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(IN) ABILITY TO DWELL AMIDST GENTRIFICATION: AN ANALYSIS OF IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS AND NO HONOUR BY AWAIS KHAN Title: (In) Ability to Dwell Amidst Gentrification: An Analysis of In the Company of Strangers and No Honour by Awais Khan Gentrification has become a universal issue, which significantly affects individuals' ability to dwell within their transformed environments. This thesis investigates the representation of gentrification and its impact on individuals’ lives, particularly their ability to find a sense of home and belonging, as depicted in Awais Khan’s novels, In the Company of Strangers (2019) and No Honour (2021). By examining how the characters navigate the tension between progress and authenticity amidst urban transformation, the study establishes a critical link between literature and the sociocultural dynamics of gentrification. The research is grounded in Sharon Zukin’s concept of authenticity and Martin Heidegger’s philosophy of dwelling, which together form the theoretical framework. Methodologically, the study employs qualitative textual analysis to explore the experiences of key characters within Lahore’s gentrified spaces as portrayed in the novels. The findings reveal contrasting outcomes: while some characters exhibit resilience and succeed in creating a sense of home amidst modernisation, some characters fail to dwell authentically, which leads to tragic consequences for them, such as social displacement and existential crisis. Gentrification not only reshapes urban landscapes but also disrupts the cultural heritage of communities. Moreover, it creates a sense of tension between tradition and modernity which ultimately affect the lives of individuals dwelling in changing urban circumstances.The analysis underscores the pivotal role of successful dwelling, as conceptualised by Heidegger, in mitigating the alienation caused by gentrification. This research contributes to broader discussions on urban transformation, literature, and identity by demonstrating how fictional narratives portray the complex relationship between individuals and their changing environments. The study emphasises the importance of authentic dwelling in addressing the cultural and psychological challenges posed by modernity.
DETOURNEMENT OF SEDUCTIVE SPACES: URBAN RENEWAL AMIDST GENTRIFICATION IN NAIMA COSTER’S HALSEY STREET AND LISA BRAXTON’S THE TALKING DRUM Title: Détournement of Seductive Spaces: Urban Renewal Amidst Gentrification in Naima Coster’s Halsey Street and Lisa Braxton’s The Talking Drum The present study focuses on how the process of gentrification disrupts the spatial structures, economic equilibrium and community-centric cultural development that are often considered paramount for an inclusive and vibrant urban space. The novels selected for the scrutiny are Halsey Street (2018) by Naima Coster and The Talking Drum (2020) by Lisa Braxton. The gentrified spaces are aestheticized and as put by Christoph Lindner Gerard F. Sandoval, are converted into ―seductive spaces‖, that offer trendy establishments and a renewed urban ambiance. However, the detrimental effects brought by gentrification are always lurking behind, which shatter economic equilibrium, spatial structures, and inclusivity. The afore-mentioned novels have been scrutinized under the lens of the theoretical framework expounded out of Christoph Lindner and Gerard F. Sandoval‘s book Aesthetics of Gentrification: Seductive Spaces and Exclusive Communities in the Neoliberal City (2021), integrating it with Jane Jacobs‘ The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), who serves as the second key theorist. Christoph Lindner and Gerard F. Sandoval are co-authors of this book and give a survey about how embellishment of gentrified spaces takes place, resulting in their conversion into seductive spaces. Meanwhile, Jane Jacobs proposes the urban planning fundamentals and the features of urban spaces that are cardinal to cater the needs of its residents, and for the creation of a vibrant and inclusive urban space. The research aims to unearth the adversities brought by gentrification, and the attempt to mask them through the process of aestheticization, by carrying out the textual analysis of the selected texts. This research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of gentrification's societal implications through literary lenses, informing future scholarly discussions and critiques of urban development.
