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Representation of Violence Against Women in Pakistani Print Media Discourse: A Corpus-based Feminist Stylistic Analysis This research study has attempted to analyse the representation issues of violence against women in Pakistani print media discourse. The researcher has applied a feminist stylistic approach given by Mills (2005) as a lens to analyse it. To benefit from the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative analysis, a mixed method approach was adopted. Corpus-based method was adopted for quantitative analysis and the in depth analysis was carried out using feminist stylistic model. The corpus was created by taking 110 articles from the four major English newspapers in Pakistan. A purposive sampling technique was adopted based on the online availability of these articles and their relevance to the study. The articles covering the issues of domestic violence and sexual abuse were selected. The corpus was analysed on three levels; lexical choices (word level), syntactic choices (phrase level), words in context and correlations (discourse level). Use of adjectives and adverbs was analysed in binary opposition i.e. for man/woman, victim/perpetrator, frequency of the words victim/ survivor and rapist/perpetrator was also analysed to investigate media’s preference of use of specific terms. Key words were analysed in context and collocations of certain words were also explored. In addition, the use of active and passive constructions was also analysed. The results of the study show that the media’s use of language for the representation of violence against women issues is biased and guided by the ideological conventions of society. Some of these features of language like the use of passive constructions and silencing of women’s voices through omission as well as over-lexicalisation of certain ideas reinforce the stereotypes that already exist in society rather than discouraging them. The research concludes that media’s representation of violence against women issues needs to be more conscientious and astute.
Morphing Subjectivities, Shifting Agencies: A Metamodern Perspective on American Science Fiction ABSTRACT Morphing Subjectivities, Shifting Agencies: A Metamodern Perspective on American Science Fiction This study investigates human subjectivity and its manifestation from a metamodern perspective in the American science fiction digital series Orphan Black and its graphic novel adaptation. Keeping in line with the metamodern view, this thesis conceptualizes the said human subjectivity as an oscillation between two extremes inherent in the spectrum of self. This constant alternation results in an entity that is an amalgam of both positions. It yet does not have the characteristics of either of them, occupying a place that is not a place in the physical and spatial sense of the word. The continuous sway gives the subject the freedom to transcend the boundaries otherwise inherent in the two polarities, resulting in a multi-dimensional manifestation of self that can morph as and when required. The study also makes use of transmedia storytelling as an additional prong in the theoretical framework to comment on the form and medium of the selected texts and discusses how these play a key role in allowing the subjectivity to manifest multiply. To achieve its goal, the study employs textual analysis under the qualitative paradigm to analyze the selected works. The notion of multiple subjectivity is projected as human cloning in Orphan Black and, in doing so, the works reflect the multi-faceted nature of an individual in the contemporary digital age. The study explores how this multiplicity, and its consequences manifest and aims to develop an understanding of this natural order in the metamodernist world.
Re-Orientalizing the Orient: A Self-Orientalist Perspective on Afghan Anglophone Fiction ABSTRACT Title: Re-Orientalizing the Orient: A Self-Orientalist Perspective on Afghan Anglophone Fiction This dissertation is a postcolonial study of Afghan Anglophone fiction. It is delimited to Khalid Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and And the Mountains Echoed and Atiq Rahimi’s The Patience Stone. Located on a larger scale in Afghan Anglophone literary tradition and focused on narratives written by diasporic writers, this investigation is in the area of Orientalists discourses, contributed by Afghan Anglophone writers. The main argument of this study is that, through their construction of relational, hybrid, multiple, and shifting subjectivities/identities in their narratives, diasporic writers have appropriated the Western cannon. In this context Afghan Anglophone writers; Khalid Hosseini and Atiq Rahimi endorse Orientalists discourses and coin the self-othering concept of the Orient. The concept is called Self-Orientalism while the process is called Re-Orientalism. The main argument of the research is the Re-Orientalization the Orient from self-Orientalist perspective. Afghanistan has always been an arena for international conflicts and has served as a buffer zone for the world powers wherein to settle their disputes. The decades long wars and turbulences have left the country devastated and its people vulnerable. And as such it has not yet passed that phase of being a lucrative part of the orient, worthy of the representation and stereotyping of the west, as well as its own people. The present study tries to examine what such self-representations might entail. For this purpose, Hosseini’ s The Kite Runner, And The Mountains Echoed and Rahimi’s The Patience Stone have been selected which are the stories of men and women’s tormented inner self in search of voice and many other stereotypes labeled on Afghans. Orientalism theory by Edward Said, Re- orientalization theory by Lisa Lau, Dirlik’s theory of Self-Orientalism have been used as theoretical framework. Said’s Orientalism has been consulted as a background theory. The findings of the study underline that the culturally indiscrete portrayal of Afghani identity is actually a colonial portrayal, by the author in a postcolonial era. Moreover, the claim for authentic representation ends up in self-stereotyping and misrepresentation of the v diverse ethnic groups within the country because the strategies of representation used by the authors are not devoid of their inherent politics and are, thus, ethical and political in nature. Furthermore, the sense of self in a postcolonial era and the hegemony of “us” and “them” within the self in the context of Afghanistan have also been highlighted in this analysis.
