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Title VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIM WOMEN ON THE MAGAZINE COVERS OF US WEEKLIES POST 9/11 SCENARIO: A SOCIAL SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS

Author(s) SARWAT ASLAM

Abstract The thesis studies the Iconic Representation of Muslim Women in the post 9/11 US weeklies, Time and Newsweek, with the purpose of determining the utilization of various social semiotic resources in disseminating specific messages to a given audience. The cover pages of US Weekly magazines have been selected as the visual texts sources for this study. These sources were discerned as being of considerable impact in narrative building and the discourse they generate, as presented in this research. With the purpose of conducting a semiotic analysis based on visual representations of Muslim women, Visual Discourse Analysis has been selected as the main framework for the analysis. The model of Kress & Leeuwen has been employed for the interpretation of visual representations and text analysis of the captions accompanying the visuals. Peirce’s theory of signs was employed as an investigative tool to understand meaning making through visual signs in the context of feminism. The manner in which visual representations create meaning are interpreted in the social semiotic context is described at length as the main topic of this research. The manner through which the speech, keeping in mind its linguistic function, demands a response from the recipients has also been explored according to explanations of Halliday. Data for the research is collected through ‘Convenient Sampling Technique.’ Fifteen cover pages of two prominent US weeklies, TIME and Newsweek, have been selected on the basis of their influence in opinion making of the masses and presentation of Muslim women. This research, during the course of its investigation, established what variable messages expressed by means of these visual representations, in a way; influence the onlookers to respond significantly, in addition to stimulating emotions of sympathy with ‘cry for help’ in them. Finally, the messages divulged in the course of this research propounds that the visual representation of the Muslim women in US magazines is not only stereotypical but there is some specific political purpose behind these visual representations.

Type Thesis/Dissertation MS

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Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2019-01-04

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