POLITICAL QUARTERLY

POLITICAL QUARTERLY

STATE IN MODERN AND POSTMODERN POLITICAL DISCOURSES; A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 Associate Professor; Political Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 M.A., Political Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
In recent few decades, however, as a result of theoretical and practical changes, politico-geographical studies have tended to apply post-positivist methods and approaches. Discourse analysis is amongst the most recent post-positivist approaches. According to this method, social phenomena do not reflect same reality in time and place. But they acquire different interpretations in different discourses. Thus, considering modern and postmodern as different political discourses, this research tries to do a comparative study of state and its elements including territory, population, government, and sovereignty, in each of these discourses. Findings of this research show that, the state has a discursive nature. State is not unchanging, but is interpreted in different ways in different discourses. Thus, as a result of theoretical and practical changes in postmodern political discourse, the state has experienced many changes both in its totality and its elements, comparing to modern political discourse.  
Keywords

Volume 43, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
Winter 2014
Pages 207-225

  • Receive Date 06 February 2012
  • Revise Date 16 June 2014
  • Accept Date 25 June 2012