"Remaking of the Self: A Study of Generational Trauma and Collective Memory in Post-Colonial Caribbean Fiction " The research study explores the depiction of generational trauma and collective memory in the novels An Untamed State by Roxane Gay and Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat. The focus of the study is delimited to Haitian fiction that commonly portrays issues of gender abuse and violence. The study investigates how the traumatic events of kidnappings, and rape, in post-colonial Haitian setting, impact female characters over generations. The study utilizes Victoria Aarons and Alan L. Berger’s “Generational Trauma”, Maurice Halbwachs’ “Collective Memory”, and Susan J. Brison’s “Remaking of a Self” as a conceptual framework. This research study shows how these female characters, subjected to violence, experience the trauma of sexual and physical abuse and engage with it during different generations of a family. First-generation females experience traumatic events; second-generation (children of trauma survivors) experience trauma either directly or indirectly, but they work to discover who they are while shielding the third generation from the effects of trauma. Brison’s concept has been utilized to see how female characters demonstrate incredible courage and perseverance in the face of traumatic events and attain female agency. Mireille, and Sophie as mothers are pivotal in the novels because they hold the family together and fight for the third generation. The second generation shows resistance through the collective memory of a family to stop the transference of generational trauma to the next generation and transform their “Self” to claim their place in society. These female trauma survivors attain agency by redefining who they are as women. The collective memory of the past traumatic events, experienced by the female characters in a family, also provides this fortitude and preparedness for the second generations. Trauma and the collective memory of the family passed down through generations work together to restore the victim’s “Self”. This newfound agency and sense of self assist women in normalizing their family after generational trauma.
REPRESENTATION OF CPEC IN PAKISTANI ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS: A READER RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE Title: Representation Of CPEC In Pakistani English Newspapers: A Reader Response Perspective This work explores the representation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistani English newspapers from a reader response perspective. The study aims to understand the evolution of CPEC's depiction over time and the factors influencing these changes. The work employs a qualitative analysis methods to evaluate the perception of readers for CPEC coverage. The key concepts discussed in this thesis include the geopolitical significance of CPEC, the media's role in shaping public opinion, and the influence of political dynamics on media narratives. Through qualitative analysis of interview data from various respondents, the research identifies themes such as initial optimism, emerging environmental and economic concerns, and the impact of political shifts on media coverage. The findings reveal a transition from a predominantly positive portrayal to a more refined and critical perspective, reflecting broader geopolitical tensions and domestic political changes. While readers express general satisfaction with timeliness and accuracy, the study identifies a need for subtle reporting that addresses concerns about comprehensiveness and fairness. The conclusion underscores the complex interaction between media, politics, and public perception in shaping the narrative around CPEC. The study highlights the need for responsible journalism that balances national interests with objective reporting, especially on projects with significant economic and political implications. This research enhances the understanding of media's role in international relations and offers valuable insights for policymakers, media professionals, and scholars in communication and international studies.
SPATIAL LEGIBILITY: A STUDY OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE SELECTED CHARACTERS AND KARACHI IN THE WORKS OF OMAR SHAHID HAMID AND SAMIRA SHACKLE Title: Spatial Legibility: A Study of the Interaction between the Selected Characters and Karachi in the Works of Omar Shahid Hamid and Samira Shackle. This study delves into the intricate relationship between imageability and legibility in urban environments, with a particular focus on hyper-mediated cities. It critically examines the concept of phantasmagoria within urban literature, analyzing two significant novels: The Party Worker by Omar Shahid Hamid and Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City by Samira Shackle. The primary objective of this research is to comprehend how phantasmagoria affects the legibility of Karachi as an urban space. Through a detailed textual analysis, this study explores the mental representations and perceptions of Karachi's inhabitants as depicted in these fictional narratives, placing emphasis on the city's strategies to desensitize and manipulate the human sensorium. By employing the theoretical perspectives of urban scholars such as Kevin Lynch, Libero Andreotti, and Nadir Lahiji, this research offers a critical analysis of the selected texts, drawing out key insights into the construction of spatio-temporal images of Karachi. The findings of this study contribute to the broader academic discourse on urban legibility, highlighting the significant role of phantasmagoria in shaping and influencing perceptions of urban spaces. Ultimately, this study enhances our understanding of how sensory manipulation and mediated imagery in literature reflect and impact the legibility of urban environments, particularly within the context of Karachi.