HETEROTOPIA, AGENCY, AND THE EMBODIED SPACES: A NEW MATERIALIST READING OF THOMAS MANN’S THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN AND MOHAMMAD HANIF’S OUR LADY OF ALICE BHATTI Title: Heterotopia, Agency, and the Embodied Spaces: A New Materialist Reading of Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain and Mohammad Hanif’s Our Lady of Alice Bhatti This study investigates the concept of Heterotopia in Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain and Mohammad Hanif’s Our Lady of Alice Bhatti. It focuses hospital as heterotopic space. I have drawn on Michel Foucault’s idea of “heterotopia” and Karen Barad’s concept of “Agential Realism”. As a supporting theoretical lens, I invoke Henry Lefebvre’s idea of “embodied spaces”. In both the selected texts, the human body has been used as an embodiment of space that moves between heterotopic and normative spaces. It experiences a transition between two spaces and develops spatial consciousness. This spatial consciousness leads to radical subjectivity in order to create harmony among societal conflicts. Barad’s “Agential Realism” is the mutual interaction of human and non-human agencies. Barad calls human and nonhuman interaction “agential cuts” that open the way to attach “others” unintentionally as they are not very far from us. The location and fluidity of human characters into and around heterotopic spaces reveal intra-actions of human experience and non-human material objects. That is how embodied spaces, heterotopias and agential realism get connected in an argument. I have conducted my research from a new materialist perspective. New Materialism is an interdisciplinary field of study where the focus lies on quantum mechanical description of material which goes against the anthropocentric approach of study. New materialism opens up new avenues to rethink human existence within new materialistic framework. I have used Catherine Belsey’s research method, ‘Textual Analysis’ in order to examine my primary texts. This study is likely to productively contribute to the production of knowledge in the area of spatial studies.
Configurations of Case Study Researches: A Corpus-based Genre Analysis This study conducts a genre analysis of case study (CS) research articles (RAs) in English linguistics and literature; it examines their structural patterns, moves, and microstructures. These marked features help in understanding the conventions of CSRAs and its authorial communication strategies. They are useful tools in informing pedagogy of academic writing, specifically CS research. The data is collected from two international and two national journals by employing stratified random sampling technique. Ten case studies were selected from each journal, that is, the study comprises a data of forty English literature and linguistics case studies. The study employed Swales' IMRD model (1990) for identifying macrostructures, AntMover software for move analysis, and Swales and Feak's model (2009) for micro analysis. Findings show that case studies deviate from the traditional IMRD model prescribed for writing research articles, with additional sections such as Literature Review, Analysis, and Conclusion. Disparities were observed between English literature and linguistics case studies, with varying move structures and microelements. The study reveals that simply following a standard format is not enough to effectively communicate research in these fields. This study contributes to the development of various frameworks for example IAC, ILMDC and ILMRDC for both analyzing and writing case studies in English discipline. It highlights the significance of genre analysis in uncovering academic writing complexities and demonstrates the need for continued research into case study genres across disciplines. The results have implications for English for Academic Purposes programs and materials. It provides a model for writing case study research articles and bridging the gap between research and pedagogy in L2 writing instructions.
Refugee Integration within Host Cultures: A Study of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer and The Committed Title: Refugee Integration within Host Cultures: A Study of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer and The Committed This study aims to analyze Viet Thanh Nguyen’s works, The Sympathizer and The Committed for the evidence of refugees’ problems in the host cultures and their integration process therein. Using Tony Bennet’s cultural studies as a research method, the selected works have been analyzed through the lens of Gulay Ugur Goksel’s theoretical concept on integrating refugees within the host cultures. Goksel challenges assimilation and multiculturalism as inadequate ideologies because these offer a one-way route. Contrarily, Goksel introduces the concept of integration as a two-way process that stimulates both the dominant group (host countries) and marginalized groups of refugees to live together. The current research investigates Nguyen’s works as a representative voice of the marginalized section of refugees. The study reflects upon the Vietnamese refugees’ issues/concerns after their displacement from their country to the host cultures due to the persecution of the American-Vietnam War. The refugees face multiple issues that hamper the integration process because the local community of the host countries takes them as security threats and economic burdens. Therefore, the people of the host countries refuse to give them acceptance and basic rights. However, the refugees have to face racial discrimination, gender inequality, and economic problems in the host countries due to their ethno-cultural background. The study concludes that there are certain individuals and institutions in the host countries which give acceptance to refugees to accelerate the integration process. They help the refugees by providing them with education, jobs, citizenship, and basic human rights. In the selected texts, the characters like Claude and the Congressman from America and BFD, and Maoist PhD from France seem active in promoting the integration process.
