Critical analysis of the representation of government in cyberspace; case study of the Islamic Republic of Iran

With the growth of communication and the development of cyberspace, governments have offered various interpretations of basic policy concepts such as sovereignty, borders, identity and nation. Due to the impact and influence of cyberspace on government policies, it is necessary to conduct new research on these issues. Meanwhile, the representation of political concepts and its role in strengthening and weakening the ruling discourse is one of the most important issues in critical discourse analysis. The present study tries to analyze the propositions of the four constructions of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (theocratic, bureaucratic, democratic and military) about cyberspace at three levels of description, interpretation and explanation by using the method of Fairclough critical discourse analysis, in this way, specify how the government is represented and its role in strengthening or weakening the discourse. The hypothesis of the present study shows that the representation of sovereignty in the discourse of power structures in Iran is realistic and pessimistic and tries to create a new critical atmosphere by relying on national sovereignty and maintaining national security.