Graphic Narratives and Sociopolitical Discourse: A Critical Study of the Selected Graphic Novels of Joe Sacco and Malik Sajad This research deals with graphic narratives whose multimodality characterizes their genre, meaning that graphic narratives have a unique form of storytelling that combines both visual and textual elements to convey meaningful narratives. The current research, keeping in view this unique aspect of graphic narratives, analyzes two graphic texts Paying the Land (2020) by Joe Sacco and Munnu: A Boy from Kashmir (2015) by Malik Sajad. These are analyzed in the light of the theoretical framework developed from the works of comic and political theorists to address socio-political issues in two different geospatial contexts. The analysis follows two trajectories. Firstly, it focuses on their medium-specific combination of verbal-visual features such as frames, panels, graphic style, and page layout, to name a few, and secondly, how these graphic novels frame the socio-political stance on the documented crisis. Paying the Land is particularly analyzed for its subversion of dominant political discourse regarding Dene in Canada, and Munnu for problematizing the sociopolitical violence in Kashmir via the medium of comics. The findings suggest that Paying the Land brings to fore an alternate discourse regarding the Dene crisis in Canada foregrounding the importance of indigenous perspectives, agency, and cultural resilience. Through its multimodal aesthetics, it not only acts as a vehicle for truth-telling but also advocates indigenous rights and self-determination. Findings also suggest that Munnu serves as a powerful critique of sociopolitical violence in Kashmir owing to its graphic novel format. The discussion is expanded beyond this to account for how the documented crises are framed to influence readers to form a certain perspective of reality and to encourage their active engagement for the cause that graphic narratives represent. The visual culture of graphic novels is thus addressed establishing that it plays a significant role in highlighting and disseminating global issues. Through their unique combination of visual-verbal aesthetics, and storytelling techniques, graphic narratives engage, raise awareness, inspire action, and create solidarities of marginalized voices at a transnational level.
"Cultural Trauma and Re-construction of Identity: A Study of Selected Palestinian War Narratives" This study investigates the concept of cultural trauma in the selected Palestinian short fiction. It examines ten short stories by different Palestinian writers, including Hanan Habashi’s “L for Life,” Rawan Yaghi’s “Spared,” Sarah Ali’s “The Story of the Land,” Nour Al-Sousi’s “Will I Ever Get Out?” Jehan Alfarra’s “Please Shoot to Kill,” Yousef Aljamal’s “Omar X,” Randa Jarrar’s “Barefoot Bridge,” and Mohammed Suliman’s “We Shall Return,” “One War Day,” and “Bundles.” The analysis of the traumatic experiences of the characters is framed through the theoretical lens of Kai T. Erikson’s concept of collective trauma and Jeffrey C. Alexander’s conceptualization of cultural trauma. In this study, Erikson’s collective trauma works to highlight the trauma of a community. The study analyzes horrendous events of war and examines damaged social bonds that leave a traumatic impact on the consciousness of the community. The analysis of collective trauma in the short stories underscores a rupture of social bonds within the social setting and highlights an erosion of communal ties that the characters experience. This representation of collective trauma, through the suffering of different characters, marks the relation of trauma victim to the wider audience. Building on this foundation, the study further examines how these short stories construct claims of trauma that are mediated through aesthetic realm of cultural trauma. The study argues that the writers of the short stories act as carrier groups who represent the pain of their community. This representation transforms individual and collective suffering into a cultural trauma that resonates beyond the immediate context of the suffering community. The study highlights trauma claims through these narratives, which not only work to identify the sources of suffering of a collectivity but also implore moral responsibility within and beyond the suffering community. This research further underscores that by operating within the aesthetic realm of cultural trauma, these texts contribute to the reconstruction of Palestinian identity.