248 research outputs found
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Under the Purdah: Network of Gender, Class, and Religion in Iqbalunnisa Hussain’s Purdah and Polygamy: The Life in an Indian Muslim Household (1944)
Get PDFWhile the canon of 1940s subcontinental literature is dominated by broad political narratives, Iqbalunnisa Hussain’s Purdah and Polygamy (1944) turns inward, using the Zenana as a microcosm to expose the pervasive network of patriarchy. This paper argues that Hussain’s work is a radical act of resistance precisely through its a-political focus, challenging the patriarchal matrix that male authors often reinforced. By unveiling the "purdah" on the female world, Hussain demonstrates how women exercise agency within severe constraints and ensures that the "doubly colonized" are not forgotten. Hussain’s zoomed-in lens on Zenana focuses on the intersection of gender, class, and religion to challenge them. Recuperating her voice is thus fundamental to challenging the political, male-centered narratives of the Partition-era India
Impact of Instagram’s Filtered Reality on Self Identity and Social Perception Among Pakistani University Students
Get PDFInstagram is one of the fast-growing social media applications that have been a part of modern society and is becoming very popular because of its ability to connect, inspire, and motivate its users. This study explores how Instagram’s filtered reality shapes individual behavioral self-identity and social dynamics. For this purpose, a survey was conducted online through Google Form with 100 university students in Multan, Pakistan, while using a convenience sampling. From the analysis, two important trends were realized. First, Instagram is a motivational platform, which inspires users to enhance their personal and professional lives. Second, this also creates psychological effects in that people tend to compare their real lives with the idealized lives they view on Instagram, which may result in low self-esteem and unrealistic expectations. The study concludes that Instagram's filtered reality creates a paradox for young Pakistani adults, simultaneously serving as a source of inspiration and a trigger for negative social comparison, highlighting the need for digital media literacy interventions. The findings of the study suggest that a majority i.e. 53% of the sample find Instagram inspirational for self-improvement, a significant proportion also suggest its role in fostering unrealistic beauty standards i.e. 54% and social conformity i.e. 52%
Between Two Worlds: Generational Identity and Acculturation in Min Jin Lee’s “Pachinko”
Get PDFThis study examines four acculturation mechanisms, i.e., assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization, utilized by four generations of Korean immigrants in Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko (2017), using John W. Berry’s acculturation theory as a framework. By incorporating literary analysis with psychological theory, this research contributes to the discourse on diasporic identity and acculturation in literature. The study analyses how characters from different generations negotiate their identity through multiple acculturation strategies and how they deal with acculturative stress, the findings show that acculturation is a complex and nonlinear process as characters exhibit different strategies in their lived experience. Acculturative stress is affected by factors such as economic hardship, racial discrimination, and social exclusion, while age and the individual’s preferred acculturation strategy have a direct impact. The marginalization strategy leads to extreme distress. Although integration is the least stressful and minimizes psychological distress, it is quite unattainable due to systemic and cultural barriers. Ultimately, this research is relevant to understanding contemporary immigrant experiences that will impact future literature studies
A Corpus-Based Study of Hedges and Boosters in Transgender Representation in Pakistani Newspapers Articles
Get PDFThis paper focuses on newspaper discourse on transgender portrayal by analyzing hedges and boosters accompanied by Fairclough's (1995) Three-Dimensional Model. Hedges and boosters are directly related to the construction of certainty and uncertainty in discourse. Based on Pakistani newspaper articles from Dawn and The News, the research looked for common patterns of the linguistic formations of transgender and discursive ideologies. Hedges such as ‘may’ and ‘could’ potentially reduce discourses as they progress and indicate social ambiguity, whereas boosters like ‘must’ and ‘clear’ could support demands for rights. The study found that Dawn used hedges such as ‘may’ and ‘could’ 86 times, whereas The News used them 101 times, indicating a cautious tone. In contrast, boosters like ‘must’ and ‘clear’ appeared 35 times in Dawn and only 23 times in The News, showing different levels of assertiveness. This dual approach reflects distinct editorial stances on transgender discourse in Pakistani media. The analysis showed that it is possible to advance understanding of how the media influences the perceptions of society and the applicability of an approach to the construction of equality-minded discourses. Future studies should expand the media contexts so that less is left unknown about how minorities are depicted
Patriarchal Dynamics and Political Participation: A Comprehensive Analysis of Educated Women's Experiences in Urban Pakistan
Get PDFThe study draws on the theoretical frameworks of patriarchy and intersectionality. The theory of patriarchy, rooted in feminist thought, explores how familial power dynamics perpetuate male dominance and restrict women's agency. The study challenges the prevailing notion that patriarchal norms are the sole determinants of women's political participation. Intersectionality theory highlights the interconnectedness of various factors, such as education and marital status, shaping women's experiences in political participation. Additionally, the Resource Mobilization Theory enriches the analysis, emphasizing how educated women strategically leverage resources like education, economic independence, and urban settings to overcome barriers and actively engage in politics. This study adopts a mixed methods approach to investigate the relationship between patriarchy in the family and political participation among educated women in urban Pakistan. The quantitative component involves a cross-sectional survey of 400 female university students, focusing on political participation indicators. Simultaneously, in-depth qualitative interviews are conducted with 30 highly qualified teachers from selected universities, offering rich insights into the impact of patriarchy and the interplay of education, employment, and residence on political engagement. This mixed methods design ensures a comprehensive exploration of the research questions, enhancing the robustness of the study
Political Class and Anti-Corruption War in Nigeria