Realization of Compliments and Greetings Among Non-native Speakers: A Case of Punjabi Speaking English Language Learners This study aims to explore the realization of compliments and greetings among Punjabi- speaking English language learners in the context of pragmatic competence and the particular challenges of social language use. The study draws on Speech Act Theory to analyze how this group of learners employs and comprehends compliments and other types of greetings. This is a qualitative study that includes elicited data from English language learners who speak Punjabi, residing in Jhelum, Pakistan. The research aims to addresses the linguistic aspects of compliments and greetings expression strategies in performing speech acts and pragma linguistics itself. The method used in the current study incorporates Discourse Completion Tasks, observation of naturalistic speech and semi-structured interviews for ascertaining pragmatic competence of the BS English students in Punjab, Pakistan. The results have shown how understanding of cultures and pragmatic competence are important for communicative success. Overall, the data obtained suggest that Punjabi- speaking ELLs use an expressive form to deliver compliments which allows them to build positive rapport while these are often exemplified by the representative speech act in the case of greetings following their cultural traits of modesty and politeness. Although all speech acts are accompanied by additional supportive strategies and non-verbal signs, new situations reveal variability in pragmatic competence. It is evident that both cultural and linguistic backgrounds play a critical role in guiding when realizing compliments and greetings.
REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN PASHTO AND ENGLISH SONGS: A FEMINIST STYLISTIC ANALYSIS Title: Representation of Women in Pashto and English Songs: A Feminist Stylistic Analysis The genre of songs serves as a means of pleasure and reflects ideologies, metanarratives, and norms that are socially and, at times, ethnically accepted. This qualitative, descriptive study examines how women are represented in English and Pashto songs. Thirty songs from 2020 to 2023 — fifteen in each language, including male and female artists — were analyzed using a purposive sampling technique. The analysis was conducted at three levels: lexical, syntactic, and discourse, employing Mills’ (1995) feminist stylistics model and Nussbaum’s (1995) objectification theory. At the lexical level, the study identified frequent nouns, verbs and, adjectives that objectify or idealize women. The syntactic level revealed patterns of male-dominated agency and the passive positioning of women, while the discourse level highlighted recurring themes of subservience, beauty, and objectification. Additionally, both Pashto and English songs objectify women in culturally distinct ways such as English songs often represent females through their body parts, while Pashto songs emphasize the physical beauty of women. By analyzing the lyrics of both language songs, the findings depict that woman is regarded as silent and fragile and valued primarily for their appearance, reinforcing societal expectations of submissiveness. In a nutshell, it is concluded that both Pashtun and American society represent women through the perception of male members, either negatively or otherwise. The study accentuates the need for a more balanced and respectful portrayal of women in songs to promote an inclusive and equitable society. The study recommends that further research be conducted in other languages and music genres like folklore, hip hop and rock to gain a broader understanding of gender representation.
Derisive Pakistani Political Tweets: A Socio- Pragmatic Study This study delves into the realm of Pakistani political discourse on Twitter. It focuses on the socio-pragmatic aspects of derisive humor employed by prominent political figures from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) parties in their tweets. Through a comprehensive analysis of forty-eight tweets collected over a period of eight months, from January 2022 to August 2022, the study identifies and categorizes linguistic choices of travesty used in these tweets. The objectives include examining these choices as types of humor and analyzing the mediated ideologies underlying verbal humor in the context of Pakistani politics. This study aims to address this gap using a socio-pragmatic approach to explore the use of mockery in Pakistani politics. The methodology is supplemented by i. Attardo’s General Theory of Verbal Humor, ii. Shade’s categories of Verbal Humor and iii. Trudgill’s Sociolinguistic Variables to conduct the content analysis of the selected tweets. The findings of the study indicate that humor, particularly satire, irony and sarcasm, is utilized not only for entertainment but also as a strategic tool to critique opponents, shape public opinion and assert dominance in the political landscape. Sociolinguistic variables such as power dynamics and political position significantly influence the linguistic strategies employed by politicians. It also reveals a complex interplay between language, power and ideology. The study sheds light on the intricate relationship between humor and politics, highlighting how linguistic techniques are used to influence user's perceptions and propagate political agendas on social media platforms. Politicians from PTI and PML-N utilize humor to reinforce their political ideologies on Twitter. One of the implications of the study is that political communication on social media platforms creates a denigrated image of these politicians. Generally, the public look upto these figures as their role models. However, in the light of the study, politicians fail to become ideals or role models for their people.
