Discourse Theory

The work at hand, authored by Mohammadreza Rasouli and Pouya Nematollahi, examines “Discourse Theory” from structuralism to post-structuralism. The present book consists of three main sections, each addressing specific details of “Discourse Theory.” In the first section, the history and foundations of this concept are reviewed, discussing what discourse is in both general and technical senses, discourse analysis, different approaches and classifications, discourse analysis and social constructionism, the emergence of critical discourse analysis, discursive formation, and Foucault’s theories on power and discourse. The second section, centered on Laclau and Mouffe’s “Discourse Theory,” sees Mohammadreza Rasouli and Pouya Nematollahi revisit the definition of “Discourse Theory,” this time examining semiotics and structuralist linguistics. The starting point for this discussion is linguistics, followed by the arbitrariness of the signifier-signified relationship. The authors clarify the role of linguistics in Laclau and Mouffe’s model and explore “Discourse Theory” from structuralism to post-structuralism. This section also includes concepts such as deconstruction, Marxism, post-Marxism, historical materialism, articulation, components and concepts of “Discourse Theory,” theoretical distinctions between discursive and non-discursive matters, discourse and naturalization, myth and legend, subject and identity theory, and the perspectives of Althusser and Lacan on subjectivity. The third section of the book discusses approaches, techniques, and strategies within this theory. It offers tools for discursive analysis and interpretation while examining the distinctions and similarities between critical discourse analysis and “Discourse Theory” from a methodological viewpoint, addressing the positions of these two approaches and the possibility of integrating them methodologically.