Get PDFPolitical class and corruption have been blamed for the existence of underdevelopment in Nigeria and how its negative inferences have brought a set-back across various sector of the society. Government had made efforts to wipe away this portent by creating anti-corruption agencies, but corruption still exist and keep increasing across most sectors in Nigeria. This study aimed at perusing on political class and anticorruption war in Nigeria. This study pointed out causes of corruption by the political class and also other factors that led to poor growth and development in Nigeria and how to prevent the glitches. Social network theory of development has been applied for this study. Documentary method was adopted for the study, with a major secondary source of data in the course of the study. The work-study stated how corruption, ascriptions and greed grosses in the various process of political class in Nigeria. And recommendations were made for this phenomenon such as independent operations and strengthening of anti-corruption agencies to fight against corrupt practices, promoting regional and international economy social network balance Cooperation to yield smooth growth and development among the political class as whole
Social media political hate speech and its implications on mental health: The need for digital literacy
Get PDFThe study focuses on political hate speech and its implication on mental health. Considering this, social media posts and responses of social media users through open-ended questionnaires provide the data for thematic analysis. The main source of data is the text of posts on the specific pages of mainstream political parties: Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League(N), and Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPPP). Sampling is convenient, and only those posts are taken which are against other parties or leaders during the general election of 2024 in Pakistan. For validation of analysis of the posts, the survey shows how political hate speech effect mental health and helps in understanding the role of digital literacy. Thematic analysis of posts and responses are analyzed using the social identity theory and framing theory. The key findings related to mental health are increased anxiety, stress, social isolation, depression, decreased trust in institutions and media, and hopelessness. With platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube serving as a source of political information, these spaces have become increasingly polarized, often hosting divisive and hostile rhetoric. The prevalence of political hate speech, characterized by identity-based hostility, dehumanizing language, and moral accusations, poses challenges to individual’s mental well-being and contributes to a culture of social intolerance and conflict. Participants express a sense of societal disillusionment, mentioning the way political hate speech encourages division and decreases trust in political processes and intergroup harmony. The findings also suggest that a multifaceted approach, combining personal resilience strategies with digital literacy and platform moderation policies, is essential for encouraging a healthier online environment. This study contributes to understanding the mental health implications of political hate speech, advocating for both individual and systemic solutions to reduce the spread and impact of divisive rhetoric
To Measure the Effects of Omnichannel Management Capabilities on Positive WOM Engagement and Equity
Get PDFThis study examines the “The Effects of Omni channels Management Capabilities on Positive WOM Engagement and Customer Equity “within the retail fashion sector. This study is qualitative in nature and used the case study research design for analysis and discussion. Brands like Sana Salinas, Limelight, and Zellbury exemplify how effective Omni channel strategies enhance customer satisfaction and foster positive WOM, thereby increasing customer equity. Conversely, Khaadi’s challenges in service execution despite advanced technology highlight that digital capabilities must be complemented by good customer care services, staff behavior, product quality, good refund policy and timely delivery of products. Alkaram’s relatively stable position underscores the need for greater investment in Omni channel initiatives to sustain competitiveness and long-term customer relationships. The findings emphasize that strategic Omni channel integration is essential for retailers aiming to meet evolving customer expectations and drive sustainable brand advocacy and value but along with development and training of staff to give a good customer care service
Digital dilemmas: Free speech, privacy, and state control in Pakistan's social media landscape
Get PDFThe social media regulations in Pakistan reach out to the issues of society, law, and morality. Due to the blistering development of digital technologies, nowadays, people are more concerned about hate speech, fake news, and privacy. Thus, the government is updating the rules. Nevertheless, other individuals believe that such measures interfere with the freedom of speech and might be prohibited by the Constitution. It is feared that such legislation as PECA can be exploited to prevent criticism using its ambiguous provisions. It is hard to ensure that fundamental rights of people are guaranteed and they are responsible. The other one is the fact that the nature of requests or deletions to data may not be understood, as well as how the content is being deleted. It means that social media networks are social subjects that are dynamic in the world and, therefore, give additional difficulties in controlling them. These are issues that need an intelligent approach to tackle in the digital space in Pakistan, whereby all stakeholders, good laws, and democracy are involved
Power of Visuals in Political Branding: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of visualatory campaigns
Get PDFPolitical branding is a media strategy employed by political leaders, influencing public opinion through visual discourse strategies. In the modern era of visual discourse studies, visual representation has shifted the trends towards nonverbal communication, which significantly plays a pivotal role in constructing the political narrative for the public. This study, however, investigates the power of visual branding of political representations employing multimodal visual discourse analysis (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). For this, the study ratifies a qualitative research method and gathers data from media representations in the political campaigns of Pakistan's major political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The study examines the PTI campaign's rhetoric and the content of party postings on social media to understand the political narrative. The results of the study show that each representation of PTI employs distinct colors, unique symbols, and attractive images of leaders. The media regulation strategies not only build up the political narrative of the political party but also represent political personalities that persuade the voters. This study tacitly implies that PTI's visuals are modern, target the young generation, and appeal to change, utilizing visualatory campaigns. Consequently, the analysis supports the importance of visual representations and media regulation strategies, actively engaging voters in their political desiderata