THE PRIVACY PARADOX AND THE QUESTION OF AGENCY: A STUDY OF SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM IN MCNAMEE’S ZUCKED: WAKING UP TO THE FACEBOOK CATASTROPHE AND GREENWALD’S NO PLACE TO HIDE Title: The Privacy Paradox and the Question of Agency: A Study of Surveillance Capitalism in McNamee’s Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe and Greenwald’s No Place to Hide This study explores the concepts of privacy and agency by reading Roger McNamee’s Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe (2019) and Glenn Greenwald’s No Place to Hide (2014). I examine the selected texts by deploying Shoshana Zuboff’s approach to “Surveillance Capitalism” and Sherry Turkle’s concept of the “Privacy Paradox''. I argue that collecting information in the name of privacy is a strategy of surveillance. This is how the privacy paradox refers to the notion that social media, tech platforms, and state intelligence agencies offer the illusion of privacy and agency while, in fact, they are doing surveillance. The information of consumers is shared to the advertising companies and state agencies either for capitalist interests or security purposes. Resultantly, the agency and privacy of the consumers are compromised in many ways. Furthermore, this research lies in the qualitative paradigm. Its research design is interpretive and exploratory in nature. Hence, I use Catherine Belsey’s "Textual Analysis as a Research Method" to analyze the selected texts in terms of the relationship between surveillance capitalism and the notions of privacy and agency. I find that tech companies and state agencies hack the brain, modify behavior, exploit human information, manipulate by creating the fear of staying behind, and trace every virtual footprint. This study contributes to the production of knowledge in the domain of Surveillance Studies.
Self-Translation and The Creative Process: A Critical Analysis of Tehmina Durrani’s Blasphemy The research aims to examine the process of self-translation in the self-translated novel Blasphemy by evaluating translation strategies used by the author Tehmina Durrani while self-translating the novel. Moreover, creativity in translation involves the techniques and strategies a translator uses to accurately communicate the culture of a source text in a target text, beyond mere literal translation. The research is qualitative in nature and using the theoretical framework tailored from Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) model of translation strategies and Venuti (1995) concept of foreignization and domestication, the researcher scrutinized the data by analyzing individual instances (sentences) for borrowing, calque, equivalence, adaptation, modulation, transposition and literal translation from various chapters of text. The findings of the research pointed out that the author made use of various translation strategies such as borrowing, literal translation and others along with lexical choices in order to translate cultural norms. Moreover, the author also made use of domestication and foreignization techniques in order to maintain the source text sense in the target text. It was found out that, due to poor lexical choices in some instances, the translation was unable to accurately convey the cultural norms and customs of the source text in the target text. In order to improve cross-cultural communication and maintain the authenticity of the original text, the self-translator should give equal weightage to linguistic appropriateness and cultural transferability by making correct lexical choices.
GATED COMMUNITIES AND MALIGNANT EXTERIORITIES: ADDRESSING ECOLOGICAL ANXIETIES IN THE SELECTED SPECULATIVE FICTION OF OCTAVIA E. BUTLER AND JEAN HEGLAND Title: Gated Communities and Malignant Exteriorities: Addressing Ecological Anxieties in the Selected Speculative Fiction of Octavia E. Butler and Jean Hegland Today humanity is besieged by unprecedented levels and forms of disasters. While previously they were periods of social leveling and worked to bind the community spirit stronger than before, the nature of present disasters open doors for a more divided and barbaric future where the big money enterprises deflect the collapse on the already scavenged poor. This is how disaster capitalism operates and it brings with it unchecked violence, civil strife, apartheid, and an exponentially increasing exploitation of the biosphere. This research delves into the problems that originated and escalated due to late-stage advanced turbo-capitalism. It looks for political and social alternatives to its seething imperialistic control and hegemony. The “ownership societies” (gated communities) in the selected novels give architectonic visibility to the socio-political concerns of the free-market crusade. This study problematizes this and gears the environmental justice stance towards “sustainable eco-communities” instead. Eco-communities work on the principles of municipal confederalism and communalism. Combined they make the corpus of Social Ecology, a theory following the Marxist tradition, which looks at humanity’s potential for freedom and cooperation and demands a rational (need-based) future. Social ecology aims to demolish social hierarchy from the human condition. Distinct from mythical approaches that take theoretical forms – like mysticism, deep ecology, and biocentrism – social ecology provides practical, achievable steps to foster ecological restoration as well as establish a system of governance that moves the current environment of dominance (corporate, bureaucratic, state) to networked cooperation instrumenting collective growth and sustainability. This research employs Catherine Belsey’s methodology of textual analysis to deeply understand the geopolitical climate of today.
