (1999). Postmodernism and Discourse Analysis. Tehran, Islamic culture publishing office. (in Persian)
Taylor, S. (1997). Critical Policy Analysis: exploring contexts, texts and consequences. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 18(1), 23-35.
Walton, S., & Boon, B. (2014). Engaging with a Laclau & Mouffe informed discourse analysis: a proposed framework. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 9(4), 351- 370.
Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (2009). Methods of critical discourse analysis (2nd ed.). Introducing qualitative methods. SAGE.
Zearley, T. L. (1993). Creating an enabling environment for housing: Recent reforms in Mexico. Housing Policy Debate, 4(2), 239–249.
Zittoun, P. (2009). Understanding Policy Change as a Discursive Problem. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 11(1), 65- 82.
Journal of Public Administration
Volume 15, Issue 2
2023
Pages 293-318

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics