Analysis of the Discourse of Renewable Electricity Generation in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of management and social science department -Niroo Research Institute-Tehran-IRAN

2 Research specialist in communication and media-Tehran-IRAN

3 PhD in Sociology-Shahid Beheshti University-Tehran,-IRAN

4 PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Shahid Beheshti University-Tehran-IRAN

Abstract

In this study, to evaluate the position of renewable electricity in Iran, the method of Laclau and Mouffe discourse analysis has been used. The results of this study are derived from the discourse analysis of 131 sample texts including news, interviews and reports containing quotations from officials or experts in the field of energy in Iran. The results of our analysis showed that among the three main competing discourses naming fossil electricity discourse, renewable electricity discourse and nuclear electricity discourse, there is an obvious conflict between the two discourses of "fossil electricity" and "renewable electricity". The discourse of fossil electricity, which has the mission of "supplying the country with energy", is considered "insider" and has become hegemonic as "suitable electricity for Iran". The nuclear energy discourse also has a special supportdue to its strategic importance. Thus, the two fossil and nuclear discourses have eliminated the renewable electricity discourse and turned it into the "other" of electricity generation in Iran.
In order to strengthen the discourse of renewable energy in Iran, we need to try to improve the status of this energy through the expansion of dialogue, community participation and social consensus. For this purpose, criticism of discriminatory support policies for fossil power generation and its problems, including environmental pollution, should be given serious attention.

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