AUTHORS’ ENGAGEMENT IN THE CRIME REPORTS OF PAKISTANI NEWSPAPERS: A CASE STUDY USING APPRAISAL ANALYSIS Title: Authors’ Engagement in the Crime Reports of Pakistani Newspapers: A Case Study Using Appraisal Analysis This study critically examines authorial engagement in crime reporting within Pakistani newspapers, focusing on the portrayal of crime in four prominent English-language newspapers: DAWN, The Express Tribune, The Nation, and Daily Pakistan. Employing a mixed-method research design, the study integrates both quantitative and qualitative techniques to analyze how journalists position themselves vis-à-vis crime victims, perpetrators, and the legal system. Using Appraisal Theory, specifically the engagement meta-function, the research investigates linguistic choices and their impact on narrative construction. Data collection involved an in-depth document analysis of news reports on two high-profile cases, Dua Zehra and Sarah Inam, which were selected as representative examples. A purposive sampling technique was used to choose 24 news reports based on their relevance to the progression of each case. Quantitative analysis was conducted using MS Excel to calculate the frequency of monoglossic (single- voiced) and heteroglossic (multi-voiced) statements, while qualitative analysis involved thematic coding to interpret patterns of meaning within the narratives.The study identifies that crime reporting in Pakistan is significantly influenced by cultural, political, and institutional dynamics, with narratives often reflecting broader societal biases. Monoglossic statements present information as indisputable, aligning with official or hegemonic viewpoints, whereas heteroglossic statements incorporate diverse voices, allowing for dialogue and contestation. This dichotomy highlights the media’s role in framing crime narratives and influencing legal outcomes.The integration of quantitative data on statement types with qualitative insights into thematic shifts allows a comprehensive understanding of how authorial engagement shapes crime report framing. The findings underscore the ethical imperatives for journalists in constructing narratives that bear significant societal and legal implications, contributing to a nuanced understanding of crime reporting dynamics in Pakistan.
DIGITALIDENTITYCONSTRUCTIONOF LINKEDINUSERS:ANANALYTICAL STUDYOFDISCURSIVEPRACTICES Title:DigitalIdentityConstructionofLinkedInUsers:AnAnalyticalStudyof DiscursivePractices In the contemporary digital landscape, LinkedIn stands out as a prominent platform for professional networking and identity construction. This study investigates the elements of identity employed by LinkedIn users in the construction of their digital identities. The research is qualitative, and a non-proportional quota sampling technique was used to prepare a sampleof thirty participants, i.e., fifteen teachers and fifteen non-teachers from the Rawalpindi and Islamabad regions. Through a qualitative analytical approach, drawing on Goffman’s theory of Dramaturgy and Martinec and Salway’s Text-Image Relations, this research examined how users strategically utilize language, symbols, and interactional patterns to shape their online personas. By analyzing textual data such as user profiles, posts, and comments supplemented by interviews with active LinkedIn users, this study uncovered the underlying elements of identity involved in the construction of professional identities on LinkedIn. Furthermore, this research explored the impact of individuals' primary roles on the construction of their digital identities. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between digital technologies and identity in the context of professional networking platforms like LinkedIn.
"THE RECONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL IDENTITY OF TRANSGENDERS IN THE SELECTED SOUTH ASIAN COMIC FICTION" Title: The Reconstruction Of Social Identity Of Transgenders In The Selected South Asian Comic Fiction The undertaken study scrutinizes the two comic fictional series, Basila and the Street Crew (2020) and Transgender Persons in Science mini-series (2016), written and illustrated by Pakistani and Indian writers, respectively. The primary focus of this dissertation remains on the representation of transgender characters and their emergence in new social roles. It argues that the positive portrayal of transgender bodies in selected South Asian comic fictional works dismantles their traditional image in fiction by reconstructing their new impression and new social identity. The exploration of diversity and newness in their representation is associated with their performative roles and their active participation in social works. Transgender characters are defying stereotypical gender norms, gender behaviors, and gender expectations through their active creation and assertion of their identity. This nuanced and diverse portrayal is achieved through their physical appearances, manners, and their interaction with society through their social roles. The analysis is carried out in light of the key tenets of Performativity theory posited by Judith Butler along with Stryker’s idea of Transgender Performativity in relation to Erving Goffman’s theory of Impression Management. Drawing on the constructive nature of gender identity and impression management, the social identity of transgenders will be debated that how their gender identity, which is a social construct, is usually associated with lower social categories and the impression of their identities can be managed through various mechanisms. The research employs Kress and Van Leeuwen’s multimodal method of analysis to study the selected works by focusing on the scrutiny of texts and illustrations. The careful examination of primary sources of the study provides support to the main argument that these texts have the potential of subversion against the misrepresentation of transgenders and pave the way for changing public perception of them. Performativity, in its various manifestations, can be explored as a reliable strategic mode of resistance employed by other subaltern communities portrayed in the realm of SA comic fiction.